Econ Central

Econ Central

By Amit Varma and Vivek KaulNewsNews CommentaryBusiness News
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Econ Central episodes

  • Ep 5: The Economics of the Chilling Effect
    Dissenters are arrested, comedians are forced to apologise, online mobs are on the rampage. The incentives are aligned towards shutting up. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul get together in episode 5 of Econ Central to talk about the economics of the chilling effect. Also discussed: the significance of Amitabh Bachchan getting Covid, and the dangers of dead capital. Also check out: 1. Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly and EL Doctorow on Amazon. 2. Poet And Former Lecturer Varavara Rao Dying In Jail -- Priya Ramani. 3. What Happened to Our Journalism? -- Episode 178 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Nidhi Razdan). 4. Internet Hindus and Madrasa Muslims -- Amit Varma (on group polarization). 5. You're From the Mutton Lobby -- Transcript of episode 49 of The Seen and the Unseen (solo episode on political discourse). 6. Stop Firing the Innocent -- Yascha Mounk. 7. Bari Weiss's resignation letter from the New York Times. 8. Choice and Consequence -- Thomas C Schelling. 9. Misbehaving -- Richard Thaler. 10. Micromotives and Macrobehaviour -- Thomas C Schelling. 11. Helmet Safety Commercial with Coconut. 12. Cigarette in My Hand -- Gary Lawyer's anti-smoking commercial. 13. Homeopathic Faith -- Amit Varma. 14. The Mystery of Capital -- Hernando de Soto. 15. India Awakes -- The full documentary on YouTube. 16. The Right to Property -- Episode 26 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan). 17. India's Agriculture Crisis -- Episode 140 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Barun Mitra). 18. FSI in India -- Episode 11 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Alex Tabarrok). 19. Twelve Dream Reforms -- Episode 138 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan, Rajeswari Sengupta & Vivek Kaul). 20. Basic Economics -- Thomas Sowell. 21. That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen -- Frédéric Bastiat. 22. Thomas Sowell & Frédéric Bastiat on Amazon. 23. Economics in One Lesson -- Henry Hazlitt. 24. Beware of the Useful Idiots -- Amit Varma. 25. How to Speak Money -- John Lanchester. 26. Whoops! -- John Lanchester. 27. India's Problem is Poverty, Not Inequality -- Amit Varma. 28. Marginal Revolution University. You can show your appreciation by buying us coffee or a book here. Do pick up Vivek's books, India's Big Government and Bad Money. And check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing.
    1 hr 23 min
  • Ep 4: The Roving Bandits of Uttar Pradesh

    When gangster Vikas Dubey's men gunned down eight policemen in UP recently, they were responding to incentives, both ancient and modern. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul lay them bare in episode 4 of Econ Central. Also discussed: the unseen effects of the PMGKAY, a book you must read to understand India's post-independence economics and why no country has an 'ideal' economy. Also check out: 1. PMGKAY Cost vs Actual Expenditure -- Harish Damodaran. 2. Agriculture: More from Less -- Economic Survey 2015-16. 3. The Delhi Smog -- Episode 44 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 4. The Real Reason Behind the North Indian Smog -- Vivek Kaul. 5. The State of Our Farmers — Episode 86 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Gunvant Patil). 6. India's Agriculture Crisis — Episode 140 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Barun Mitra & Kumar Anand). 7. The Art and Science of Economic Policy — Episode 154 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vijay Kelkar & Ajay Shah). 8. In Service of the Republic — Vijay Kelkar & Ajay Shah. 9. Kanpur Bloodbath: The Anatomy of an Encounter -- NC Asthana. 10. Power and Prosperity -- Mancur Olson. 11. A Tale Of Two Bandits: Naxals And The Indian State -- Amit Varma. 12. The Evolution of Everything -- Episode 96 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Matt Ridley). 13. India Unbound -- Gurcharan Das. 14. Sweden's Lessons for America -- Johan Norberg. And do pick up Vivek's books, India's Big Government and Bad Money!

