207. Is the US all it’s cracked up to be? (preview)

06/07/20 • 8 min

The US might not be in a great place right now, with the riots, a narcissistic president and the COVID-19 virus taking a long time to slow down, yet, for generations it has been the country the world looks to for opportunity and innovation. Look at almost all the world’s newest big companies – Microsoft, Apple, Google, Twitter, Tesla – and they all hail from America. It claims a huge proportion of the world’s inventions and innovations. On that basis, shouldn’t we still be looking up to America? What is it they are doing that the rest of us are not?

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To hear the full version subscribe by picking a plan in the right column of the Debunking Economics website (not the mobile app). Or become a supporter at https://www.patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen

Previous Episode

The economics of mental health

Mental health is an issue that impacts a growing number of people, not helped by the COVID 19 lockdown. Divya Dhami, an undergraduate student from the University of British Columbia, says the economy is paying for it in terms of reduced productivity. Money investied in fixing the problem would be recovered through increased GDP. But isn’t GDP part of the problem? Phil Dobbie asks whether the wellbeing index is a better measure of government success? Steve Keen suggests debt is a significant part of the problem – in the good old days students went to university to learn and it was a relaxing experience. But there are behavioural issues too – like addiction. Just how far do we want the state to intervene?

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