What is power? How is it acquired and who owns it? We look at the economics of power, the power of networks and the "strength of weak ties" and the constant historic tension between vertical power, the type deployed by Putin, and horizontal power the type sought by Musk. Plus we explore what they can both learn from the master "influencer" of the early 16th century, Martin Luther. Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.

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What can the Reformation tell us about Twitter, Martin Luther, Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin?

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.

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News & Politics


 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 is talking about coming inequality. Yet inequality afflicts the West, dominating politics. This week, in a not-so-groundbreaking revelation, Ben Bernanke's report on the Bank of England's failures shows us how out-of-touch economists really are. Economists need to get out more, mix a bit, walkabout more! A blind faith in mathematical precision has clouded our judgment. Humans are messy and economics is about humans, so let's be messy.
Pre-order Money:A Story of Humanity here: https://linktr.ee/moneydavidmcwilliams Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.

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2024:32 Humanomics

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 modern day Roark and yet despite his remarkable entrepreneurial success, from SpaceX to Neuralink, Tesla is on the skids. 10% of its workforce has just been fired and it's share price has dropped 30% since January, and its market share is dwindling in China. Musk's investments in China have also led to wholesale intellectual property theft. Standing back, Tesla's tribulations could be a microcosm of broader geopolitical tensions of trade disputes and intellectual property wars. The world is looking at the Mid East, the China/America rivalry echoes previous clashes Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.

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2024:31 What Elon's travails tell us about the New Cold War?

In this week's episode, we plunge headfirst into the contentious issue of Nimbyism – should property ownership grant individuals the power to stop developments? We don't think so! Particularly not when contrasted with the backdrop of the housing crises gripping the English-speaking world. Bound by the chains of common law but bereft of common sense, our societies find themselves stuck in a self-inflicted housing crisis. Join us as we dissect how our flawed society has bred Nimbyism, and been perpetuated by the contented classes who turn their backs on their communities. From London to Los Angeles, Dublin to Sydney, we confront Nimbyism and explore potential solutions to reclaim our cities from this self-destructive spiral.  Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.

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2024:30 Common Law or Common Sense? Nimbyism's Grip on Housing

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 the globe, we tackle the age-old question: should we tax the rich more? While the wealthy typically oppose such measures, there's one dissenting, wealthy voice: Nick Hanauer, podcaster, venture capitalist, and rich lad himself who thinks that we either force the rich to pay more in taxes, or the streets will revolt, and the pitchforks will come. Hanauer, who famously warned of imminent social unrest should inequality persist unchecked, shares his insights on why taxing the rich is not just a matter of fairness, but a crucial step in preserving social stability. According to Hanauer, we need to reshape our economic policies, or the revolution will come! Listen to Nick here and come to see him and chat with him at Kilkenomics next November.  Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.

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2024:29 Eat the Rich with Nick Hanauer

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 and East, the Palestinian nature has been strangled by Israeli occupation, asphyxiated by international indifference, and its children scattered all over the world. Bassem Youssef trained cardiologist turned comedian, talks to us about how the global conversation often reverts back to the less important matters surrounding the war - instead of what actually matters. Israelis may be winning the war but they are losing the battle - they are running out of options. Only the strong can make peace - in this case, that is up to Israel. Would that diminish the idea of the Jewish homeland? They only have four options left - lets delve into them in this episode. Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast.

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What can the Reformation tell us about Twitter, Martin Luther, Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin?

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