The David McWilliams Podcast
David McWilliams & John Davis
The aim of this weekly podcast is to make economics easy, uncomplicated and accessible. With the world at a political, technological and financial tipping point, economics has never been so important to all of us and yet, it’s made inaccessible and complicated by so many.I’ve always thought what is complicated is rarely important and what is important is rarely complicated.That will be our motto.Every week we are going to tease out some big economic or political issue facing us, not just here in Ireland but in Europe and further afield. Globalisation has brought us all together. We all face similar challenges whether you live in Dublin, London, Minnesota or Milan.If you would like to enjoy all of our content ad-free and have early access to episodes, subscribe to DMCW+ on Apple Podcast.If you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/DavidMcWilliams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
5 snips
May 31, 2022 • 35min
Brexiternity - the only way the Tories to stay in power
We focus on our closet neighbour the UK today as it turns its back on the metric system. Yes, true, you believe it? We explore why the Tories have to keep Brexit going. It's their only electoral meal ticket. Expect more "false flag" operations, more weaponizing of Northern Ireland and more jingoistic nonsense about imperial weights, miles, furlongs and the like. You never know, if we wait long enough decimalization might be gone and they'll be back to the half-crown, farthing and shilling! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 26, 2022 • 38min
There's great dryin' in that wind!
Economics is energy and energy is economics. Imagine a country blessed with renewable energy, able to power itself and export electricity, faced with the opportunity to completely transform its economy and society and contribute positively to eliminating carbon emissions? That country is Ireland; and outcrop in the north Atlantic buffeted by maritime winds. When Mammy said there's great drying in that wind, she was talking about the transformative opportunity that living in a constant gale affords. Are we going to seize the wind energy chance or are we going to blow it? Listen and find out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 24, 2022 • 28min
A Global Perfect Storm
Markets are suffering from global contagion. Stock markets are down 22% this year. Bonds are tanking too. There are at least four if not five proximate reasons as the global economy heads towards coordinated recession. China (17% of the global economy) is at a stand still due to zero covid, the US is fighting inflation. Europe's real incomes have been squeezed by "Putinflation" and emerging markets are running out of dollars. We tease out the big picture and what it means for all of us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
18 snips
May 19, 2022 • 47min
Living with inflation, the story of Turkey
Today’s episode is going to be exploring the intersection between Turkey and inflation, a country that has been living for many years with what traditional metrics would call “out of control” inflation for the last few years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 17, 2022 • 45min
Coins and Crypto Carnage
Digital assets are crashing across the board, something that we’ve warned about across various episodes. Today’s chat is about what is happening & why its happening - is this going to be like the .com crash or like the sub-prime crisis (much worse). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 12, 2022 • 47min
Scandinavian Models
Swanneying around Gothenburg this week, the thought stuck me how do these people do it? Why do the Scandinavians do this so well economically, from income, to health, to women feeling safe walking alone at night, Scandinavian countries lead the way, why? Starting from a car wash analogy, we interrogate wage equality, why higher wages at the lower-end are critical to innovation and creating a more fair society - something the Scandinavian countries seem to have figured out ahead of everyone else! This week, let's take some Swedish lessons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 snips
May 10, 2022 • 43min
The coming interest rate crusade against inflation?
Imagine mortgage rates at 8%, inconceivable possibly but when you think about it not completely out of the question. Historically we've been here before. We examine the last time the interest/inflation cycle turned, what happened, who paid most and what were the long-term consequences? Buckle up for the ride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 5, 2022 • 42min
The Death of Distance - direct from Inis Meain
This one’s a special one: we’re coming to you from Inis Meain, the middle island of the three Aran islands to discuss how Covid and connectivity has enhanced our ability to thrive in remote locations, how going upmarket is the way forward and how this small Irish-speaking community is preserving its (and our) roots while at the same time, adjusting to this new modern reality. Ultimately we are witnessing the death of distance, and, in the future, the more distant you are, the more you will benefit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 3, 2022 • 35min
What can the Reformation tell us about Twitter, Martin Luther, Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin?
What is power? How is it acquired and who owns it? We look at the economics of power, the power of networks and the "strength of weak ties" and the constant historic tension between vertical power, the type deployed by Putin, and horizontal power the type sought by Musk. Plus we explore what they can both learn from the master "influencer" of the early 16th century, Martin Luther. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 28, 2022 • 40min
The Biggest Question in Economics - How exactly does and economy grow or contract?
Economies weren’t always focused on growth, as weird as that might sound now, growth, is a relatively new concept. Today we’re joined by one of the greats: Mark Blyth, who talks to us about past & future growth rates… and how the planet plays into it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
