Shows
Counter accountsConversation with Seb Bunney on his latest book, "The Hidden Cost of Money," and analysis of the current monetary systemHappy 2024, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful start to the year. I’m excited to share another episode where I had an insightful conversation with a brilliant educator, researcher, and author, Sebastian Bunney. Seb is the author of "The Hidden Cost of Money," a book that exposes the flaws and dangers of the current financial and monetary system and how it affects our societies, values, and relationships. This book is a must for anyone who wants to understand the nuanced discourse on money, central banks, monetary policy, and global macroeconomics. During our conversation, Seb shared his personal story an...2024-01-0846 minCounter accountsExploring the European Union: A conversation with Thomas Fazi on its history, governance, and institutional arrangementsIn this episode, we undertake a critical examination of the European Union with accomplished journalist and author Thomas Fazi from Italy. Our conversation delves deep into a meticulous analysis of the EU, carefully scrutinising its historical foundations, evolutionary path, and the intricate nuances of its governance mechanisms and institutional frameworks. This dialogue aims to illuminate the multifaceted impacts of the European Union, challenging its effects on the lives of its citizens and exploring consequential implications for the contemporary global order.
As a seasoned expert in political commentary on European affairs, Thomas articulates incisive critiques and counter-accounts within...2023-12-0252 minCounter accountsDiscussion with Dr. Francisco Rodriguez on Venezuela and the socioeconomic impact of economic sanctionsIn this episode, I had a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, a distinguished Venezuelan economist. Francisco's extensive career includes key roles such as serving as the Chief of the Economic and Financial Advisor of the National Assembly of Venezuela from 2000 to 2004, leading the Research Team for the Office of the United Nations Human Development Report from 2008 to 2011, and contributing his expertise to the private sector as the Andean Chief Economist at Bank of America from 2011 to 2016. Additionally, his extensive career includes teaching economics and Latin American studies at various institutions and contributing to esteemed publications such as Foreign...2023-11-0554 minCounter accountsPart 2- Political economy of global taxation with Federica Casano from ItalyIn the second part of our episode on the political economy of global taxation, we embark on a journey through the role of tax havens, the OECD, and the intricate decision-making processes within the European Union. Our expert guest, Federica Casano from Italy, is a distinguished Ph.D. candidate at Leiden University in the Netherlands. She is at the forefront of research on the EU blacklist of tax havens, meticulously dissecting its mechanisms, transparency, and impact on international taxation. Federica's research shines a light on the EU's decision-making processes while advocating for transparency. Her contributions extend to teaching, where...2023-10-1542 minCounter accountsPart 1- Political economy of global taxation with Sid Rao from IndiaEmbark on a journey to unravel the intricacies of the political economy of global taxation in the first part of a two-part episode. I had the privilege of speaking with Siddhesh Rao, ACA, LL.M., from India, a remarkable researcher, lecturer, and doctoral candidate at the Institute for Austrian and International Tax Law, part of the Vienna University of Economics and Business.
Our conversation explores the profound connection between global taxation, socio-economic justice, equity, and the development of the Global South. Sid's unwavering passion for fair global taxation systems and his visionary outlook for a more inclusive...2023-09-3042 minCounter accountsConversation with Dr. Judith Curry, an American expert climatologist, on different climate narratives and her storyIn this episode, I speak with Dr. Judith Curry, a leading climatologist and global thinker on climate change and public policy discourse with numerous recognitions and awards.
In our discussion, we talk about different climate-related narratives, the current state of scientific inquiry in the field, the politicisation of science in policymaking, her experience of US congressional testimonies, and her personal journey and story.
What I really liked about our discussion was her message of hope, especially for young people, which is also reflected in her latest book "Climate Uncertainty and Risk: Rethinking Our Response".
2023-08-2648 minCounter accountsConversation with Margot Paez on different narratives around Bitcoin and the environmentBitcoin, as an alternative to traditional currencies, has been a subject of heated debate since it emerged in the aftermath of the 2007/2008 financial crisis. Its supporters argue that it is a ground-breaking innovation that empowers individuals to control their own money and escape the interference, manipulation, and control of powerful institutions, while its detractors warn that it is a risky and irresponsible experiment that harms society and the planet. However, the landscape is evolving fast; for instance, some of the current US presidential candidates are endorsing Bitcoin as part of their platforms and accepting donations in Bitcoin. Then some...2023-08-1350 minCounter accountsConversation with Themrise Khan from Pakistan on foreign aid and developmentIn this episode, I explore the myths and realities of the flow of foreign aid from developed to developing countries. Is foreign aid a benevolent gesture or a strategic geopolitical tool? How does it affect the foreign policy and sovereignty of recipient countries? Who benefits from foreign aid? And how is foreign aid related to the debt trap that many developing countries find themselves in?
