Debunking Economics - the podcast Podcast By Steve Keen & Phil Dobbie cover art

Debunking Economics - the podcast

Debunking Economics - the podcast

By: Steve Keen & Phil Dobbie
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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 2016 . All rights reserved. Economics Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Compound Growth in a Finite World

    Compound Growth in a Finite World
    Mar 24 2026
    This week Phil and Steve examine the concept of compound interest and its inextricable link to exponential growth in a world with finite resources. They discuss how interest was historically viewed as a sin—the crime of usury—across major religions until the industrial revolution provided the physical growth and energy consumption necessary to support such financial claims. The duo highlights the systemic risk posed by the expectation of permanent improvement in living standards, noting that while interest rates may not have an inherent limit, the biosphere certainly does.

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    41 mins
  • Paying a war

    Paying a war
    Mar 17 2026
    Phil points out that the US is likely to spend $1.5 trilion on defense/offense spending this year. Acknowledging that sovereign currencies can essentially create money to fund defense, doesn’t there get a point where too much is just too much? A significant portion of this expenditure flows to major defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, often resulting in "corporate welfare" where increased military budgets are prioritized over social welfare. Steve says that while money creation is theoretically limitless for the US, the real-world constraint lies in physical production capabilities and the availability of essential materials like rare earth elements, which are largely refined in China. This strategic dependence on foreign resources, combined with the inflationary pressures that can arise from massive government spending, suggests that a nation's ability to sustain a war is ultimately determined more by its domestic manufacturing capacity and resource security than by its purely financial reserves.

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    35 mins
  • Beyond the Barrel: Should We Windfall Tax Big Tech and Banks?

    Beyond the Barrel: Should We Windfall Tax Big Tech and Banks?
    Mar 11 2026

    This week Phil and Steve dive into the mechanics, ethics, and economic consequences of a Windfall Tax.


    The discussion starts with the UK’s energy levy on North Sea oil and gas producers, questioning why these taxes are often temporary "clunky" fixes rather than permanent structural policies. They explore the fundamental disconnect between international corporate profits and the national resources they exploit, comparing the UK's approach to the nationalized success of nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Norway.


    The conversation expands beyond fossil fuels to ask: Should the same logic apply to the "tech bros" of Silicon Valley or the banking sector, both of which benefit from network effects and central bank policies that create massive profit "windfalls" without a corresponding increase in production costs?


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    43 mins
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I really enjoyed the analysis in the manufacturing fetishizing episode. It's great to listen to smart people discussing economics.

A Great Discussion on Economics

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You'll probably spend a little time looking up things but this is highly informative

Economics for not so dummies

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