Macrodose

Planet B Productions

Your weekly fix of everything economics. Hosted by James Meadway.

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277 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes277

Newest first

Nov 22, 2023 · 32 min
Autumn Statement Special w/ Grace Blakeley
On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway is joined by Grace Blakely to discuss today’s Autumn Statement from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt - what this all means for you, and where next for the economy? Grace is an economist and author of the forthcoming book Vulture Capitalism: corporate crimes, backdoor bailouts and the death of freedom, which you can pre-order from your favourite bookshop or via this link tinyurl.com/ype3mzcs A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. FOLLOW OUR NEW SOCIAL CHANNELS FOR UPDATES:⁠⁠⁠⁠ linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to ⁠⁠⁠planetbproductions.co.uk⁠
Nov 15, 2023 · 14 min
The EV Myth
On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down: why EVs are not the answer to climate breakdown (0:40) and a surprising success story around price controls in Switzerland (6:09). A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. FOLLOW OUR NEW SOCIAL CHANNELS FOR UPDATES:⁠⁠⁠⁠ linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to ⁠⁠⁠planetbproductions.co.uk⁠
Nov 8, 2023 · 15 min
Arctic Resource Wars
Arctic rolls, not Arctic resource conflicts! On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down: how the race for Arctic resources is reshaping global capitalism (0:44) and a new report on the decrepit state of Britain’s public services (7:52). A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. FOLLOW OUR NEW SOCIAL CHANNELS FOR UPDATES:⁠⁠⁠ linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast⁠⁠⁠ We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to ⁠⁠planetbproductions.co.uk⁠
Nov 1, 2023 · 17 min
Who wins from war?
FOLLOW OUR NEW SOCIAL CHANNELS FOR UPDATES:⁠ linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast⁠ On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down: leaked transcripts that show how big arms manufacturers are profiteering from Israel's war on Palestine (0:39), and why the American economy growing so much faster than Europe and the UK (6:39). A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to ⁠planetbproductions.co.uk⁠
Oct 25, 2023 · 22 min
Water
FOLLOW OUR NEW SOCIAL CHANNELS FOR UPDATES: linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down: how China’s semiconductor industry is driving regional water shortages (1:50), what we can learn from Labour’s 2019 election defeat about the roadblocks to nationalisation (10:33), and an exciting project to repurpose Britain’s abandoned coal mines (19:56). We’re celebrating our 1 year birthday, get your ticket for Macrodose Live: Where Next for the UK Economy? here: tinyurl.com/yzxkfbh7 The event is kindly being hosted by our friends at Space4, you can find out more about them on their website: space4.tech A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to planetbproductions.co.uk We've unlocked the Macrodose Extra episode with Richard Jones so you can find it on our feed where ever you get your podcasts or on our Patreon: tinyurl.com/yz44s2sd 163250
Oct 24, 2023 · 30 min
UNLOCKED: Why you should care about semiconductors w/ Richard Jones
MACRODOSE EXTRA takes you behind the scenes to go in-depth with some of the leading voices from the world of economics. Our guest today is Richard Jones. Richard is Professor of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy at the University of Manchester. His blog ’Soft Machines’ provides excellent insight into nanotechnology, and the UK government's wider science and technology policies. In this interview we talked specifically about semiconductors, which are fuelling resource conflicts and trade wars around the world. What is a semiconductor? Why should we care about them? And how are they shaping global economic trends?
Oct 18, 2023 · 16 min
Israel/Palestine
On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway takes a look at the devastating events in Israel and Palestine. James examines the wider geopolitical and economic forces behind the conflict in the Middle East (2:09), before taking a look further afield to consider the potential wider economic fallout (9:31). A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Oct 17, 2023 · 2 min
Show update + Macrodose LIVE!
Macrodose LIVE is coming soon! Thursday, November 16th (18:30) at Space4, Finsbury Park, London to be exact... Tickets are limited and will be out on early release for patreon subscribers later this week, keep an eye on our socials for more updates: https://linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast
Oct 11, 2023 · 17 min
Conference Debrief w/ Owen Jones
On this week’s Macrodose, Owen Jones debriefs us on the Labour and Conservative party conferences after attending both in the last week. He explores how the Tory Conference might represent a scary swing to the far right (1:04) and asks what can we actually expect from Starmerism with Labour seemingly on the precipice of government and promising to fight the next election on the economy (10:48)? A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Oct 4, 2023 · 16 min
Monopoly Capitalism w/ Níall Glynn
On this week’s Macrodose, Níall Glynn leads a deep dive into monopoly capitalism - untangling the web of concentrated power that touches every corner of our lives (0:59). A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Sep 29, 2023 · 36 min
UNLOCKED: Understanding Inflation w/ Isabella Weber
Our guest today is Isabella Weber. Isabella is an economist working on inflation, China, global trade and the history of economic thought. She is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a Berggruen Fellow, and an Associate in Research at the Fairbank Center, Harvard University. In this interview we discussed her most recent research into the causes of inflation. Greedflation? Excuse-flation? Sellers' inflation? What does it all mean, and are the mainstream starting to change their tune?
