David McWilliams Podcast

Chalk McHugh · 20-04-2020 11:27am

Only listening to this podcast the last while. I've really enjoyed the last two or three on the pandemic. McWilliams comes across a sound, witty and jovial type. Someone you'd like to shoot the breeze with over a few pints. Very informative and im learning a lot about economics along the way.

El_Duderino 09 · 20-04-2020 11:30am

Poor_old_gill wrote: »

It would be more interesting if he did it alone and started each new section with - "here's something else you idiots probably don't know"

You might prefer it but generally conversations are more interesting than lectures. That's just a consequence of humans being social animals.

Poor_old_gill · 20-04-2020 11:34am

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

You might prefer it but generally conversations are more interesting than lectures. That's just a consequence of humans being social animals.

I was joking!

I think the conversationalist style is much better and a easily a more digestible format than the lecture approach.

El_Duderino 09 · 20-04-2020 11:37am

Poor_old_gill wrote: »

I was joking!

I think the conversationalist style is much better and a easily a more digestible format than the lecture approach.

Totally missed that.

I'd agree, it's better as a dialogue.

shenanagans · 20-04-2020 12:12pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Only listening to this podcast the last while. I've really enjoyed the last two or three on the pandemic. McWilliams comes across a sound, witty and jovial type. Someone you'd like to shoot the breeze with over a few pints. Very informative and im learning a lot about economics along the way.

He did an excellent one on Dublin port last year in regards to housing crisis. It's worth listening back to. June last year about.

shenanagans · 20-04-2020 12:14pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I know what you mean bit that's just a story telling device. John is there to make it a dialogue and give the impression that he's the everyman - he's you, in conversation with DM.

I don't mind it.

I get that John is us. It's the 10 minutes of bull**** chat between them totally unrelated to topic that puts me of. I often just skip first 10 mins.

El_Duderino 09 · 20-04-2020 12:22pm

shenanagans wrote: »

I get that John is us. It's the 10 minutes of bull**** chat between them totally unrelated to topic that puts me of. I often just skip first 10 mins.

Yeah it's something that podcasts slip into doing more and more as they go on. I love rugby podcasts and there's one with Andrew Trimble and it should be really good, but they just end up talking shyte for 20 mins (not an exaggeration) at the start. Totally fair to skip the intro if you don't like it.

I find DM's intros aren't as bad as other podcasts. Often the little bits about the country he has been in are interesting. But I completely take your point. Podcasters should have a 60 second limit on shyte talk before getting into the topic.

El_Duderino 09 · 20-04-2020 12:26pm

shenanagans wrote: »

He did an excellent one on Dublin port last year in regards to housing crisis. It's worth listening back to. June last year about.

That was amazing. I love the ambition of that idea. As he mentions, it's incredible to think that the main areas in Dublin city centre were build in about a 60 year period. And now it's as if we're paralyzed by that infrastructure and terrified to change it.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

completedit · 20-04-2020 1:49pm

I just want to say, I did Economics as an undergraduate and I think when you've been force fed maths as being the be all and end all of economics, you can be a bit skeptical about McWilliams and that type of economics. I started to study economics because of a wonder about the world and how it works and quickly got bogged down in the rigorous mathematical application. So when a I hear McWilliams talking in poetic language, even tho I love it, I've been conditioned to go against it. Just in case Dave you're reading.

Obrieski · 20-04-2020 10:04pm

He has a very poor opinion of us poor, pathetic accountants :pac:

25-04-2020 2:43pm

Poor_old_gill wrote: »

I think the conversationalist style is much better and a easily a more digestible format than the lecture approach.

yes it does work better in general but could he please cut down on the

" ah here head, how's it goin' "

intro bants maybe!? or mix it up a little even?

completedit · 25-04-2020 3:47pm

HOWYA HEAD

Arghus · 25-04-2020 4:09pm

Yeah the bantz is awful, just awful to listen to.

