Shows / The David McWilliams Podcast
The David McWilliams Podcast
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…
Episodes
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The roots of the Israel-Palestinian Conflict pt2 (1967-1993)
Part 2 of our overview of the Israel-Palestinian conflict brings us from the Six Day War to the Oslo Accords. Key things here are the change in the image of…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
When Mantras Replace Hard Thinking: The Case of the Irish Budget
The budget, despite all the posturing, should make you be afraid, very afraid. It reveals a complete lack of Leaving Cert economic thinking. Today we…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The roots of the Israel-Palestinian Conflict pt1
To understand where we are, you have to appreciate the history - economic, political and social - and that’s what we’re setting out to do! Starting in Dorset…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
US interest rates: What's driving them?
We're in North America this week thinking about the US economy. How come the USA is creating so many jobs, why are interest rates not biting, does…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Brexit: the cost of reality
Brexit was supposed to be simple, that was the promise! The reality however is a world of complex costs & frictions which has backed the UK into a structural…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The September Rate Spike - Is it Time to Worry?
Long term interest rates spiked up in September. This will have an impact. Mortgage rates everywhere are up dramatically. Could it be time for the debt crunch?…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Argentina: An economic and now, political car crash. Its worse than you think
How does one of the richest economy of the 19th century blow it? What are the lessons for the rest of us? As the saying goes, “The road to ruin is shorter than…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Why Ireland should copy Vienna
Vienna, one of the world’s most liveable city, was created through a strong vision for its future and targeted taxes. Today, housing costs in Vienna are a…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Are we at the 4th turning?
Today’s episode is a unique discussion with the writer Neil Howe about a completely different way to look at history, in chapters over decades and how history…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The ECB on Trial
The ECB has raised interest rates ten times in two years but the Euro is not getting stronger, it is getting weaker. What does this tell us about the European…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Swedenomics
The euro-tour continues as we dive into what makes Sweden tick - but not before one of our usual tangents on skin differences! Nevertheless, today is about the…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Crouch, Bind, Set! & G20 economics
What does the latest G20 accord tell us about the new Cold War and speaking of wars, we examine the Rugby World Cup and more interestingly the Economics of…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
How India became the coming power
With the coming G20 summit in India we take a look at how the rise of india came to be, how it went from colonialism, to socialism and now to capitalism. Now a…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The tragedy of state outsourcing
If we are to prepare a future that welcomes 10 million people in Ireland, we need take back control of public infrastructure project costs because these…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Uncovering Portugal
Portugal’s current economic situation can only be explained through its rich & expansive history. As we tease out the various chapters of Portugal we uncover…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Ireland is a teenager in a geriatric home
Ireland is an outlier within the European demographic, how can it shape it’s growth in a bloc that is going to be managing for an aging population? Hosted on…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
We need to invest now, or face the consequences
The economy has two main levers: fiscal policies & monetary policies. Through these mechanism we have the means to ensure that our infrastructure keeps up with…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The end of the Chinese financial miracle?
China’s economic growth is far from what it used to be and cracks are currently appearing in a variety of sectors. Has China’s heroic growth in the last…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Poland rising
The European tour continues, next stop: Poland! An extraordinary country that is rapidly evolving - an evolution that might very well pull the axis of European…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Easiest Way to Rob a Bank is to Run It
As John returns from Washington DC we take a quick state of that nation before coming home to talk about how the Irish banks are actually stealing their…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Reign in Spain
Continuing our European tour we arrive in the the Iberian Peninsula. What makes Spain, this most brilliant of countries tick? With many European countries…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Is the DeGrowth Movement the future?
One of the most talked about global movements is the DeGrowth movement which believes economic growth is the problem and if we can wean ourselves of the…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Economics of Oppenheimer
Culture always mirrors, reinforces or leads economics & Oppenheimer has just returned nuclear energy to the center of the energy discussion. Is is the silver…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Sinead, Music and Stone Age Economics
After a quick top-up on last week’s Italian episode, we talk about Sinead O'Connor before she became Sinead O'Connor. From there we explore why music was…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
How Italy became anti-fragile
Italy, the cradle of European civilization often gets a bad rap, which I personally think is completely unjustified. Today's conversation looks at where the…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Insiders VS Outsiders
How can some countries be doing well on paper but in reality, there is growing frustration and instability from the population, leading to more extremist…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Tyranny of Nostalgia
The UK is a mess. Investment, productivity and GPD per head is all flatlining. Why? How can a once good country go bad. In today’s conversation we’re joined by…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Has the FED done the impossible? Is a soft landing coming?
The Americans might have engineered the impossible: a soft landing… which would be an absolute anomaly in economic cycles! While we look at how this might be…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Bastille Day Special: What makes France tick?
On the eve of Bastille Day we head to France to explore the French economy. Who really runs France, the technocrats, big business or the political class of the…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Recession that Isn't Happening
We explore why the world is not in a recession despite everything. The US economy simply refuses to buckle under the pressure of high interest rates. A key…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
What's happening in Germany
Germany, Europe's most important economy, is at a turning point. It is now a massive industrial economy with no energy. For over one hundred years, Germany has…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Fiscal Incontinence!
