Best Fjg Podcasts (2025)

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Ep 347 - Libertarianism vs. Reality with Brett Scott 56:26

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11h ago56:26

56:26

Economic anthropologist Brett Scott, the author of Cloud Money, talks with Steve about libertarianism’s big lie. Or lies – plural. From a class perspective, libertarianism is largely an ideological tool that protects elite power by promoting a false narrative of individualism and "free" markets. It serves as a smokescreen, concealing the mechanisms…

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Ep 346 - MMT: Why Our Allies Ignore Us with Yeva Nersisyan 1:07:53

8d ago1:07:53

1:07:53

** You are invited to attend Macro ‘n Chill, our community building online gathering where we discuss the current episode of the podcast. Tuesday, September 23 at 8pm ET/5pm PT Click here to register. Our friend, MMT economist Yeva Nersisyan, joins Steve to discuss the struggle to communicate MMT's core principles in a media landscape filled with m…

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Ep 345 - Argentina: IMF, MMT, Class Warfare with Daniel Conceição 1:07:33

15d ago1:07:33

1:07:33

Our friend Daniel Conceição is back for his sixth(!) time on Macro N Cheese. He and Steve share their critique of "neutral" or academic MMT that avoids class analysis. Understanding a government's monetary capacity is meaningless without using that knowledge as a weapon for class struggle against an oppressive economic system. Daniel shares his exp…

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Ep 344 - The Unstable Genius Act with Bob Hockett 1:14:00

22d ago1:14:00

1:14:00

** Tuesday evening, Bob will join our weekly online gathering where we’ll listen to the podcast together and discuss. Bring your questions for him. September 9 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Use this link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/1HA3nd_5QFSFzBe_cGiHpw This is Bob Hockett’s 12th visit to Macro N Cheese. Back in 2022, in an episode d…

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Ep 343 - Imports Are A Benefit, Exports Are A Cost? with William Mitchell 58:04

29d ago58:04

58:04

In our 14th episode with Australian economist Bill Mitchell, the conversation focuses on the MMT perspective on international trade. Bill explains what is meant by the statement “imports are a benefit, and exports are a cost,” where it fits into the history of economic thought, and some of its implications. A significant portion of the conversation…

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Ep 342 - From Corbyn to Palestine: an MMT Analysis with Chris Williamson 1:13:02

1M ago1:13:02

1:13:02

**Be sure to subscribe to our Substack. It costs you nothing to have all our new content delivered to straight to your inbox! https://realprogressives.substack.com/ Remember Labour's stunning defeat in the 2019 UK general election? When, under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, they won the lowest number of seats since 1935? Steve’s guest, Chris Williamso…

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Ep 341 - AI's Hidden Thirst with Erald Kolasi 1:07:28

1M ago1:07:28

1:07:28

Our friend, physicist and economist Erald Kolasi, stops by the Macro N Cheese clubhouse to talk with Steve about the profound effects of AI on the energy grid, water resources, and societal infrastructure. The discussion focuses primarily on large-scale corporate AI, such as generative AI. Erald’s work bridges physics, economics, and ecology, revea…

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Ep 340 - Humanode: One Person, One Vote with Victor Vernissage 52:35

2M ago52:35

52:35

**Our weekly online gathering, Macro ‘n Chill is the perfect place to discuss this week’s episode, especially since it includes terminology you might not be familiar with. Or there may be someone who needs your help understanding it. Community-buidling on Tuesday, August 12 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Use this link to register What do you know about blockcha…

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Ep 339 - Sociocide with Charles Derber 1:04:58

2M ago1:04:58

1:04:58

Charles Derber, a sociology professor at Boston College, talks with Steve about his book, 'Bonfire: American Sociocide, Broken Relations and the Quest for Democracy.' Steve suggests the book aligns with his own assessment that US sociocide (social disintegration) demands revolutionary change. Electoral politics are a distraction and a dead end. The…

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Ep 338 - Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy? with James Fishkin 1:01:02

2M ago1:01:02

1:01:02

If we had the power to design our own political system, what would it look like? Stanford Professor James Fishkin talks with Steve about deliberative democracy, a method that brings together diverse, representative groups to weigh policy trade-offs in a fact-based, civil environment. He maintains that when people get the chance to discuss issues in…