To explore these questions, along with discussing her personal journey and experience, I had a fascinating discussion with Themrise Khan, a renowned development expert and practitioner who has extensive experience and knowledge...2023-07-3145 minCounter accountsConversation with the Fishrot Scandal's whistleblower, Johannes Stefansson, involving Namibia and IcelandIn this episode, I speak with another courageous individual and brave whistleblower, Johannes Stefansson, from Iceland. Johannes is known for being the whistleblower in the famous "Fishrot Scandal", involving alleged corruption and misconduct by one of the largest fishing companies in the world and senior government officials in Namibia.
Johannes’ story shows why we need to carefully scrutinise the dominant narrative, which is carefully crafted by multinational corporations and big businesses, when they claim that they are heading to developing and poor countries to create jobs, alleviate poverty, and facilitate development. The Fishrot Scandal reminds us to exa...2023-07-1435 minCounter accountsConversation with Dr Liezl Groenewald from The Whistleblower House, South AfricaIn this episode, I speak with Dr. Liezl Groenewald, who has a remarkable portfolio of both academic and practitioner achievements in the areas of business ethics, compliance, and whistleblower protection. Liezl co-founded the Whistleblower House in South Africa, which exists to provide support and protection to whistleblowers. Here we talked about her personal journey and some of the challenges she dealt with while pursuing her vision. We also discussed some of the hallmarks of an ethical business, where whistleblowing fits into the discussion on ethics and organizational governance, the role of government and media in whistleblower protection, the cultural...2023-06-2940 minCounter accountsConversation with Dr. Daniel Clark on the value of whistleblower orientation in businessIn this episode of my podcast, I speak with Dr. Daniel Clark from Ivey Business School in Ontario, Canada. Daniel’s research focuses on the cognition and decision-making of entrepreneurs, and his recent work includes exploring the value of whistleblower orientation and practice in entrepreneurial ventures and its intersection with self-regulation, governance, and performance. We discussed whistleblowing in the context of the principal-agent relationship and why business owners should pay attention to and promote a robust and independent whistleblowing system by taking a long-term view rather than suppressing whistleblowers for short-term gains.
Notes:
Clark, D.R...2023-06-1834 minCounter accountsConversation with Ari Danikas about his whistleblowing experience concerning his police unit in South AfricaIn this episode, I speak with Ari Danikas, a former reserve police officer in Durban, South Africa. In 2004, he witnessed and documented an incident of torture that took place in the Cato Manor office, conducted by the police officers of his own unit. He recorded three videos of the incident while pretending to speak to his mother in Greek as evidence of the alleged police brutality and racism that was going on. He is known for his bravery and for standing up against such institutional atrocities and injustices, and he is considered an example for the defenders of human...2023-06-0145 minCounter accountsConversation with Rudolf Elmer, a former Julius Baer banker and auditor turned whistleblowerIn this conversation, I speak with a former Swiss banker who held various senior-level positions before blowing the whistle on his employer, an influential investment bank, and exposing their alleged misconduct. In this episode, Rudolf shares his story, including how he confronted the authorities, challenged the dominant narrative, and paid the price for his actions. We also talked about the current banking situation, offshore tax havens, who the winners and losers are in their activities, and illicit financial flows and their consequences for broader society. Rudolf's books include "BANKENTERROR" [English: Bank Terror] (2010) and "Stalking auf dem Schweizer Finanzplatz" [English...2023-05-1953 minCounter accountsConversation with UBS whistleblower Stephanie GibaudIn this first episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Stéphanie Gibaud. In 2008, while working for the marketing department of UBS, Stéphanie's employer asked her to shred documents while an investigation by the French government was taking place. Risking a jail sentence, she blew the whistle internally and was accused of defamation by her employer; her documents have widely helped to identify 38.000 offshore bank accounts amounting to €12 billion. Her books include "La Femme qui en savait vraiment trop" ["the woman who knew too much"] (2014) and "Whistleblowers: The Man Hunt" (2017). In this episode, Stéphanie shares her story, the w...2023-05-0844 min