Macro N Cheese

Ep 278 - Radicalizing the Youth: The Significance of Campus Protests with Bryce Greene

25 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bryce Greene was recently arrested during campus protests in support of Palestine. Steve, who believes ignoring the slaughter in Gaza is akin to ...

Ep 277 - Be the Revolution with Jay Ponti

18 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

**On Tuesday evening we’re holding a listening party and informal discussion of this episode. Join us for Macro ‘n Chill. Register here: https://u...

Ep 276 - What Democracy? with Aaron Good

11 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Aaron Good, a political scientist and historian, talks with Steve about the US political system and power dynamics. They explore the roles of the deep...

Ep 275 - Insurgent Labor with David Van Deusen

04 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a previous episode of this podcast, David Van Deusen spoke about the radical ten-point program adopted by the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO....

Ep 274 - Is Bail Reform the Answer? with Jeff Clayton

27 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When most of us think about bail, we focus on the financial burden it presents to the accused. This week’s guest is Jeffrey J. Clayton, Executive Di...

Ep 273 - RP Live: Putin's Russia with Esha Krishnaswamy

20 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

**Check our website for upcoming events such as book clubs, RP Live webinars, and the Tuesday evening discussion group, Macro ‘n Chill. https://real...

Ep 272 - Assange: In Defense of Journalists & Whistleblowers with Kevin Gosztola

13 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Assange is being targeted by the US government because he doesn't conform to the dominant culture of the US prestige media. He's not going to be in...

Ep 271 - Defining Value with L. Randall Wray

06 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

**RP Book Club is beginning a new series, Sunday April 7, 14, and 21, at 3pm ET/12pm PT. Register once for all three sessions. realprogressives.org/ev...

Ep 270 - Class, Capitalism, and MMT with Bill Mitchell

30 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A hundred years ago, John Maynard Keynes predicted we would see a massive expansion of growth and productivity under capitalism. Bingo. He got that ri...

Ep 269 - Finding Your Why with Steve Grumbine

23 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of Macro N Cheese is dedicated to Steve’s mom, Joan Grumbine. Her kindness, love, and unwavering dedication to her family and community...

Ep 268 - There Is No Magic Pricing Fairy with Brian Romanchuk

16 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

** Be sure to check the Real Progressives website’s calendar for upcoming events. On Sunday, March 17th at noon ET/9am PT, we’re hosting a webinar...

Ep 267 - Demystifying Sellers Inflation with Yeva Nersisyan

09 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American people see through mainstream claims of “the greatest economy ever.” They are confronted by evidence to the contrary every day.Steve ...

Ep 266 - Les Milei with Daniel Conceição

02 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

** Reminder: You are invited to listen to and discuss this episode with friends from Real Progressives on Tuesday, March 5th. Find the Zoom link at ht...

Ep 265 - Is Marx Still Relevant? with Steve Maher

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

**To discuss this episode among friends, come to our listening party, Macro ‘n Chill, on Tuesday February 27th at 8pm ET/5pm PT. For the link go to ...

Ep 264 - Deconstructing the Colonial Archetype with Fadhel Kaboub

17 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

** If you haven’t yet come to our Tuesday night listening party, this is the week to do so. Join the Real Progressives community as we dive in and d...

Ep 263 - State of the Not So Free Press with Mickey Huff

10 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“We've been trying to get people to stop saying ‘mainstream media.’ I’ve got to do it now too, for the same reason that you just described: be...

Ep 262 - How Are We Going To Pay For It with Geoff Ginter, Rohan Grey, and Yeva Nersisyan

03 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“...the question of how to pay for it is a very complicated question but has much less to do with money than it does to do with social structure and...

Ep 261 - Mission: Inflation with Warren Mosler

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

**Transcripts and “extras” are available for each episode of Macro N Cheese on our website: https://realprogressives.org/macro-n-cheese-podcast/Th...

Ep 260 - Practical Applications with Joshua Dávila, the Blockchain Socialist

20 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When we hear the term “blockchain,” we immediately think of libertarians and capitalists. Crypto bros. They have been dominating that space but th...