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Ep 337 - The Overdose Economy with Charles LeBaron 1:04:42

2M ago1:04:42

1:04:42

Dr. Charles LeBaron is a retired CDC scientist and the author of Greed to Do Good: The Untold Story of CDC's Disastrous War on Opioids. He talks with Steve about the ill-considered response to the opioid crisis and the tragic and preventable consequences of the CDC’s 2016 guidelines. Restricting prescriptions without providing treatment (whether fo…

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Ep 336 - MMT101 with Jim Byrne 57:11

3M ago57:11

57:11

**You’re invited to join us Tuesday evening for Macro ‘n Chill, an online gathering where we can listen to and talk about this episode. Tuesday July 15, 8pm ET/5 pm PT Click here to register This week we're releasing an interview Steve did as a guest of Jim Byrne, host of MMT101 podcast. Steve and Jim have much in common, so it’s interesting to hea…

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Ep 335 - Bonding Against Austerity: Can States Offset Federal Cuts? with Ben Wilson & Scott Ferguson 1:13:55

3M ago1:13:55

1:13:55

**Tuesday evenings, we host an online listening party, Macro ‘n Chill, to discuss the current episode. It’s a great way to get to know other members of the community and talk about the ideas expressed in the podcast. Join us this Tuesday, July 8th, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Click HERE to register Scott Ferguson and Ben Wilson of the Money on the Left coll…

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Ep 334 - MMT for the Proles 1:16:27

3M ago1:16:27

1:16:27

Part of our mission is to introduce MMTers to socialism and socialists to MMT. We’ve had a few metaphorical doors slammed in our faces along the way. Former friends from the MMT community now delight in slinging accusations worthy of a HUAC hearing, while some socialists suspect modern monetary theory is just a sideshow of bourgeois economics. So, …

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Ep 333 - DisElderly Conduct with Judy Karofsky 57:53

3M ago57:53

57:53

If civilizations are judged by how they care for their elderly, our report card is already written. Should there be anyone left to judge us – should humanity exist long enough to judge us – we’ve flunked. Steve’s guest is Judy Karofsky, author of 'DisElderly Conduct: The Flawed Business of Assisted Living and Hospice,' who provides a critical exami…

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Ep 332 - The Red Thread: A History of Socialist Tradition with C. Derick Varn - Part 2 1:07:14

4M ago1:07:14

1:07:14

**On Tuesday evening, C. Derick Varn will join us AGAIN for Macro ‘n Chill, our weekly community gathering. While listening to this episode, we will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion about Part Two. June 17th, 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Click HERE to register The second half of Steve’s conversation with Derick Varn goes into the h…

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Ep 331 - The Red Thread: A History of Socialist Tradition with C. Derick Varn - Part 1 1:04:39

4M ago1:04:39

1:04:39

**This Tuesday evening, C. Derick Varn will join us for Macro ‘n Chill, our weekly community gathering. While listening to this episode, folks will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion. June 10th, 8 pm ET/5 pm PT Click HERE to register This episode is the first of a two-part discussion delving into historical splits within…

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Ep 330 - Money, Power, and the People with Christopher Shaw 1:08:05

4M ago1:08:05

1:08:05

There's an oft-repeated Chris Hedges quote that goes: “I do not fight fascists because I will win. I fight fascists because they are fascists.” Well, that’s how we feel about the banks. Revolutionary change is only possible when people understand the institutions of power. The banking system plays a huge role in perpetuating class division and disc…

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Ep 329 - Stage IV Terminal Capitalism with Hamza Hamouchene 1:14:17

4M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

The podcast focuses on the critical need to address the root causes of health and environmental crises, emphasizing that many diseases, including cancer, are largely influenced by environmental factors and capitalism's exploitative nature. Hamza Hamouchene talks about his reasons for leaving a career in cancer research, highlighting the disillusion…

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Ep 328 - Trade Route China with Carl Zha 56:55

4M ago56:55

56:55

This episode features sharp commentary on the current geopolitical landscape, exploring why China continues to thrive despite the chaotic shifting of US policies. Our friend Carl Zha brings his vast knowledge of China and delves into the shifting global dynamics with the US. He and Steve examine the absurdity of the US government's approach to trad…

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Ep 327 - Isolation with Bill Mitchell 55:34