And did McWilliams referring to "spoofing" as "spooking" during the conversation?

Chalk McHugh · 25-04-2020 5:34pm

Everytime that lad talks on his show i think its Baz Ashmay lad. Posh south Dublin accent. McWilliams loves the Bantz

Aidric · 26-04-2020 9:05pm

glasso wrote: »

yes it does work better in general but could he please cut down on the

" ah here head, how's it goin' "

intro bants maybe!? or mix it up a little even?

It's cringe-worthy alright. If the idea was to use him as a soundboard then the experiment has failed.

CatFromHue · 27-04-2020 2:42pm

I like it anyway and think the balance of light and heavy on what could be a very heavy podcast is about right.

El_Duderino 09 · 27-04-2020 3:59pm

CatFromHue wrote: »

I like it anyway and think the balance of light and heavy on what could be a very heavy podcast is about right.

I agree. I wouldn't want the banter to grow much beyond the current level but I think they have to break up the topic. Otherwise it would become very dry and dense.

27-04-2020 4:18pm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Everytime that lad talks on his show i think its Baz Ashmay lad. Posh south Dublin accent. McWilliams loves the Bantz

McWilliams himself is the epitome of the stereotype, not just his mate

went to Blackrock College, then Trinners.

I would agree that some bants/bantz is required but the tone is a bit jarring - they haven't got it right for their backgrounds and are trying too hard to portray the "everyman Dub" bants tone which ends up coming down on the face-palm cringe side of things.

Chalk McHugh · 27-04-2020 4:19pm

glasso wrote: »

McWilliams himself is the epitome of the stereotype, not just his mate

went to Blackrock College, then Trinners.

I would agree that some bants/bantz is required but the tone is a bit jarring - they haven't got it right for their backgrounds and are trying too hard to portray the "everyman Dub" bants tone which ends up coming down on the face-palm cringe side of things.

Haha. Couldn't have put it better myself. Nailed it.

Chalk McHugh · 27-04-2020 4:20pm

glasso wrote: »

McWilliams himself is the epitome of the stereotype, not just his mate

went to Blackrock College, then Trinners.

I would agree that some bants/bantz is required but the tone is a bit jarring - they haven't got it right for their backgrounds and are trying too hard to portray the "everyman Dub" bants tone which ends up coming down on the face-palm cringe side of things.

Haha. Couldn't have put it better myself. Nailed it.

El_Duderino 09 · 27-04-2020 4:46pm

glasso wrote: »

McWilliams himself is the epitome of the stereotype, not just his mate

went to Blackrock College, then Trinners.

I would agree that some bants/bantz is required but the tone is a bit jarring - they haven't got it right for their backgrounds and are trying too hard to portray the "everyman Dub" bants tone which ends up coming down on the face-palm cringe side of things.

You forgot to mention that he grew up in Monkstown and lives in Dún Laoghaire. He is a Dub. Would you be happier if he was more posh? I ask because I really doubt you'd want him even more on point for the stereotype you have in your mind.

Maybe, just maybe, that's the way he is. He's a kind of Dub and there are plenty of kinds of Dub. That's how I see him as a non-Dub. It's actually pretty rare that people perfectly fit a stereotype neatly and when people get more annoyed is when others fail to neatly fit a negative stereotype.

As you've just demonstrated above, he was bad enough when he was the "epitome of the stereotype", the only thing he could do worse is to speak in a way that doesn't fit the stereotype you wanted him to fit.

He can't change his background and, to be honest, I wouldn't care whether he comes from the south side or was the epitome of the "salt of the earth" North-sider or anywhere else in the country. His thoughts are interesting and he's informative and that's why I listen.

27-04-2020 4:52pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

You forgot to mention that he grew up in Monkstown and lives in Dún Laoghaire. He is a Dub. Would you be happier if he was more posh? I ask because I really doubt you'd want him even more on point for the stereotype you have in your mind.

