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
Jul 22, 2021 • 36min
155 - Is Cuba in the middle of a regime change
There is a wind of change in the Cuban air. The Castro family is no longer running the country and there are whispers among the locals that this might be a tipping point for the country. Let’s breakdown the current situation & the different ways that this can play out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 20, 2021 • 34min
154- The economics of climate change, the coming resource wars and what we can do about it.
Economists are dangerous, so says this week's guest iconoclastic economist,Professor Steve Keen and this is particularly the case if we think about climate change. What can we do to avoid a climate catastrophe? Carbon credits could be the answer, but we have to act quickly. Plus, why Ireland could be to renewable energy what Saudi Arabia is to petrol and thrifty five years after Chernobyl, why the return of nuclear is on the cards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 15, 2021 • 35min
153 - Follow the Money: Why is the government selling the Bank of Ireland cheaply and why now?
The Irish government is trying to sell its stake in the Bank of Ireland at a half price. Selling cheap and buying expensive is never good business. We head back to the West Lower to explore the nexus between selling Bank of Ireland cheaply and the dreaded Davy Stockbrokers, that entity that is under investigation by the State. Could there be a link? If so what does it say about corporate culture in Ireland? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 13, 2021 • 29min
152 - The NYtimes is wrong - Ireland is not a tax haven
Last week the New York Times took a swipe at Ireland by calling it a tax haven - which it most definitely is not. Using taxes is central to any nation's economic policy. A tax haven is understood to be a place where a company puts a brass plate up, has few if any employees and proceeds to wash money through this shell company. That is not what is happening in Ireland. We explore the transformation of the Irish society and the Irish economy, against the background of a small country fighting the limitation of size by embracing globalization and importing much needed capital over a thirty year period. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 8, 2021 • 30min
151 - Reimagining cities post COVID
The world is changing and nowhere is that more apparent than in urban areas around the world. Today’s episode looks at the transformations happening in our podcast home of Dun Laoghaire and use it as a template to discuss what might happen around the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 6, 2021 • 51min
150 - Rich Man/Poor Man with Stephanie Kelton & Marla Dukharan
Up here, in what used to be called the "1st World", the pandemic has focused economists' minds on what can be done to change our thinking after Covid has passed. M.M.T. sets out new economic opportunities available, for example, to the the US. But not all countries have the luxury of this approach built up over decades of wealth and stability. Countries in what is now termed the "Global South" do not have these possibilities. Yet they are the ones that need a break most. Today’s episode contrasts what new economic frameworks meant for countries who are already rich and compares that to the experience from countries who remain poor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 1, 2021 • 42min
149 - Let’s talk Pride, is there a gay economy?
When I was a kid, being inclusive or accepting of gay people was regarded as the death knell of commerce. Today it’s an essential attribute of a successful economy or company. This week we talk about the change Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 29, 2021 • 46min
148 - Is the political centre back?
We examine recent political trends and ask the question: is the centre, written off by the extremes, back in the game & And if so, what does it mean? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 24, 2021 • 33min
147 - The housing market by the numbers
We're slowly but surely coming to the boiling point of the housing market, but as we do so it's important to step back and understand the magnitude of the mess we're in. Join us this week as we quantify the booms & busts of the last 2 generations in Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 22, 2021 • 37min
146 - The Great Caste War
Elections all over the world are now power struggles between "castes", not so much classes, ideologies or even economics. We look at economic history as being one on going struggle between three castes, the priests, the warriors and the merchants. Each traditional caste has evolved from their historical origins, but they are essentially unchanged in the modern. Today's politics is still dominated by this fascinating three-way struggle, economics is also determined by the winners of this battle. From the Pharaoh, to the Red Branch Knights, the disappearance of Prussia, right up to Brexit and the next Irish election we trace this illuminating way at looking political, power and position. It explains why the relatively rich have swung to the Left, while the relatively poor have swung to the Right in the biggest political re-configuration of our age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