Ep 259 - Redefining Work with Tyler Emerson

13 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the many exciting things about a federal job guarantee is its transformative potential in reshaping society's understanding of work and value. ...

Ep 258 - Wall Street’s War on Workers with Les Leopold

06 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Before the 1980s, mass layoffs were often tied to economic recessions. Today, they are shrewd corporate strategy. Modern mass layoffs are connected to...

Ep 257 - The Case For Palestine with Dan Kovalik

30 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In his third appearance on Macro N Cheese, Dan Kovalik talks with Steve about his upcoming book, The Case for Palestine: Why It Matters and Why You Sh...

Ep 256 - RP Live Presents: Confronting Green Colonialism with Hamza Hamouchene

23 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“We cannot talk about colonialism, green or otherwise, about dismantling it, about decolonization, about environmental and climate justice in the Ar...

Ep 255 - Enshittification: A Monopoly Story with Cory Doctorow

16 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to Wikipedia, “Enshittification, also known as platform decay, is the pattern of decreasing quality of online platforms that act as two-si...

Ep 254 - IMPACT: Climate Reparations with Fadhel Kaboub

09 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fadhel Kaboub is back for his lucky 13th episode. He talks with Steve about the concept of climate reparations and its significance in tackling the cl...

Ep 253 - Death by Inequality with Stephen Bezruchka

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The consequences of income inequality extend far beyond economic disparities. Stephen Bezruchka focuses on its effect on health. Stephen is on the fac...

Ep 252 - Dying for Capitalism with Charles Derber

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Charles Derber, author of "Dying for Capitalism", talks with Steve about the intersectionality between capitalism, environmental destruction, and mili...

Ep 251 - Radical Political Economists on Palestine with David Fields

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Fields talks to Steve about “Economists for Palestine,” the statement released by the Union for Radical Political Economics (URPE). They emp...

Ep 250 - Dismantling Green Colonialism Part 2 with Hamza Hamouchene

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s episode is the second half of Steve’s interview with Hamza Hamouchene about his book, Dismantling Green Colonialism: Energy and Climat...

Ep 249 - Dismantling Green Colonialism Part 1 with Hamza Hamouchene

04 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we talk about the climate crisis, common wisdom says we’re all in it together. That implies that everyone is responsible, and everyone needs to...

Ep 248 - RP Live Presents: Inside a Failed State Q & A with Michael Hudson

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s episode is another webinar from our RP Live series: Inside a Failed State, with Michael Hudson.Michael prefers a Q&A format. Attende...

Ep 247 - Degrowth and MMT with Christopher Olk and Colleen Schneider

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As a society we are conditioned to believe we can f*ck with nature, with the living world, but the economy is immutable. We dare not try to change it....

Ep 246 - Fiat Socialism... The Convergence with Carlos García Hernández

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Carlos García Hernández is the author of Fiat Socialism: Achieving the Goals of Socialism through Modern Monetary Theory. He lays out the five goals...

Ep 245 - Decolonizing Our Minds with Fadhel Kaboub

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s episode welcomes back Fadhel Kaboub, a valued friend of this podcast. He and Steve discuss the concept of just transition and the proble...

Ep 244 - The Trouble with Lula with Daniel Conceição

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A head of state whose economic policies promote austerity and fiscal responsibility is:ConservativeProgressiveN/A (not applicable)Daniel Conceição i...

Ep 243 - RP Live presents: Africa’s Quest for Economic Liberation with Ndongo Samba Sylla

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“The impossibility of economic catch-up does not imply that the citizens of the global South are condemned to suffer from poverty and inequality. It...

Ep 242 - Monetary Operations: Coordinated vs. Consolidated with Eric Tymoigne

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding how monetary sovereign governments create and spend money means looking at the Treasury department and the central bank or, in the US, t...

Ep 241 - The MMT Lens with Bill Mitchell

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When someone associates Modern Monetary Theory with left or right wing politics, they’re signaling they know nothing of MMT and are simply associati...