Maybe, just maybe, that's the way he is. He's a kind of Dub and there are plenty of kinds of Dub. That's how I see him as a non-Dub. It's actually pretty rare that people perfectly fit a stereotype neatly and when people get more annoyed is when others fail to neatly fit a negative stereotype.

As you've just demonstrated above, he was bad enough when he was the "epitome of the stereotype", the only thing he could do worse is to speak in a way that doesn't fit the stereotype you wanted him to fit.

He can't change his background and, to be honest, I wouldn't care whether he comes from the south side or was the epitome of the "salt of the earth" North-sider or anywhere else in the country. His thoughts are interesting and he's informative and that's why I listen.

you can get his bio on wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_McWilliams_(economist)

he has always been slagged off for being "posh" - even likened to Ross O'Carroll-Kelly

Monkstown? - in fairness that is a very affluent area. as are parts of Dun Laoghaire - some lovely houses

I like his stuff and have no problem with his background.

but his bants tone is comical tho - most seem to agree. and part of that is the jar with his background. which was the point.

Chalk McHugh · 27-04-2020 4:56pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

You forgot to mention that he grew up in Monkstown and lives in Dún Laoghaire. He is a Dub. Would you be happier if he was more posh? I ask because I really doubt you'd want him even more on point for the stereotype you have in your mind.

Maybe, just maybe, that's the way he is. He's a kind of Dub and there are plenty of kinds of Dub. That's how I see him as a non-Dub. It's actually pretty rare that people perfectly fit a stereotype neatly and when people get more annoyed is when others fail to neatly fit a negative stereotype.

As you've just demonstrated above, he was bad enough when he was the "epitome of the stereotype", the only thing he could do worse is to speak in a way that doesn't fit the stereotype you wanted him to fit.

He can't change his background and, to be honest, I wouldn't care whether he comes from the south side or was the epitome of the "salt of the earth" North-sider or anywhere else in the country. His thoughts are interesting and he's informative and that's why I listen.

Not all the southside is posh. But McWilliams is definately posh and from the deep posh southside of Dublin. Plenty of places in south Dublin as bad as any on the northside. No big deal but thats a fact.

27-04-2020 5:55pm

incidentally he lives on [DELETED] a nice harbour-front gaff!

not exactly un-posh.

MOD NOTE: ABSOLUTELY DO NOT POST SOMEONE'S ADDRESS OR LINK ON GOOGLE MAPS.

El_Duderino 09 · 27-04-2020 6:37pm

glasso wrote: »

you can get his bio on wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_McWilliams_(economist)

he has always been slagged off for being "posh" - even likened to Ross O'Carroll-Kelly

Monkstown? - in fairness that is a very affluent area. as are parts of Dun Laoghaire - some lovely houses

I like his stuff and have no problem with his background.

but his bants tone is comical tho - most seem to agree. and part of that is the jar with his background. which was the point.

Yeah i meant Monkstown and Dun laoghaire as more to the "posh" stereotype. The point I was getting at is that he's a Dub even if he doesn't fit neatly into someone's stereotype of a posh boy.

Wouldn't his ideas be more interesting than whether he neatly fits someone preconceptions of a posh boy or not? Can't he just chat with his childhood friend in whatever way they want?

27-04-2020 6:54pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Yeah i meant Monkstown and Dun laoghaire as more to the "posh" stereotype. The point I was getting at is that he's a Dub even if he doesn't fit neatly into someone's stereotype of a posh boy.

Wouldn't his ideas be more interesting than whether he neatly fits someone preconceptions of a posh boy or not? Can't he just chat with his childhood friend in whatever way they want?

he can but it's a podcast meant to be listened to by many people so it's completely fair game to comment on the content, format, tone, "bants" etc. etc.

the question is - do they actually converse like that normally?!

