The David McWilliams Podcast
Episodes
The Economics of Irish Restaurants
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have a very special episode for you today, courtesy of The Bear, Season 3 which is streaming on Disney+ from today, June 27th! We're digging into w...
Sold Down the River
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we dive deep into the nitty-gritty of the commercial property market, highlighting its glaring vulnerabilities and the dramatic plunge in v...
Common Sense is Coming Home!
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Could Common Sense be Coming Home? We dive into the unexpected shift where Britain now seems like the island of sanity amid European radicalism. We ex...
Christiane Amanpour in Conversation
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a special live recording of the podcast at DBF 2024, where David interviewed the renowned journalist Christiane Amanpour. As CNN's ch...
A Live Podcast Straight from Dalkey!
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a live recording of the podcast! We dive into the fascinating rise of Gaelic Games live from Cuala in Dalkey - we delve into the incredibl...
Decoding Global Markets with Dave Tilson
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're diving deep into the rollercoaster world of global financial markets. From the wild highs of cannabis stocks crashing down to earth t...
Neoliberalism, my arse!
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During the European recent elections, you might have heard lots of people defining Ireland as a "neoliberal" country, governed by the ideology of neol...
Tomorrows World: Living With AI
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're diving into the fascinating world of AI economics with the brilliant Professor Eli Noam from Columbia Business School. This episode i...
Enemies to Lovers: The Conversation We Really Should Be Having Ahead of The European Elections
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, while navigating a mid-life crisis and an intensive French course in the south of France, we've decided to reflect on the importance of Fra...
Independence Day for the UK, again?
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is Rishi Sunak's announcement of a snap UK election the answer or a political gamble? Joining us to unpack this is Robert Shrimsley of the Financial T...
Recognise Palestine, Now What?
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Irish government stands with the Palestinians, as does most of the country. A moral foreign policy is a sign of what the country believes in ...
The Price is Wrong with Brett Christophers
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we delve into the economics of climate change with acclaimed author Brett Christophers - who has previously illuminated the pervasive infl...
Can the Premier League Teach Us About the Future of the UK Economy?
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The British are down on themselves, yet one thing they do well is repackage popular culture and the Premier League is a great example of this. Last ye...
2024:40 The Opium Wars
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dive into the harrowing impact of the opioid epidemic in North America, recounting firsthand observations of addiction's toll in c...
2024:39 Letter from America with Evan Solomon
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we delve into America in this pivotal election year, grappling with its geopolitical challenges, culture wars, and internal conflicts, Evan Solomon...
2024:38 Rich in Poor Houses
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do wealthy people live in houses originally built for the less affluent? Despite vast improvements in living standards over the years — lower in...
2024:37 The Rwanda-isation of Ireland
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Tories are seeking revenge for Brexit by exploiting immigration policy. Having been out-foxed, out-thought and out-gunned by Dublin on Brexi...
2024:36 Cod & Chips: The Story of Irish/Italians
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the football team I play with went on a trip to Italian organised by one of our lads Camilio Borza a member of the Irish Italian tribe. In ...
2024:35 The Political Fallout of Housing
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast delves into the intricate interplay of politics and housing, a phenomenon not unique to Ireland but deeply emblematic there. It examines ...
2024:34 Istanbul: The Centre of our World
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of our mini-series on Turkey, we delve deeper into the electrifying economic history of Istanbul, from the Byzantine to the Ottoman empire...
2024:33 The Future is Turkish!
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first of 2 podcasts on Turkey following a quick visit to Istanbul where the inflation rate is currently at 69% annually, and the currency,...
2024:32 Humanomics
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The majority of my tribe, economists have been getting it wrong for decades, if you go back and look at economic research from the seventies, nobody i...
2024:31 What Elon's travails tell us about the New Cold War?
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Elon Musk is to 2024 what Howard Roark was to 1943. In Ayn Rand's book Fountainhead, her hero Roark was brilliant, single-minded and flawed. Musk is a...
2024:30 Common Law or Common Sense? Nimbyism's Grip on Housing
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, we plunge headfirst into the contentious issue of Nimbyism – should property ownership grant individuals the power to stop d...
2024:29 Eat the Rich with Nick Hanauer
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are we truly living in a Plutocracy', where we are governed by the wealthy elites instead of those we voted for? As election season heats up around th...
2024:28 The Souk Versus The Citadel with Bassem Youssef
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Palestine is one of the most, if not the most, tragic national stories of the 21st century. Divided, humiliated, abused, and abandoned by both West an...
2024:27 Sam Bankman Fried and Male Over-Confidence with Michael Lewis
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for fraud on hundreds of thousands of customers that unraveled with...
2024:26 The Curse of Inheritance
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Inheritance is a tricky one. We all want to leave something to our kids if possible, yet inheritance for society makes inequality permanent...
2024:25 Should We Copy The Swiss Or Is That Too Cheesy?
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How best to run an economy and a country, bottom up or top down? A trip to Switzerland got me thinking should we invert power, making the local ...
2024:24 The Dehumanisation of Curiosity
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The US House of Representatives has just approved a bill with the potential to ban Tiktok from America. But this story is about much more than corpora...
2024:23 The Economics of the Creative Mind with Ed Guiney
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The primary driver of economic growth is the innovative human mind. In this episode, we sit down with Ed Guiney, the visionary co-founder of Element P...
2024:22 The Irish Government, as trustworthy as a Kate Middleton photo-album?
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
No one trusts them, the Irish government or Katie M's doctored photos. For them its part of the national theatre, for us its a national threat. How di...
2024:21 Bitcoin is Still Not Money
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bitcoin is being touted as a revolutionary asset, but in reality, it's often the wealthy transferring wealth to unsuspecting individuals, marketed as ...
2024:20 Why Is China Getting So Rich?
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For International Women's Day, we're thrilled to welcome Alice Evans, who is currently immersed in writing a book on gender equality across different ...
2024:19 ADHD Nation
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we delve into the concept of black swan events and explore how they resonate with contemporary art & culture. A black swan event,...
2024:18 Stuck in 1980s
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we return to the theme of acceleration and confront a stark reality: much of Ireland is stuck in 1984. Despite boasting an economy that has...
2024:17 What is Éire Accelerationism and Why Does it Matter? with Will O'Brien
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Forty years since its inception, the DART and the lack of substantial progress in transport infrastructure reflects a systemic failure in Ireland's ap...
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’...