What a scandal at the Irish national broadcaster tells us about how the country became the most expensive place to live in Europe. It's all about value for…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
European evolution, train tales and the history of mathematics
From a train journey to Ishango bones we talk about Europe’s complicated relationship with Africa before turning our sights (and your ears) to Maths - and how…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
A Russian Revolution?
The whole world learned the name Prigozhin over the weekend as the warlord threatened Putin and plotted a course for Moscow. With this failed coup now behind…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Searching for America with David Brooks
In this intimate conversation, we discuss America - from a political, personal & cultural point of view to understand this land where decisions and policies…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Why modern cities need to look at the 19th century for inspiration
Urban living is nothing new, but some decades did it better than others! Let’s look at how people designed cities before the advent of cars and what we can be…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Unionist strategy against Irish Unity: Poverty
Brexit was supposed to drive a wedge between the two jurisdictions of Ireland. In reality it has built a bridge: There's far more trade between the North and…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Economics of Football seen through the eyes of Logan Roy
Love Football? Love Succession? You're gonna love this one in which we explain the economics of football as Logan Roy would explain it to Shiv, Kendal, Roman…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The opioid crisis in America is coming to Europe
America has been fighting through a series of drug epidemics in the last few years, and those drugs are now poised to cross the pond. Today we take a look at…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Why more interest rate hikes are coming and Irish census revelations
We start in America, breaking down the impact of the debt ceiling deal & why more bank fallouts are likely on the way before moving to the Irish census to talk…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Follow the money
All criminal enterprises are enterprises, meaning they are businesses…and like every business they leave a money trail. Today we talk to the man who is suing…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Why the Federal Reserve is stuck in a "cul de sac", and what it means for you.
The American economy refuses to obey the Federal Reserve and things are going to break. We examine the monetary bind facing the world's premier central bank…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
What you know about Western civilization is wrong
The saying goes that there’s a straight line from Plato to Nato - but actually, it’s much more complicated than that. Today we explain why we repeat a story…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Coming Great Crash?
They say that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. Today’s discussion is all about what we can take from history as we navigate this slow grinding…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
This is the most important week in the Ukraine war - and global geo-politics as a whole
The counter-offensive might be underway but the outcomes are still very much up in the air. Let’s look at what’s going on and how the outcomes in Ukraine will…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
A Coming US Default?
Is the US about to manufacture a debt crisis? Don't rule it out. There are enough nut-jobs knocking around Capitol Hill for whom shutting down government is a…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
American Bank Carnage part 2
The American banking system is experiencing a slow grinding crisis. We explore, why this is happening, why now and why the Fed adopted a completely different…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
How does the UK recover financially?
The UK is what happens when economic growth stops. So on the week of the coronation let’s look at what is happening in the country and what it takes to right…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Dream Economy
Arts and culture are associated with many things, but rarely is economic impact cited. This is right, culture is not a spread sheet, but nor too is economics…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Civilization and the planet
We seldom hear how the environment affected the growth and collapse of civilizations across the world and history. More than any other factor, the environment…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Paradox of Prudence
Having money is only half the battle, deploying it well is the other half. We look at Ireland's financial balance sheet: we're saving far too much! By saving…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Feed your Brain
I’ve just come back from giving a TED talk in Vancouver. Brilliant experience, lots of amazing speakers, top notch presentations ;which more than anything…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Biden, Relationships VS interests & Contemplations from TED
Countries don't have relationships, they have interests - this notion guides us as we reflect on the coverage of Biden's visit to Ireland before tackling the…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The benefits of longterm thinking in the TikTok age
Future citizens have, by definition, no voice but someone needs to speak on their behalf if we’re meant to build a longterm society. The solution to the global…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Why negativity took over the news cycle
Communicating the bad before the good is an evolutionary trait that has helped us survive - but in today’s world, our ancestral instincts and the need to sell…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Global Irish Soft Power
What does Ireland do for the Irish Diaspora? Here's an idea: why not use Ireland as the re-charging battery for the Irishness of the Global Irish Tribe? Let's…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
It's Easter, Ramadan, Passover take your pick! We head to Jerusalem, spiritual home of all three religions.
It's Easter, Ramadan and Passover, so let's go to the centre of the three Abrahamic religions, Jerusalem. Many years ago I spent time living and working in…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
Why a country can be rich on paper, but feel poor in reality
You've never had it so good, but you ain't feeling it. Sound familiar? We explain this dilemma at the heart of a society - in this case Ireland - but its can…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
China plays chess, while Russia plays poker
Putin has managed to turn Russia into a vassal state of China, a fact confirmed by Xi’s visit to Russia. The Sino/Russo alliance against the West is solidified…
- The David McWilliams Podcast
The Next Global Banking Crisis is Here
The easiest way to rob a bank is to run it. Banks go bad from the inside out. When interest rates shift upward, lots of mistakes and dodgy practices are…