El_Duderino 09 · 27-04-2020 7:08pm

glasso wrote: »

he can but it's a podcast meant to be listened to by many people so it's completely fair game to comment on the content, format, tone, "bants" etc. etc.

the question is - do they actually converse like that normally?!

I've no idea. Do you?

Also, so what? Why on earth is that an interesting question?

27-04-2020 7:22pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I've no idea. Do you?

Also, so what? Why on earth is that an interesting question?

because then we would know if it's hammed-up for the podcast.

Chalk McHugh · 27-04-2020 7:24pm

It's only a small bit of bantz anyway. No big deal. The lads are sound. Even if they are two posh boys. Show is good. Look forward to the next one.

El_Duderino 09 · 27-04-2020 7:30pm

glasso wrote: »

because then we would know if it's hammed-up for the podcast.

It's a media production. It doesn't have to represent the way he behaves at home. Surly you know how media works.

I've no idea how he behaves at home. Do you?

27-04-2020 7:35pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

It's a media production. It doesn't have to represent the way he behaves at home. Surly you know how media works.

I've no idea how he behaves at home. Do you?

you seem to continually miss the point or are just trying to be obtuse on this so this exchange is just going around in a circle.

27-04-2020 7:40pm

glasso wrote: »

incidentally he lives on [DELETED] a nice harbour-front gaff!

not exactly un-posh.

MOD NOTE: ABSOLUTELY DO NOT POST SOMEONE'S ADDRESS OR LINK ON GOOGLE MAPS.

the road is mentioned in newspaper articles freely available in the public domain. I don't know what exact house he lives in.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/david-mcwilliams-master-of-the-gold-coast-money-game-38244375.html

When the columnist and his wife Sian Smyth decided to move from Killiney in 2016 they by-passed Dalkey, with which he is identified, buying - according to Land Registry documents - a harbourfront home on Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire, for €1.25m.

Poor_old_gill · 29-04-2020 4:02am

Can everyone please stop saying bantz - cheers

Arghus · 29-04-2020 4:08am

But the point of saying bantz is to underline how annoying it is.

It's even more annoying than banter: it's bantz. It's more gauche and affected than just banter.

Though, in general, the podcast is excellent apart from that.

Chalk McHugh · 29-04-2020 8:19am

Who doesn't like a bit of bantz?

El_Duderino 09 · 29-04-2020 11:46am

glasso wrote: »

you seem to continually miss the point or are just trying to be obtuse on this so this exchange is just going around in a circle.

I suppose the thing I cant figure out is why it's of interest to you how he speaks with his childhood friend and how you would know if its hammed up or not and why would care.

People have all kinds of was of speaking with friends. My father in law and I sometimes speak to each other in the style of aristocratic gentlemen from the 19th century. We call each other "old bean" and "dear boy" and say things like "by Jove". That's not how we normally speak, its a little joke between us - bantz, if you like.

So what if DM and his mate speak to each other in a similar way, in the style of salt of the earth Dubs or if they just speak like posh boys. So what?

The Bantz at the start of the podcast is often a segue to an interesting anecdote like the time he talked about Kenya and the banking through phone credit or Argentina and the influence of the Irish in south America.

I'm not a fan of bantz for the sake of bantz but the bit at the start of DM's podcast is fine.

El_Duderino 09 · 29-04-2020 11:47am

Arghus wrote: »

But the point of saying bantz is to underline how annoying it is.

It's even more annoying than banter: it's bantz. It's more gauche and affected than just banter.

Though, in general, the podcast is excellent apart from that.

Banter=Bantz=Craic. It's just different words to describe the same thing. I never understood the objection to the other words for craic.

ballsymchugh · 01-05-2020 1:27am

Poor_old_gill wrote: »

Can everyone please stop saying bantz - cheers

chillax man!

Arghus · 01-05-2020 1:44am

Another great episode this week. Really interesting stuff.