5M ago55:34

55:34

As difficult as it is to get a handle on the chaos and confusion of Trump’s shifting policies, we continue to ask wise friends for their perspective. This week Steve is speaking with Australian economist Bill Mitchell, a founder of MMT and a regular guest of this podcast. Bill helps us unpack the capitalist contradictions driving global instability…

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Ep 326 - AI in the Sky: Modern Warfare with Peter Byrne 58:58

5M ago58:58

58:58

The past year has seen lots of discussion of the ‘human’ nature of AI. Programs like ChatGPT were writing poetry, engaging in debates, and roasting users with witty retorts. Educators have been facing more serious concerns as they navigate a world in which students no longer need to learn to do their own research, writing, or thinking. But the mili…

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Ep 325 - Tariffs, Tooth Fairies & Trade with Fadhel Kaboub 1:03:58

5M ago1:03:58

1:03:58

“When you are a dominant empire like the US, economically, militarily, geopolitically, and you make bets that are exclusively based on power rather than technology, innovation, research and development, education, a growing prosperous middle class, history tells us that you will eventually fail. And that's the ugly reality.” Like most media nowaday…

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Ep 324 - Modern Money Awakenings with Tracy Carson 1:08:10

5M ago1:08:10

1:08:10

This week’s episode comes from Steve’s recent appearance on The Tracy Show, where he was invited to talk about MMT with host Tracy Carson, who had some questions. Tracy: Okay, I'm going to tell you what I think I understand about Modern Monetary Theory or MMT. I'm just going to go with MMT. The federal government can pretty much generate money out …

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Ep 323 - The Physics of Capitalism with Erald Kolasi 1:17:45

6M ago1:17:45

1:17:45

“Humanity... is at a critical moment in history where the decisions that we make could have massive, massive implications, for our future trajectory, for the future trajectory of human civilization over the next two centuries. Those decisions can either ensure that we have a prosperous millennium or that we have a disastrous one.” Erald Kolasi join…

Fjg Podcasts

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Macro N Cheese

Steven D Grumbine

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Ep 347 - Libertarianism vs. Reality with Brett Scott 56:26

1
Ep 346 - MMT: Why Our Allies Ignore Us with Yeva Nersisyan 1:07:53

1
Ep 345 - Argentina: IMF, MMT, Class Warfare with Daniel Conceição 1:07:33

1
Ep 344 - The Unstable Genius Act with Bob Hockett 1:14:00

1
Ep 343 - Imports Are A Benefit, Exports Are A Cost? with William Mitchell 58:04

1
Ep 342 - From Corbyn to Palestine: an MMT Analysis with Chris Williamson 1:13:02

1
Ep 341 - AI's Hidden Thirst with Erald Kolasi 1:07:28

1
Ep 340 - Humanode: One Person, One Vote with Victor Vernissage 52:35

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Ep 339 - Sociocide with Charles Derber 1:04:58

1
Ep 338 - Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy? with James Fishkin 1:01:02

1
Ep 337 - The Overdose Economy with Charles LeBaron 1:04:42

1
Ep 336 - MMT101 with Jim Byrne 57:11

1
Ep 335 - Bonding Against Austerity: Can States Offset Federal Cuts? with Ben Wilson & Scott Ferguson 1:13:55

1
Ep 334 - MMT for the Proles 1:16:27

1
Ep 333 - DisElderly Conduct with Judy Karofsky 57:53

1
Ep 332 - The Red Thread: A History of Socialist Tradition with C. Derick Varn - Part 2 1:07:14

1
Ep 331 - The Red Thread: A History of Socialist Tradition with C. Derick Varn - Part 1 1:04:39

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Ep 330 - Money, Power, and the People with Christopher Shaw 1:08:05

1
Ep 329 - Stage IV Terminal Capitalism with Hamza Hamouchene 1:14:17

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Ep 328 - Trade Route China with Carl Zha 56:55

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Ep 327 - Isolation with Bill Mitchell 55:34

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Ep 326 - AI in the Sky: Modern Warfare with Peter Byrne 58:58

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Ep 325 - Tariffs, Tooth Fairies & Trade with Fadhel Kaboub 1:03:58

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Ep 324 - Modern Money Awakenings with Tracy Carson 1:08:10

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Ep 323 - The Physics of Capitalism with Erald Kolasi 1:17:45