Melinda Cooper, a Professor in Sociology at the Australian National University, dives into the complex dance of austerity and extravagance shaping neoliberal monetary policy. She illuminates how the crises of the 1970s birthed a counterrevolution against Keynesian economics, affecting wealth distribution and public finance. Discussing the regressive nature of capital gains tax cuts, she critiques their benefits for the wealthy. The conversation also touches on how reproductive rights debates reflect changing social dynamics amidst these ideological shifts.