In this episode of the FREE (Forum for Real Economic Emancipation) podcast, hosts Claire and Professor Ibrahim Shikaki, an associate professor of economics at Trinity College and an expert on the political economy of Palestine, delve into the economic dimensions of the crisis in the region. They discuss Professor Shikaki's paper, "Weaponizing Economics Against Palestine," and explore how economics as a discipline can mystify the true nature of events. The conversation uses dependency theory as a framework to explain how the Global North's wealth is built on the systemic extraction of resources from the Global South.

Key topics include:

• Historical Context: The discussion traces the origins of economic dependency back to the British Mandate, where policies encouraged Jewish emigration and shifted the weight of industrial production through concessions to Zionist organizations, changes in tax collection, and manipulation of tariffs.

• Post-1967 Occupation: The hosts and guest examine how the Israeli occupation after 1967 implemented military orders to restrict Palestinian industry, confiscate land, and create a dependent economy. This led to a significant portion of the Palestinian labor force working in the Israeli construction sector. The hosts discuss how Israel benefits from this arrangement by exploiting cheap labor and using the Palestinian territories as a supplementary market and a resource for factors of production.

Why is austerity always the answer, and who does it really serve?

In this explainer, economist Clara Mattei, executive director of the Forum for Real Economic Emancipation (FREE), breaks down the political logic of austerity, not as a budgeting mistake, but as a tool of systemic control. From slashed food stamps to rising interest rates, from military expansion to mass unemployment, austerity isn’t about scarcity. It’s about power.

Mattei reveals how fiscal, monetary, and industrial austerity function together to keep the majority dependent on markets, wages, and private capital — all while funneling wealth to the top. This isn’t just policy. It’s a global project of exploitation and repression.

🔍 Topics Covered:

• What austerity really means (and why it’s so rarely defined)

• The truth behind budget cuts and rising debt

• How austerity fuels inequality, militarism, and authoritarianism

• Connections between the Global South, interest rates, and structural theft

• Why the wage labor system must be protected — at any cost

• Historical roots: from Mussolini’s Italy to modern neoliberalism

📌 Subscribe for more conversations on economic justice, democracy, and building a future beyond austerity. Find out more: ⁠ https://freefreeforum.org/

✨ Stay tuned. Stay questioning. Stay FREE.

#Austerity #ClaraMattei #EconomicJustice #Capitalism #Inequality #FreeForum #SystemicChange #WageLabor #Neoliberalism #PoliticalEconomy

Produced by Better Worlds™ and Fast Content®

Welcome to FREE: The Forum for Real Economic Emancipation.In our first episode, Clara Mattei dismantles one of the biggest myths in economics: the idea of a “free market.”We dive deep into:✔ Why the free market is a myth and what really sustains it✔ How inequality isn’t an accident, but part of the system’s design✔ Why mainstream economics keeps us powerlessClara also reflects on her conversation with Jon Stewart and why knowledge must serve change—not protect the status quo.📌 Subscribe for more conversations on economic justice, democracy, and building a future beyond austerity.https://freefreeforum.org#FREEForum #claramattei #freepodcast #jonstewart #free #capitalorder #economics #austerity #inequality #capitalism