The David McWilliams Podcast
Episodes
2024:16 The Joy of Maths with Colm O'Regan
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we delve into the perennial question: Why do so few students depart school with a genuine love for mathematics? Is the way we teach maths t...
2024:15 The Murder of Navalny - What's Next for Putin and Europe?
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Next week, the war in Ukraine enters its third year. and last week Putin's regime murdered its only real political opponent, Alexi Navalny. Putin has ...
2024:14 A Climate Warning from the Past
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amidst the backdrop of the hottest January on record, surpassing pre-industrial averages by 1.6 degrees, join us this week as we embark on a gripping ...
2024:13 The Return of the Kennedys with Pippa Malmgren
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the election year in full swing, we're shining a spotlight on the resurgence of the Kennedys. Joining us to navigate the intriguing rise of indep...
2024:12 Unveiling the Drivers of the World Economy with Martin Wolf
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, we delve deep into the dynamic forces shaping our global economy, from seismic demographic shifts to the transformative rise o...
2024:11 The Bitter Lessons of Brexit with Martin Wolf
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Almost eight years later, we shine a spotlight on Brexit and how it has come to the forefront of public discourse. We explore the destructive impact o...
2024:10 The Gen Z Gender Schism
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For the second installment in our Milei series, we delve into what's causing the political gender divergence within Gen Z. We are joined this week by ...
2024:09 Public Sector Productivity, Who Pays?
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the intersection between inflation, public sector pay and productivity, or value for money to the taxpayers who pay the public s...
2024:08 People Before Bonnet
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dublin, like many cities, needs to make a decision to reinvent itself for the 21st century. It's a battle between the past and the future. There ...
2024:07 Javier Milei and Understanding the Political Extremes Part One
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last week at Davos, Javier Milei, delivered a fiery speech that spared no one, from Keynesians to Globalists. Despite some controversy, Milei's libert...
2024:06 The Problem of Success and Why We Need To Change Our Minds
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland wasn't ready for the economic success we have experienced over the past 40 years. However, with success comes more social responsibility that ...
2024:05 Protecting Global Trade - the Economics of the Houthi Problem
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Houthis - who are they? And why are the US and UK bombing them? What has it got to do with your world? America is keeping shipping routes open and...
2024:04 How Culture and Language Leads to Economic Growth
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we explore the connection between culture, language, and economic growth. We are joined by John Burn-Murdoch and his data-driven expertise ...
2024:03 The End of the Starsky & Hutch Super-Cycle
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
January if often the time for looking ahead, but all too often, we don’t look far enough. Today’s episode is about looking at the end of a 40 year...
2024:02 The Year of Insurrection
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
2024 is going to be a monumental year - 50% of the planet that is eligible to vote is going to vote! But the real power lies in the media: who te...
2024:01 The Economic Growth Equation & the Great 2023 Book Review
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We start today by breaking down the mathematical formula to economic growth before moving to my best reads of 2023… and a sneak peek of a book comin...
2023 in review
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What a year it’s been! On the last episode of the year we take a look back at the incredible year (sometimes good, sometimes bad) that 2023 has been...
The shifting political landscape - a conversation with Naomi Klein
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Christmas! Here's a fascinating discussion that I've had with Naomi Klein this year that covers a wide range of political topics - something to ...
The economics of imagination
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As I spend my last night in Los Angeles, I’ve come to appreciate the drive of this city where so many creative endeavours are born. Hollywood is the...
What happens in Vegas!!
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Live from Las Vegas we talk about 2024, the upcoming American election, falls in global interest rates, potential American isolationism, the Gutenberg...
Bitcoin is back, why?
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Time to eat humble pie? Despite us saying last year it that Bitcoin was a BS idea, its value has risen over 150% this year! What’s behind the s...
The Paradox of Prudence
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland has a massive deficit in public infrastructure and a massive surplus in the public finances. Economists are advising the government to save on...
Putin's Back!
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Putin's back, swanning around the Gulf visiting Saudi Arabia and the UAE, telling the world that he was never really away. Things are going his way. M...
Shane MacGowan, the Diaspora and the coming 2nd Irish Republic.
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We mark the death of Shane MacGowan by looking at the Irish Diaspora, particularly in England and its impact on English popular culture. From there we...
Liberal democracy under threat?
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Liberal democracy in the western world is all too often taken for granted. But its enemies, nationalists, theocrats, Marxists and isolationists - are ...
Riots in Dublin and the Power of Crowds
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After the riot, the analysis. We look at the power of crowds, why crowds love destruction, why they grow and how they the dissipate. Plus, of cou...
What does Argentina’s U-turn mean?
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From tantric sex expert to President, Javier “chainsaw” Melei is a new type of populist - and anarchy-capitalist one! What does this mean, is this...
The Economics of the AI Revolution
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The board of Chat GPT may be firing its CEO, but that doesn't mean this revolution is slowing down. A whistle wind tour from the dawn of time with Sta...
Why 1923 still Matters
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anti-semitism, inflation, threats to democracy, despotic leaders and fragile governments, if you thought it was today, its is - but hold on. It's happ...
The World in 2024. The NATO-Sphere
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we kick-off a new three part series that looks at the state of the big economic blocs in the world. Part one is the state of the US as it enters...
BiBi Netanyahu - The Most Important Politician in America
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How is the Israeli tail is wagging the American dog? America's election is exactly one year from now and Joe Biden is in bed with Netanyahu, but his o...
