The David McWilliams Podcast  By  cover art

The David McWilliams Podcast

By: David McWilliams & John Davis
  • Summary

  • 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 in Ireland but in Europe and further afield. Globalisation has brought us all together. We all face similar challenges whether you live in Dublin, London, Minnesota or Milan.


    If you would like to enjoy all of our content ad-free and have early access to episodes, subscribe to DMCW+ on Apple Podcast.


    If you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/DavidMcWilliams.

    Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    David McWilliams
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Episodes
  • 2024:26 The Curse of Inheritance
    Mar 28 2024
    Inheritance is a tricky one. We all want to leave something to our kids if possible, yet inheritance for society makes inequality permanent, favouring the children of the rich. Millennials are about to become the wealthiest generation, which begs the question - should inheritors of wealth play a role in driving social change? What should they give back? A recent Bank of Italy paper reveals the rich stay rich. Tax records dating back to 1427 reveal that the top twenty wealthiest families in Florence remain almost identical to the top twenty richest families in 2008. However, 15th Century Florentines understood that altruistic measures such as building museums, orphanages, piazzas, roads, and more would be their insurance policy to ensure social stability - but today's rich don't quite care. They avoid all responsibility, dodging taxes worldwide. As inequality pisses people off, does this mean violent, catastrophic social change is inevitable, or will democracy do its job more gently?

    Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    30 mins
  • 2024:25 Should We Copy The Swiss Or Is That Too Cheesy?
    Mar 26 2024
    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 more consequential than the nation, should we devolve government, introduce fiscal federalism and instead of our "spectator democracy" should we opt for "direct democracy" . Unlike Ireland, where accountability seems elusive, Switzerland's governance is marked by subsidiarity and active democracy. With their frequent referenda, the Swiss distribute responsibility locally, fostering an engaged political system. The influence of Calvinism further shaped Switzerland, cultivating a deeply democratic and pragmatic society. Is it time for us to embrace for 'Protestant Pragmatism', where power is delegated to the people? Could this also be a framework for future Irish reunification?

    Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    40 mins
  • 2024:24 The Dehumanisation of Curiosity
    Mar 21 2024
    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 corporate America's jealousy over its Chinese rival's more profitable and addictive business? Its about the direction of social media and an increasingly docile, addicted citizen, out-foxed and out-thought by an algorithm. What we are witnessing is an internal power-play within the tech cartel. With its personalised algorithm, TikTok means human curiosity now takes a backseat to endless scrolling. Curiosity is no longer an active endeavour but a preordained path. In this episode, we dissect the shift in our inquisitive nature, as algorithms dictate the content we consume, rendering Google search a relics of the past. Curiosity has been commodified as we enter a digital algorithm world.

    Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    28 mins

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