I suspect a lot of his pretty straight forward sounding solutions to complex problems aren't as straight forward in reality as they sound on the podcast. I find it a bit suspicious that, for an economist, he generally prefers to narrativise things, rather than to talk in the nitty-gritty of mathematics and numbers.

But, he's smarter than Iso I can never be sure.

ballsymchugh · 01-05-2020 12:18pm

i'd say if he talked in numbers, then listeners would drop like flies.

completedit · 01-05-2020 5:45pm

McWilliams knows his stuff for sure but sometimes you'd kinda wish it would be a bit more rigorous and technical. But really, what would the point be? Just throwing out numbers means nothing. The numbers behind and the calculations are too complex to relay in a podcast format. I rarely hear Economists in podcasts or radio use formulas to back up what they're suggesting.

Amirani · 05-05-2020 3:15pm

Arghus wrote: »

Another great episode this week. Really interesting stuff.

I suspect a lot of his pretty straight forward sounding solutions to complex problems aren't as straight forward in reality as they sound on the podcast. I find it a bit suspicious that, for an economist, he generally prefers to narrativise things, rather than to talk in the nitty-gritty of mathematics and numbers.

But, he's smarter than Iso I can never be sure.

No, you're completely right here.

He does generally talk a lot of sense, but has a tendency to oversimplify his proposals and downplay the consequences. He doesn't tend to elaborate on the drawbacks and negatives of some of them. If things were as simple and uncontested as he sometimes portrays, there'd be much more momentum in mainstream economics and politics behind them.

All that said, I'm a big fan of the podcast and enjoy his ideas. It's his prerogative if he doesn't want to be completely rigorous or balanced.

05-05-2020 3:22pm

I really want helicopter money. If I'm gonna be paying for this for the next decade, I'd selfishly like something to show for it.

El_Duderino 09 · 05-05-2020 4:58pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I really want helicopter money. If I'm gonna be paying for this for the next decade, I'd selfishly like something to show for it.

The vulnerable (mostly old people) who are still alive when this is over will be what we have to show for it. It's mostly the vulnerable people were doing it for.

I wouldn't hold me breath waiting for a thank you. It'll most likely be another decade of austerity.

05-05-2020 5:17pm

if you want a bit more meat on the bones of the current situation this episode is good

[Odd Lots] Nouriel Roubini Sees A Bad Recovery, Then Inflation, Then A Depression #oddLots
https://podplayer.net/?id=104095391 via @PodcastAddict

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mikemac2 · 12-05-2020 8:22am

I always thought the Wizard of Oz was a children’s story

Who know it had a hidden meaning ? I didn’t anyway

Lastest podcast was about 19th century America and I enjoyed it. A section about the Caribbean also and the speaker was pretty blunt which was good too. One of their better podcasts for a while

Wanderer78 · 12-05-2020 8:45am

mikemac2 wrote:

I always thought the Wizard of Oz was a childrenâ€™s story

Economist Ellen brown wrote a book based on the wizard of Oz a few years ago called 'Web of debt', its available on the Internets, she was at kilkenomics a few years ago, she's an advocator of public banking systems

completedit · 12-05-2020 8:24pm

Loved his bit about the meritocracy.

Icepick · 12-05-2020 10:48pm

glasso wrote: »

if you want a bit more meat on the bones of the current situation this episode is good

[Odd Lots] Nouriel Roubini Sees A Bad Recovery, Then Inflation, Then A Depression #oddLots
https://podplayer.net/?id=104095391 via @PodcastAddict

Roubini has predicted the last 10 of the 2 recessions. Good for a counter-argument, just don't start catastrophising after listening to him.

13-05-2020 5:35pm

Icepick wrote: »

Roubini has predicted the last 10 of the 2 recessions. Good for a counter-argument, just don't start catastrophising after listening to him.

use your brain obviously.

doesn't mean that he doesn't have some good points.

you'd want to be pretty deluded not to see that there are going to be some pretty long-term repercussions from this economic sh1t-show.

David McWilliams Podcast

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