A live podcast straight from Kilkenomics
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John and I sat down at the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny and had a natter, covering all classes of topics from economics, to James Joyce, WB Yeats and...
The roots of the Israel-Palestinian Conflict pt4
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We go way back to 70 AD before coming bak to today. Demography demands a two state solution, and the Israeli's know this. But a trap has been set for ...
We need to talk about the pay gap
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's not world shattering to announce that there is a pay discrepancy between men and women - but it's important to note that this gap has been mainta...
The Roots of the Israel-Palestinian Conflict pt3
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the third instalment of our series we explain the period of 1993 to the present in the Middle East. Why the peace accords floundered, the impact of...
The impending commercial property crash
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The commercial property market is struggling to swallow the interest rate hikes aiming to bring down inflation. Can the mass building of the last deca...
The roots of the Israel-Palestinian Conflict pt2 (1967-1993)
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 im...
When Mantras Replace Hard Thinking: The Case of the Irish Budget
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 roots of the Israel-Palestinian Conflict pt1
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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! Startin...
US interest rates: What's driving them?
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 mac...
Brexit: the cost of reality
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The September Rate Spike - Is it Time to Worry?
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 deb...
Argentina: An economic and now, political car crash. Its worse than you think
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
Why Ireland should copy Vienna
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 we at the 4th turning?
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
The ECB on Trial
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Swedenomics
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Crouch, Bind, Set! & G20 economics
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Economi...
How India became the coming power
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 capitali...
The tragedy of state outsourcing
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 the...
Uncovering Portugal
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Portugal’s current economic situation can only be explained through its rich & expansive history. As we tease out the various chapters of Portug...
Ireland is a teenager in a geriatric home
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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? ...
We need to invest now, or face the consequences
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The economy has two main levers: fiscal policies & monetary policies. Through these mechanism we have the means to ensure that our infrastructure ...
The end of the Chinese financial miracle?
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Poland rising
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The European tour continues, next stop: Poland! An extraordinary country that is rapidly evolving - an evolution that might very well pull the axis of...
The Easiest Way to Rob a Bank is to Run It
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 the...
The Reign in Spain
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our European tour we arrive in the the Iberian Peninsula. What makes Spain, this most brilliant of countries tick? With many European ...
Is the DeGrowth Movement the future?
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
The Economics of Oppenheimer
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Culture always mirrors, reinforces or leads economics & Oppenheimer has just returned nuclear energy to the center of the energy discussion. Is is...
Sinead, Music and Stone Age Economics
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 musi...
How Italy became anti-fragile
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Italy, the cradle of European civilization often gets a bad rap, which I personally think is completely unjustified. Today's conversation looks at whe...
Insiders VS Outsiders
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can some countries be doing well on paper but in reality, there is growing frustration and instability from the population, leading to more e...
The Tyranny of Nostalgia
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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’...
Has the FED done the impossible? Is a soft landing coming?
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Bastille Day Special: What makes France tick?
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 cla...
The Recession that Isn't Happening
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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. ...
What's happening in Germany
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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, Ge...
Fiscal Incontinence!
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 valu...
European evolution, train tales and the history of mathematics
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
A Russian Revolution?
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Searching for America with David Brooks
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this intimate conversation, we discuss America - from a political, personal & cultural point of view to understand this land where decisio...
Why modern cities need to look at the 19th century for inspiration
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Unionist strategy against Irish Unity: Poverty
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 No...
The Economics of Football seen through the eyes of Logan Roy
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The opioid crisis in America is coming to Europe
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Why more interest rate hikes are coming and Irish census revelations
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
Follow the money
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why the Federal Reserve is stuck in a "cul de sac", and what it means for you.
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 centra...
What you know about Western civilization is wrong
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 repe...
The Coming Great Crash?
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
This is the most important week in the Ukraine war - and global geo-politics as a whole
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
A Coming US Default?
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 governm...
American Bank Carnage part 2
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The American banking system is experiencing a slow grinding crisis. We explore, why this is happening, why now and why the Fed adopted a complete...
How does the UK recover financially?
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Dream Economy
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ec...
Civilization and the planet
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We seldom hear how the environment affected the growth and collapse of civilizations across the world and history. More than any other factor, the env...
The Paradox of Prudence
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Feed your Brain
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve just come back from giving a TED talk in Vancouver. Brilliant experience, lots of amazing speakers, top notch presentations ;which more than an...
Biden, Relationships VS interests & Contemplations from TED
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 tackl...
The benefits of longterm thinking in the TikTok age
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why negativity took over the news cycle
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ne...
Global Irish Soft Power
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
It's Easter, Ramadan, Passover take your pick! We head to Jerusalem, spiritual home of all three religions.
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 worki...
Why a country can be rich on paper, but feel poor in reality
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
China plays chess, while Russia plays poker
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Next Global Banking Crisis is Here
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Apartment Living Cures Housing Viruses
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The global housing crisis is significantly worse in countries that speak English. Why? Is it because far few English speakers live in flats? Flats are...
Bank Carnage
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You wait for bank failures for years then... three come in a week, one in the home of banking, Switzerland,. This presents central banks with a dilemm...
On St Patricks Day, a US State of the Nation special with Bernie Sanders
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On St Patrick's Day we go to the US, home to thirty five million Irish/Americans - there are only 7 million of us on the island. In the country ...
SVB Bank Run. Is 2023 a re-run of 2008?
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We explain why SVB went bust, why yield curves matter and what comes next. Banks go bad from the inside out, but is this the first or the last bank cr...