Ep 240 - Can Unions Reclaim the Strike? with Joe Burns

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“I think within every labor struggle is a kernel of a broader transformation of society. So, it's interesting because Harry Bridges, who was the lon...

Ep 239 - Triggered! with Stephanie Preston

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Activists and organizers know that effective communication depends on connecting with people’s real needs. But we’re often baffled when people don...

Ep 238 - RP Book Club Presents Pavlina Tcherneva's The Case For a Job Guarantee

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

RP Book Club spent four weeks on The Case for a Job Guarantee, by Pavlina R. Tcherneva. Each week featured a different guest expert who led the discus...

Ep 237 - What's Bugging Mathew Forstater?

12 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“...Because we recognize that taxes are not a funding operation, there's this myth that people who support MMT don't want to use fiscal policy to pr...

Ep 236 - The Double Objective of Democratic Ecosocialism with Jason Hickel

05 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The title of this week’s episode is taken from an article to be published in September’s Monthly Review. The author, Jason Hickel, talks to Steve ...

Ep 235 - Imperialism and the Global South’s Debt with Ndongo Samba Sylla

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It will come as no surprise to our listeners that countries of the Global South are mired in a foreign debt crisis and that default is directly tied t...

Ep 234 - RP Book Club presents: Randy Wray's Making Money Work for Us

22 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re bringing you all three sessions of the Real Progressives Book Club on L. Randall Wray’s Making Money Work for Us.RP Book Club is r...

Ep 233 - Managed Democracy and Inverted Totalitarianism in the USA with 1Dime

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“People talk about campaign finance being the problem as to why ‘progressive’ politicians can't get elected. But that's more of an effect of thi...

Ep 232 - Is the US a Failed State? with Michael Hudson

08 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is the US a failed state? Well, with a paralyzed economy, debt deflation, and a ruling elite waging class warfare on labor, what else should we call i...

Ep 231 - RP Live with David Correia and Tyler Wall

01 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, David Correia and Tyler Wall, co-authors of Police: A Field Guide, lead a webinar about policing in the US.The common narrative about...

Ep 230 - Setting the Bar Low with Yeva Nersisyan

24 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve recently chatted with a well-informed liberal – the kind who reads the NY Times or watches PBS NewsHour – you’ve heard encouraging t...

Ep 229 - Capital Deceit with Paul Gambles

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s always interesting to get the insights of someone whose job places them near the beating heart of the imperial behemoth. Especially when they’...

Ep 228 - Full Employment with Pavlina Tcherneva

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When economist Pavlina Tcherneva was last on this podcast, we were a few months into the pandemic. She and Steve talked about nationalizing payroll an...

Ep 227 - Abolition with David Correia

03 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“We've all got that cop in our head that wants us to see a world full of threats and emergencies.”Steve’s guest, David Correia, is co-author (wi...

Ep 226 - Putting BRICS into Perspective with Yan Liang

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Yan Liang joins Steve to talk about China’s role in the global economy and the concept of “de-dollarization.” It’s refreshing to hear a di...

Ep 225 - China and the Labor of Reinvention with Lin Zhang

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Lin Zhang talks with Steve about her book "The Labor of Reinvention: Entrepreneurship in the New Chinese Digital Economy."Her book includes storie...

Ep 224 - European Union and the Post Pandemic Economy with Dirk Ehnts

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been almost two years since we’ve had German economist Dirk Ehnts on the podcast. This episode can be seen as part of Steve’s ongoing look ...

Ep 223 - Messaging For Mainstream with Bijou Smith

06 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

New Zealander Bijou Smith is a longtime friend of Steve and the podcast. His story, in brief: “I was a physicist. I love physics, theoretical physic...

Ep 222 - RP Live with Clara Mattei

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re one of the lucky ones who attended our webinar, RP Live with Clara E. Mattei, then you’ve already heard this episode. Or you may have wa...

