

150 episodes
by David McWilliams & John Davis · English
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. You can also find our early access ad-free episodes on Spotify by searching for the David McWilliams Podcast Premium Feed on the app or by clicking here. Want to join our crew? Join at davidmcwilliams.ie/crew, where you can enjoy ad-free listening, as well as exclusive bonus content such as premium episodes, our macroeconomics course, early access to episodes and pre-sale access to tickets for Dalkey Book Festival & Kilkenomics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The episode argues that Ireland’s economy is fragile and overly dependent on American multinationals, using Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drugs (Ozempic/Mounjaro and “Zepbound”) as the case study.
2 Jun 2026 · 41m · 16 chapters
The history and mechanics of the US dollar, arguing money originates in credit and monetary “sovereignty” is limited; offshore “eurodollars” are created by banks outside Fed control, and the…
28 May 2026 · 48m · 18 chapters
Global fertility is collapsing faster than earlier demographic trends, with major economic and social consequences.
26 May 2026 · 51m · 12 chapters
UK economic “credibility” after Brexit amid political instability (7 prime ministers in 10 years), rising gilt yields, low growth/productivity, and global inflation pressures led by events in/around…
21 May 2026 · 35m · 8 chapters
Ireland’s immigration policy and why it’s “non-existent,” arguing that lack of strategy and infrastructure creates a cruel two-tier system and fuels backlash that will show up in upcoming Irish…
19 May 2026 · 44m · 15 chapters
The Xi Jinping–Donald Trump summit in Beijing (“G2” meeting) and whether China is gaining relative power economically, politically, and geo-strategically.
14 May 2026 · 40m · 10 chapters
The episode discusses Peter Turchin’s “cliodynamics” theory in End Times: recurring cycles in which elite overproduction, wage stagnation, inequality, declining trust, and rising public debt precede…
12 May 2026 · 34m · 11 chapters
The UAE’s decision to leave OPEC after nearly 60 years, and how it fits into the “oil war” involving Iran, the US, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf—plus implications for oil prices, regional stability, and…
7 May 2026 · 39m · 18 chapters
Ireland is rich in tax revenue and wealth, yet many people feel the country is poor or dysfunctional.
5 May 2026 · 42m · 18 chapters
Ireland’s very low rate of young people starting businesses (about 5.1% ages 20–29 in 2025) and why that makes the economy more fragile to shocks like AI; the episode argues Ireland’s culture and…
30 Apr 2026 · 41m · 19 chapters
International economics and geopolitics—whether the US is “losing control” of the dollar system.
28 Apr 2026 · 44m · 14 chapters
Ireland’s “premature state” problem: a gap between headline wealth (e.g., EU rankings) and everyday quality of life (housing, transport, healthcare access).
23 Apr 2026 · 44m · 18 chapters
The episode argues that Ireland is heading toward a “perfect storm” around 12 July, when fuel/trucker subsidies end and protests could restart.
21 Apr 2026 · 34m · 13 chapters
Ireland’s protests/strikes are framed as symptoms of “worst-run rich country” governance: fragile state capacity, chronic public-spending waste, and weak accountability in the senior civil service,…
15 Apr 2026 · 44m · 14 chapters
How Ireland (and other Anglosphere countries) can “build its way out” of a brittle housing system by fixing supply responsiveness, lowering the cost of building, reducing land-use uncertainty, and…
14 Apr 2026 · 38m · 11 chapters
How Ireland’s housing market was “designed to fail” (brittle system) by policies that didn’t respond to demographic change, leading to chronic supply problems, viability gaps, and a rural one-off…
9 Apr 2026 · 44m · 16 chapters
Part 1 of a 3-episode series on the “brittle” (gradually strained, politically disruptive) housing market, focused mainly on Ireland but said to reflect problems across Western countries.
7 Apr 2026 · 36m · 19 chapters
A coming global recession driven by an “oil shock” that combines higher energy prices with reduced oil availability, alongside geopolitical disruption (Israeli-American attack on Iran,…
2 Apr 2026 · 44m · 15 chapters
Cory Doctorow explains “inshittification” (coined by him) and argues Big Tech has degraded internet platforms by locking users in, worsening experiences for end users, and transferring value to…
31 Mar 2026 · 40m · 15 chapters
Whether China is overtaking the West’s influence in South Africa and Southern Africa, using Johannesburg and Soweto as on-the-ground evidence, and linking it to unemployment, migration, religion, and…
26 Mar 2026 · 45m · 24 chapters
Broadcasting Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
24 Mar 2026 · 40m · 13 chapters
In this episode titled "Shedonomics: Can Europe Survive China’s Manufacturing Machine?", David McWilliams and his guest delve into the significant issues surrounding the recent surge of Chinese…
19 Mar 2026 · 37m · 17 chapters
The David McWilliams Podcast aims to make economics accessible and uncomplicated, exploring significant economic and political issues that affect Ireland and the global community. In this special St.
17 Mar 2026 · 51m · 17 chapters
In this episode, David McWilliams discusses the economic implications of the ongoing conflict in Iran, focusing on potential stagflation and global economic shockwaves.
12 Mar 2026 · 28m · 12 chapters