Can Ireland Fix Its Infrastructure Crisis Before It's Too Late? Image

Can Ireland Fix Its Infrastructure Crisis Before It's Too Late?

20 August - 36 mins
Podcast Series The David McWilliams Podcast

In this episode, we're kicking off with a classic Irish disaster—a ladder, a man, and gravity having a scrap, but then we're diving deep into something even more painful than a sprained ankle: Ireland's shocking inability to build anything on time or on budget. We're talking about the Children's Hospital fiasco, the never-ending MetroLink saga, and why, despite having buckets of cash, our state just can’t get the job done. But here’s the kicker: while Ireland is dragging its feet, places like Serbia are throwing up high-speed rail links in a few years, all thanks to the Chinese. And it’s not just them. Italy and Spain have cracked the code on getting infrastructure done without bankrupting t...

36 mins

Series Episodes

Hitler’s Plan to Destroy Britain with Counterfeit Money –  from Money: A Story of Humanity

Hitler’s Plan to Destroy Britain with Counterfeit Money – from Money: A Story of Humanity

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the wildest stories in the book, involving none other than Adolf Hitler. Can you imagine money falling from the sky? That's what Hitler had planned—he wanted to defeat Britain by literally dropping millions of counterfeit pounds across the country. He believed that if he could flood the British economy with fake money, he could induce a Weimar-style hyperinflation and collapse the British war effort. It’s a story of forgeries, secret concentration camp operations, and a plot to cripple an entire nation with counterfeit cash. Want to know how this insane plan almost worked? Well, grab your copy of Money: A Story of Humanity, and find out. Trust us, it’s not just about Hitler, there’s so much more—stories of people, civilizations, and how money shaped the world we live in today. Buy the new book here: https://linktr.ee/moneydavidmcwilliams Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 mins

12 September Finished

From Poetry to Punches: Ireland’s Journey from Michael D. to McGregor

From Poetry to Punches: Ireland’s Journey from Michael D. to McGregor

This week, we delve into a fascinating hypothetical for Ireland’s future: could Conor McGregor really be our next President in 2025? From the quaint leadership of Michael D. Higgins, to McGregor’s brash, larger-than-life personality, the shift would be nothing short of dramatic. But what does this say about modern Irish politics and the world we’re living in? As global politics continues to throw us curveballs, we’re not ruling anything out. Beyond the political theatre, we turn our focus to a more grounded topic—progress. Sean Keyes from Progress Ireland joins us to discuss how his think tank is dedicated to solving Ireland’s infrastructure challenges, tackling the country's underperformance despite its huge potential. How can Ireland overcome its stumbling blocks and unlock a future filled with opportunities? We look at the bigger picture of what it really means to move forward in an increasingly complex world. Tune in for a discussion that spans politics, progress, and everything in between. Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

39 mins

10 September Finished

A Letter from America with Jim Chanos

A Letter from America with Jim Chanos

This week, we dive into the shifting tides of the U.S. economy and its global impact on smaller countries like Ireland, who are deeply tied to American trade and investment. With the Fed’s balancing act of boosting stock markets while trying to control inflation, are we heading into another bubble? As inequality deepens, we ask what the upcoming U.S. election could mean for the global economy. Legendary short-seller Jim Chanos joins us to discuss why he believes we’re living in a “Golden Age of Fraud” and how investors are ignoring red flags. Are we returning to a 1970s-style economic era, but with new players like China and the rise of social media-driven distrust? We explore it all in this week's episode. Pre-order the book or get podcast tickets here: https://linktr.ee/davidmcwilli Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 mins

5 September Finished

What Taylor Swift & Oasis Tickets Tell Us About The Economy!

What Taylor Swift & Oasis Tickets Tell Us About The Economy!

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34 mins

3 September Finished

Arab Disunity: From Ancient Rifts to the Gaza Conflict

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30 mins

29 August Finished

A Kick In The Jackson's Hole

A Kick In The Jackson's Hole

In this episode, we kick things off by delving into the secluded world of Jackson Hole, where central bankers and economic elites gather in a remote Wyoming enclave, musing over the fate of global economies while casting their lines into serene rivers. It's a world of high-stakes policy decisions and economic riddles, wrapped in the calm of the American wilderness. But while these powerbrokers debate interest rates and inflation, we take a hard look at the other side of the global economic coin. In the Mediterranean, once-thriving wine and olive farms are now casualties of globalisation, with local agriculture outpriced by industrial farming giants from Northern Europe. Meanwhile, tourism, driven by cheap flights and the Airbnb boom, has transformed these rural communities into seasonal hotspots—leaving them deserted for much of the year. It's a clash of worlds, from the plush isolation of Jackson Hole to the abandoned farmlands of Southern Europe, as we explore the very real human costs of our modern global economy. Pre-order Money: A Story of Humanity Now: https://linktr.ee/moneydavidmcwilliams ! Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

40 mins

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