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Debunking Economics – the podcast — Education
Debunking Economics – the podcast

Economist Steve Keen talks to Phil Dobbie about the failings of the neoclassical economics and how it reflects on society.

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Copyright: © Copyright 2016 . All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

Government Debt and All That Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

Boris Johnson has, once again, argued that money saved in fees to the EU can be used to fund better healthcare in Britain. His argument assumes the government is run like a household budget, ignoring the ability to create money. Yet we are familiar with the idea of money creation, with central banks injecting millions, or billions in the US, into the economy through bond purchases. Phil Dobbie explores the disconnect between quantitative easing and government austerity programs. He asks Prof Steve Keen, if a central bank creates money, why not simply inject it into the government’s coffers?

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Can you expect full employment when migration is so high? Jan 19, 2018

Show notes

Migration is often blamed for unemployment. The fear that there are too many migrants stealing jobs has almost certainly helped with the rise of UKIP and the election of President Trump. But is there any value in this far right rhetoric, or is conventional economy theory right for once – that migrants create demand that facilitates more jobs and adds to the economy. And are we getting so lost in the migration and employment debate that we’re missing a far bigger concern – the number of people on the planet.

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Carillion, another public sector outsourcing disaster Jan 16, 2018

Show notes

The collapse of Carillion is down to poor management but, as Phil Dobbie discusses with Prof Steve Keen, it’s also down to a company that took risks because it was raking in so much money from the public sector. In this discussion they look at where you draw the line between government insourcing and outsourcing. The problem is, says Steve, governments have lost the expertise to know what to outsource and when. It’s the blind buying from the greedy.

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Is GDP the best way to measure wealth? Jan 10, 2018

Show notes

We rely on GDP to measure the wealth of a country and it’s rate of growth, but is it the most meaningful measure? Phil Dobbie asks Prof Steve Keen whether it’s an accurate measure of happiness, for example. And Steve suggests its an incomplete measure if it doesn’t consider the return on the energy invested to provide growth. So how should we really go about measuring the health of an economy.

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Should we listen to the Austrian School? Jan 03, 2018

Show notes

The Austrian School of Economics has been around since the 1870s, when Carl Menger wrote the Principles of Economics. They were a response to the conventional economic thought that prevails today. Phil Dobbie asks Professor Steve Keen whether there are elements of the Austrian school that we should take seriously – surely anyone who challenges traditional economics is worth listening to.

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Corporate tax – do we need it? Dec 18, 2017

Show notes

President Trump is convinced that the high corporate tax rate in the US is damaging the prospects for domestic business and encouraging companies to hold their profits offshore. So will his plan to reduce the tax rate create the results he expects? Phil Dobbie talks to Professor Steve Keen about the role of tax in general, the influence of corporate tax and whether we can afford to get rid of it.

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Foreign Ownership – good or bad? Dec 12, 2017

Show notes

We often hear arguments that releasing land to foreign ownership is “selling the farm”. Similarly, foreign owned companies repatriate their profits rather than keeping profits within the local economy. Are these valid arguments? In this edition of the Debunking Economics podcast Phil Dobbie works through the pros and cons of foreign ownership with Professor Steve Keen.

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How practicable is a debt jubilee? Dec 04, 2017

Show notes

Professor Steve Keen has often spoken of the need for a debt jubilee. If households can write off their ever expanding, mortgage driven, debt, then we reduce the risk of asset bubbles and consumer spending drying up leading to recession or depression. But, Phil Dobbie asks, how would it work in practice? Has it been tried anywhere and what are the possible side effects?

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What's causing the productivity slump? Nov 28, 2017

Show notes

The UK government announced an industrial strategy this week to tackle the problem of weak productivity growth. Yet, as Prof Steve Keen discusses with Phil Dobbie, the issue isn’t one of investment, as much as who the beneficiaries are from money spent on equipment aimed at improving productivity.

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The Real Answer to the Affordable Housing Issue Nov 23, 2017

Show notes

The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer has a plan to make housing in the UK more affordable. Sadly, it won’t work. His idea of cutting stamp duty for first home buyers on the first £300,000 of their half a million pound homes, will only make matters worse. So, what’s the real answer? As Professor Steve Keen explains to Phil Dobbie, it’s not to increase supply. Why not? And what should Philip Hammond have put in his budget if he really wanted to make a difference.

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