But This Time It's Different
Episodes
Why Bother Voting? Democracy Has Left the Group Chat
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is democracy, really—and is it still working?In this episode, Sinead chats to legendary hedge fund manager Eric Lonergan while Alex is on vacat...
Stocks Up, Spirits Down: What is driving the S&P500 prices
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex dive into the dystopian world of modern finance—where the stock market hits record highs while everyone you know is...
The B-2 Spirit: Stealth mode ACTIVATED!
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex unpack the recent U.S. airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities—with a little help from everyone's favorite $2 b...
Building Nukes... for Dummies
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex cheerfully dive into the totally chill, everyday task of building your very own nuclear weapons program.They unpack t...
Diamonds Are Not Forever: The Collapse of a Sparkling Empire
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex dig into the collapse of the diamond industry, where natural stones are losing their luster and lab-grown gems are st...
How To Smuggle A Diamond: From Blood Mines to Bling Lines
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Alex and Sinead crack open the glittering facade of the diamond smuggling world.From mine to market, diamonds are sold as symbols of ...
A State of Chaos: Yemen Edition
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex plunge into Yemen: a country that's mastered the art of existing without actually functioning. From Ali Abdullah ...
Zero to Zero Margin in 3.8 Seconds: The Rise and Fall of China's Electric Vehicle Market
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex take you on a high-voltage joyride through China’s EV empire: from lithium-fueled ambition to zero-margin chaos.The...
Universities as Hedge Funds: Ivy Towers and Illiquid Assets
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex unpack how university endowments went from sleepy ivory tower piggy banks to Wall Street-grade investment machines. T...
Escape from the Rainbow Nation: South Africa's Fracturing Narrative
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex wade into the wonderfully messy world of South African politics, where historical memory collides with present-day po...
Hire-a-Pirate: The Billion-Dollar Business of Maritime Security
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex dive headfirst into the murky, lightly armed world of private maritime security, which the global capitalist system n...
Air Force: Won? How a Plane Became a Brand, a Gift, and a Crisis
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of But This Time It’s Different, Sinead and Alex board the wildest diplomatic flight of the year: Qatar’s luxury 747-8, recently “...
Freight As An Emerging Market: The New World Disorder
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sinead and Alex unpack the global shipping crisis, and discover that it is not just a logistics problem, it’s a financial thriller....
Nuclear Tensions: The India-Pakistan Standoff
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
India and Pakistan are edging closer to the brink- and Sinead and Alex are digging into what happens when two nuclear powers share a border, a grudge,...
Are We In A Recession? When Mood Moves Money
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are we in a recession… or just having a collective economic identity crisis?In this episode, Sinead and Alex ditch the GDP charts and dive into the ...
De-Dollarization: Is the Dollar Losing Its Grip?
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Alex and Sinead take on one of the juiciest questions in global finance: Is the dollar finally losing its crown? They dive into the drama o...