Sep 27, 2023 · 20 min
Hot Labour Autumn for the UAW w/ Sarah Jaffe
On this week’s Macrodose, Sarah Jaffe digs deeper into the United Auto Workers strike (1:01) and a listener question - how can care and teaching jobs challenge our assumptions about trade union struggles (15:13)? A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/ Sarah’s list of further reading: https://jacobin.com/2023/08/shawn-fain-uaw-big-three-automakers-thirty-two-hour-workweek https://prospect.org/labor/2023-09-07-auto-workers-contract-talks-stellantis-threatens-move-south/ https://inthesetimes.com/article/ultium-cells-uaw-gm-ford-stellantis-electric-vehicles https://newrepublic.com/article/175507/uaw-electric-vehicles-strike-workers https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Ultium-White-Paper.pdf https://newrepublic.com/article/154129/general-motors-plant-closed-lordstown-ohio-road-not-taken https://newrepublic.com/article/155466/lordstown-ohio-general-motors-strike-contract-vote https://dilettantearmy.com/articles/minor-victories-labor-exploitation-and-the-affirmation-trap https://www.redpepper.org.uk/back-in-action-report-on-the-us-labour-movement/ https://prospect.org/labor/workers-rally-against-trumps-broken-promises/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/09/joe-biden-is-about-to-go-where-no-president-has-gone-before/ https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/24/business/auto-workers-strike-job-security/index.html
Sep 20, 2023 · 18 min
15 years on from 2008
Fill out our listener survey here: tinyurl.com/3xsja7pw On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down: the United Auto Workers strike that’s got the US establishment worried (1:15), the new era of capitalism: 15 years on from the 2008 financial crash (7:23) and a listener question - why is economic inactivity on the rise in the UK (12:10)? A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Sep 13, 2023 · 17 min
Disaster for UK green energy plans
Fill out our listener survey here: tinyurl.com/3xsja7pw On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down: Britain's failed offshore wind auction (0:46), Panama Canal drying up (7:00) and a listener question: cost-free reforms vs redistributive policies - could Starmer’s tinkering actually change things (14:37)? A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Sep 6, 2023 · 21 min
Another Brick in the Wall
On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down: the dangerous defunding of Britain’s schools (0:46), the central bankers' annual gathering in Wyoming last week (9:43) and a listener question on China, resource conflicts and the "new commodity superpowers" (15:15). A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Aug 30, 2023 · 21 min
Local Government Special w/ Antonia Jennings
On this week’s Macrodose, Antonia Jennings breaks down: the increasing trend of local governments going bankrupt (1:30), the power of local government to mitigate ecological collapse (7:45), and a listener question - GDP is a crude and outdated metric, but can we break it down further to work out what’s really going on (14:14)? A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Aug 26, 2023 · 49 min
UNLOCKED Making Neoliberalism: the economics of Empire w/ Kojo Koram
After Kojo Koram stepped in to guest-host the regular show this week, we're unlocking this fascinating MACRODOSE EXTRA chat with James recorded back in January. Empire, colonialism and the dawn of free market thinking - from Enoch Powell to Margaret Thatcher. Kojo is a Senior Lecturer at Birkbeck School of Law, University of London. He is the author of Uncommon Wealth: Britain and the Aftermath of Empire, a tour de force on the legacies of Empire and how they shape modern Britain, which was nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2022. Kojo is also the co-author of Empire’s Endgame: Racism and the British State, which was published in 2021, and star of the recent short-film for openDemocracy, Boomerang: how the legacies of empire are breaking Britain’s economy - which you can find on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmOK4tNc31A
Aug 23, 2023 · 19 min
How Jamaica almost stopped neoliberalism w/ Kojo Koram
On this week’s Macrodose, Kojo Koram tells us a longer form story: how Jamaica nearly saved the world from Neoliberalism, and the international economic order that never was (1:40). For a deeper look into how Britain's economy has been and continues to be shaped by its colonial past, I highly recommend Kojo's book Uncommon Wealth https://tinyurl.com/mw34eprr A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Aug 16, 2023 · 16 min
Is Bidenomics working??
On this week’s Macrodose, James Meadway breaks down: the reality behind the touted success of Bidenomics (1:41), and the role of organised labour today - what’s the future for trade unions, and can they be a vehicle for political change (9:03)? A massive thank you to all of our existing Patreon subscribers, your support keeps the show running and we are very grateful. If you have the means and enjoy our work, head over to patreon.com/Macrodose and subscribe today. We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or get in touch at macrodose@planetbproductions.co.uk For more about the work we do at Planet B Productions, go to https://planetbproductions.co.uk/
Aug 11, 2023 · 12 min
Beyond Techno-Solutionism: gender and platform work w/ Anjali Krishan and Kavita Dattani
FULL EPISODE available at: patreon.com/Macrodose Our guests today are Anjali Krishan and Kavita Dattani. They’ve joined us today on behalf of Fairwork, an action-research project coordinated by the Oxford Internet Institute to discuss the new report they’ve co-authored entitled ‘Beyond techno-solutionism: gender and platform work’. The report is based on research into working conditions on online platforms spanning four years, 38 countries, over 190 unique platforms, and interviews with more than 5000 platform workers. You can access the full report here: https://fair.work/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/07/Fairwork-Gender-Report-2023-FINAL-red.pdf