Ep 221 - Taiwan: Manufacturing Consent with Carl Zha

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Carl Zha brings us his knowledge of China, the US, and global political economic relations. He also brings his exquisite sense of the absurd.Exactly o...

Ep 220 - Left of Boom with Bill Black

15 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been two years since Bill Black was last on with Steve. We’ve invited several guests to talk about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, so it...

Ep 219 - Nicaragua with Dan Kovalik

08 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Dan Kovalik talks to Steve about his recent book, Nicaragua: A History of US Intervention and Resistance. His perspective includes his own expe...

Ep 218 - Beware! the Counter-Revolution with C. Derick Varn

01 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

C. Derick Varn is a poet, teacher, and “arm-chair theorist” (his words, not ours), but Steve called on him for his deep knowledge of history, spec...

Ep 217 - Bank Failures 101 with Brian Romanchuk

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you learned of the run on Silicon Valley Bank, did the image of George Bailey come to mind, facing the mob demanding full withdrawals from Bailey...

Payments and Panopticism with Raúl Carrillo

18 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Steve always says the beauty of MMT is “it takes the most convoluted spaghetti diagram and turns it into a straight line.” When it comes to bankin...

The Misery of Austerity with David Fields

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Austerity is a potent weapon of class warfare. Political economist David Fields talks with Steve about the ways austerity serves to discipline labor, ...

Surfing the Wayback Machine: 2017 with Fadhel Kaboub

04 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Fadhel Kaboub was recently appointed Under-Secretary-General for Financing for Development of the Organisation of Educational Cooperation (OEC), a...

The Four Freedoms with Harvey J. Kaye

25 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Historian Harvey J. Kaye joins Steve to talk about the complicated legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Kaye acknowledges many points in our criticism...

Ep 212 - A South American Currency Union? with Daniel Conceição

18 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recent episodes of this podcast have looked at the many ways in which the US attempts to maintain global hegemony through the deep state, the banking ...

The Myth of Venture Capital with Julia Ott

11 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We revere venture capitalists, don’t we? Without their brave acts of derring-do — AKA investing in uncertain ventures — how would society achiev...

Ep 210 - American Exception with Aaron Good

04 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If Macro N Cheese wasn’t committed to spreading MMT to the activist community, we might have been a history podcast. Nothing excites Steve Grumbine ...

The Recurring Saga of the Debt Ceiling with Rohan Grey

28 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you realize the national debt is little more than a bunch of interest-bearing savings accounts, you will have effectively neutered the politician...

RP Live with Michael Hudson

21 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In September, Real Progressives had a webinar with Michael Hudson. It gave our volunteers the opportunity to ask him about his book, The Destiny of Ci...

Ep 207 - A Crypto, MMT Retrospective with Rohan Grey

14 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rohan Grey always uses cool cultural references. Six minutes into the episode he brings up Tintin. Later we hear about Wile E. Coyote, Star Trek, Tele...

Spelunking the Deep State with John Kiriakou

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you Google John Kiriakou, the descriptive label that pops up with his name is Whistleblower.John was an analyst and case officer for the Central ...

RP Live with Brett Scott

31 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**Happy New Year from Real Progressives and Macro N Cheese. If you would like to help us continue to bring you great content, please consider becoming...

FTX and the Fall of Cryptocurrency with Robert Hockett

24 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

All digital currency is not created equal. Its technology can potentially be used as&...

Japan: A Case Study in MMT with Bill Mitchell

17 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**After the episode, visit our “Extras” page where you’ll find links to Bill Mitchell’s blog, books, MMT education course, and more. Every epi...

Exploring the Origins of Money with Clint Ballinger

10 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Clint Ballinger is an economic geographer, a path he followed in search of answers to what he calls fundamental questions of political economy. Why di...

System Dynamics and the Minsky Model with Tyrone Keynes

03 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

** Check out the transcript for this and every episode of Macro N Cheese on the Real Progressives website. This week’s episode looks at using a rece...

Ep 200 - Africa's Place in the Multi-Polar Order with Fadhel Kaboub

26 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**Thank you to our listeners! Can you believe this is our 200th episode? Crazy, right? Well, it wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of a...