    1 hr 2 min
  • Ep 3: Petrol, Diesel and Custodial Murder
    Why are petrol and diesel prices rising? What can the economic way of thinking reveal about custodial murder and the rule of law? Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul get together in episode 3 of Econ Central to discuss the events of the week gone by. The Book of the Week is The Power Broker by Robert Caro. And the AMA features two outstanding questions. Also check out:1. Should We Be Aatma Nirbhar? -- Episode 1 of Econ Central. 2. Green Shoots in the Desert Sand -- Episode 2 of Econ Central. 3. India's Economy in the Time of Covid-19 — Episode 177 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 4. The Indian Economy in 2019 — Episode 153 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 5. More: The 10,000-Year Rise of the World Economy -- Philip Coggan. 6. Justice for Jayaraj and Bennix: Timeline of two shocking custodial deaths -- Megha Kavery for The News Minute.7. The Power Broker — Robert Caro. 8. The Death and Life of Great American Cities — Jane Jacobs. 9. Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing -- Robert Caro. 10. Robert Caro on Amazon. 11. Beware of the Useful Idiots -- Amit Varma. 12. Narendra Modi Takes a Great Leap Backwards -- Amit Varma (on DeMon). 13. DeMon, Morality and the Predatory Indian State -- Episode 85 of The Seen and the Unseen. 14. GST episodes of The Seen and the Unseen: 1, 2, 3. 15. Ponzi Schemes — Episode 142 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 16. Urban Planning -- an old short story by Amit Varma. Do also check out Vivek's book, Bad Money, as well as Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing.
    56 min
  • Ep 2: Green Shoots in the Desert Sand
    What are these green shoots India's government is speaking of? Is our economy getting better? Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul give context to the hype in episode 2 of Econ Central. They also discuss the incentives of politicians in the Indo-China conflict and bust the Zero-Sum Fallacy. Also check out: 1. Should We Be Aatma Nirbhar? -- Episode 1 of Econ Central. 2. India's Economy in the Time of Covid-19 -- Episode 177 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 3. The Nuances of Lockdown -- Episode 176 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Anup Malani). 4. The Indian Economy in 2019 -- Episode 153 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 5. The State of Our Farmers -- Episode 86 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Gunvant Patil). 6. India's Agriculture Crisis -- Episode 140 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Barun Mitra & Kumar Anand). 7. Democracy in Pakistan -- Episode 79 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Pranay Kotasthane & Hamsini Hariharan). 8. The India-Pakistan Conflict -- Episode 11 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Srinath Raghavan). 9. Our foreign policy is 8% growth -- Nitin Pai. 10. The Indian Armed Forces -- Episode 175 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Lt Gen Prakash Menon). 11. Stabilizing an Unstable Economy -- Hyman Minsky. 12. Why Minsky Matters -- L Randall Wray. 13. Ponzi Schemes -- Episode 142 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 14. India's Lost Decade -- Episode 116 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Puja Mehra). 15. Profit = Philanthropy -- Amit Varma. 16. India's Problem is Poverty, Not Inequality -- Amit Varma. 17. On Inequality -- Harry Frankfurt. And hey, do also check out Vivek's book, Bad Money, as well as Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing.
    57 min
  • Ep 1: Should We Be Aatma Nirbhar?

    Should we boycott goods from China? It isn't possible, says Vivek Kaul. It isn't desirable, adds Amit Varma. Welcome to episode 1 of Econ Central, a new weekly podcast that looks at India through the lens of economic thinking. Amit and Vivek also discuss parottas, chocolate sandesh and the masterpiece Ghachar Ghochar. Also check out: 1. Econ Central Kicks Off -- Preview episode of Econ Central. 2. India's Economy in the Time of Covid-19 -- Episode 177 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul)). 3. It's impossible to boycott Chinese products and brands -- Vivek Kaul. 4. Easynomics: Why companies leaving China will not come to India -- Vivek Kaul. 5. The dangers of India's rising tariff walls -- Vivek Kaul. 6. Trump and Modi are Playing a Lose-Lose Game -- Amit Varma. 7. The Great Redistribution -- Amit Varma. 8. A trade deficit with a babysitter -- Tim Harford. 9. I, Pencil -- Leonard Read. 10. What is Libertarianism? -- Episode 117 of The Seen and the Unseen (w David Boaz) 11. The Libertarian Mind: A Manifesto for Freedom -- David Boaz. 12. Explained: Why parotta gets charged a higher GST than roti -- Aanchal Magazine. 13. GST -- Episode 3 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Devangshu Datta). 14. GST Revisited -- Episode 28 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 15. The Bad and Complex Tax -- Episode 74 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan). 16. Ghachar Ghochar -- Vivek Shanbhag (translated by Srinath Perur). 17. Lists of suicide prevention helpline numbers: 1, 2, 3. And hey, do also check out Vivek's book, Bad Money, as well as Amit's online course, TikTok and Indian Society.

    55 min

About Econ Central

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A weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma & Vivek Kaul that demystifies economic news in India, and looks at events there through the lens of economic thinking.