The Why? Curve

By Phil DobbieSociety & Culture Business News

The Why? Curve episodes

April 17, 2025 Show me where to put the money
Anyone with money faces a dilemma right now. Where do you invest it? Historically it’s been quite simple. If you are prepared to take risks, buy shares. If you want to play it safe, buy government bonds because, although the returns can be quite slim, you know major economies, like the US, will always repay their debt. But now bonds aren’t such a safe choice.

Last week Donald Trump did a u-turn on his highest tariff levels because US government bonds were being sold off, pushing up the interest the government has to pay to attract buyers. In short, the cost of servicing debt was sky-rocketing for the US government.

It was a pivotal moment. Simon French, Chief Economist and Head of Research at Panmure Liberu, describes how there’s less confidence in US net now and investors are looking to Europe as a safer place to see a return on their investments.
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33 min
April 10, 2025 The White House Ruled by Pathocracy
The most powerful man in the world doesn't listen to advice, makes up facts, changes his mind on a whim, thinks he was sent by God to save the USA, and loves nothing better than flattery - is he a classic malignant narcissist? Does the man with his finger on the nuclear trigger also have a personality disorder? Dr Steve Taylor, senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University and author of "Disconnected: The Roots of Human Cruelty", tells Phil and Roger that the US may now be subject to a "pathocracy" and what that might mean for those trying to deal with Donald Trump's America.
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37 min
April 03, 2025 The Return of Toxic Masculinity
Is the pendulum swinging back against gender equality, with aggression and misogyny encouraged by influencers and populist leaders championing traditional roles and behaviour? Is the rise in attacks on women a symptom of this? Is there a risk of young men being drawn to a masculinity that glorifies violence, and gives them a role and purpose they lack? Phil and Roger explore all this with Dr Elizabeth Pearson of Royal Holloway University of London, author of “Extreme Britain: Gender, Masculinity and Radicalisation in Britain.”
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46 min
March 27, 2025 Time to Shrink the State?
Is the state too big? As Rachel Reeves announces cuts in welfare and civil servants, is it a recognition that the administration of the UK needs to slim down? Is there inefficiency and capacity we can’t afford? Does the UK need a US-style purge of government jobs? Or does that risk harm to those who depend on state-support for genuine need? Phil and Roger ask Patrick Diamond, Professor in Public Policy at Queen Mary University of London
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45 min
March 20, 2025 Aid Emergency
The aid tap is being turned off. USAID has suspended all its programmes and the UK is diverting much of the budget for overseas development to buying tanks and bombs. Projects to vaccinate, medicate and educate have been suspended for millions of the world’s poorest people. So what will happen? Will China step in to fill the gap? Will societies already in crisis collapse altogether? Michael Jennings, Professor of Global Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, tells Phil and Roger some people will die as a direct result, and the prospects of others finding a way out of poverty will be drastically set back.
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43 min
March 13, 2025 Ukraine - Peace In Our Time?
Is the ceasefire going to happen? Will Moscow sign up? And where will it leave Ukraine - the country that was subject to the largest land war in Europe since 1945? Donald Trump has forced through Kyiv’s cooperation. Can he do the same with Russia? Does he even want to? David Galbreath, Professor of War and Technology at the University of Bath, sets out to Phil and Roger the likely next steps, as the chaotic diplomacy of President Trump careers onward.
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41 min
March 06, 2025 Closing Credits?
Is cinema dying? The Oscars were the usual triumphant mix of glamour, glitz and terrible speeches, but is the film industry what it was? Streaming, video games, Covid and the cost of living have led to a downturn in audience figures in the US and the UK, although there are faint signs of a revival. Do we still want to sit passively in a big dark room to be entertained, or would we rather be in our own homes, interacting with the characters and stories? Does the old model of cinema still work? Sarah Atkinson, Professor of Screen Media at King’s College London, tells Phil and Roger it will survive but it needs to change.
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33 min
February 27, 2025 How To Handle The Donald
Taking over Greenland, turning Gaza into a US resort, switching sides over Ukraine - the world has faced a whirlwind of Trump initiatives in the opening weeks of his presidency, some madcap, some sinister. How are foreign leaders and diplomats supposed to deal with this? Is he serious? Or is he just trolling the international liberal establishment? Or a bit of both? Is it best to flatter the man in the White House and hope he can be persuaded to change his mind? Or should we write America off as a reliable ally, and rush to build our own defences? After the last 4 weeks, what will still be standing at the end of four years? Dr Maria Ryan, Associate Professor of American History at Nottingham University not to assume anything is off the table with Donald Trump.
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43 min
February 20, 2025 New Towns - Old Ideas?
Labour is promising 12 new New Towns across England, to spur growth and provide housing. But those who know Telford, Milton Keynes, Welwyn Garden City and the rest might question the model - concrete social engineering hasn’t always been successful in bringing prosperity, especially if there aren’t enough jobs in the area where they’re built. But is there a case for New towns as regeneration in the country’s forgotten and neglected parts? Can we build better and more effectively than we did in the 50s and 60s? Phil and Roger hear from Amrita Kulka, Associate Professor of Political Economy and Public Economics at the University of Warwick.
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39 min
February 13, 2025 Winning The Trade War
Donald Trump wants big tariffs on US imports, and the countries affected are threatening retaliation - it’s the beginning of a trade war, with China, Canada, Mexico, the EU and others weighing in. So how does Britain ride this out? Can Keir Starmer’s government find ways not to get caught in the crossfire, and maybe even benefit from not being high on Donald Trump’s target list? Or do we need to get onside with the non-US nations in this fight for the future of global commerce? Simon French, chief economist and head of research at Panmure Liberum, takes Phil and Roger through the UK’s options
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42 min

About The Why? Curve

From the publisher's feed

Each week Phil Dobbie and Roger Hearing get to grips with one issue that impacts our lives. It could be economic, social, technological or geopolitical. Whatever the subject, they'll talk to the…