The Breaking of the World with Thomas Fazi

19 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Steve talks with Thomas Fazi, journalist/writer/translator/socialist. Many of us know him as co-author, with Bill Mitchell, of Reclaiming the State: A...

The Trinity of Austerity with Clara Mattei

12 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“Austerity is the best weapon they have to try to convince. And if they can't convince, they can't coerce. So in my book, I say austerity plays with...

Gentrification and Culture with Davarian Baldwin

05 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**Full transcripts of all our episodes are available on the website, where you will also find an “Extras” page with additional resources. realprog...

The New Cold War with Ben Norton

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“We have to understand neoliberalism as a particular phase of capitalism dominated by US imperialism. So let's start with the last point I mentioned...

Trussonomics with Neil Wilson

22 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

** Check out the transcript for this and every episode of Macro N Cheese at the Real Progressives website.Grumbine: I follow a lot of Brits on Twitter...

Pakistan in Crisis with Aqdas Afzal

15 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

** To donate to the flood relief effort in Pakistan, please visit the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund 2022How do we unpack a problem like this ye...

The Rise of Giorgia Meloni with Ivan Invernizzi

08 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ivan Invernizzi, of Rete MMT Italia and MMT France, returns to Macro N Cheese to bring us up to speed on the Italian political landscape. He and Steve...

MMT For M4A with Fadhel Kaboub

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The movement for free universal healthcare is under attack. Groups like March for Medicare for All, National Single Payer, and others, have been criti...

Ep 191 - Can We Make Money Work For Us? with L. Randall Wray

24 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Grumbine: Can we have too much money? Wray: Yes, we surely can. Usually, our problem is that there's too much bank money, and the usual consequence is...

Ep 190 - Billionaires As Policy Failure Factories with Cory Doctorow

17 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cory Doctorow writes when he’s anxious. He has eight books coming out soon. Yep, it’s been a tough couple of years.The number of upcoming books gi...

Ep 189 - A New Labor with Liz Medina

10 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the more, um, senior members of the Macro N Cheese team can remember a time when the Democratic Party supported labor and the union movement. ...

Moral Economies And Money with Jakob Feinig

03 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Jakob Feinig speaks of moral economies, he’s talking about we, the people – the currency users – and how we relate to the institutions that...

When the Systems Fail Us with Latasha Holloway

27 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**Every episode of Macro N Cheese is accompanied by a full transcript and an “...

The Power of Organizing with David Van Deusen

20 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

David Van Deusen, president of the Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, talks to Steve about their radical ten-point program, adopted in 2019. In the...

Please Look Up with Jason Hickel

13 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Near the start of this episode, Jason Hickel raises Noam Chomsky’s position that the urgency of the climate crisis is so dire it will have to be dea...

Is Geoengineering the Answer to Climate Crisis? with David Keith

06 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We often talk about climate change on this podcast. The IPCC deadline is hanging over our heads like the sword of Damocles. This week Steve talks to D...

Imports, Exports and Empire with Bill Mitchell

30 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent episode of Macro N Cheese, Steve spoke with a guest about the MMT view of exports as a benefit and imports as a cost. There ensued some di...

The Citizens' Ledger with Robert Hockett

23 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Hockett joins Steve to talk about his latest book, The Citizens’ Ledger: Digitizing Our Money, Democratizing Our Future. The episode is right...

Ep 181 - Cloudmoney with Brett Scott

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

At first glance, HBO’s new documentary series The Anarchists looks like fun. It’s got the sexy circle-A symbol in the title and… Well, at second...

The End of Dollar Diplomacy? with Steve Keen and Michael Hudson

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

**A transcript is available for this and every episode of the podcast at realprogressives.org/macro-n-cheese-podcast/ where you will also find an Extr...

Ep 179 - Class Struggle Unionism with Joe Burns

02 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners who came of age in the US since 2008 don’t remember a time when “class” was a term only used by politicians - and always with the modi...