Shows
The Capitalismo PodcastWhy Spain’s Transition to Democracy Remains ControversialWelcome to the inaugural episode of The Capitalismo Podcast, a new series dedicated to exploring the political economy of the Hispanic world entirely in English.In this first episode, co-hosts Diego Sánchez de la Cruz and Rasheed Griffith examine Spain’s landmark transition from the Franco dictatorship (1939–1975) to a modern constitutional democracy. Referred to as La Transición in Spain, this period remains a cornerstone of European political history and continues to influence Spain’s contemporary governance structures and debates over monarchy versus republicanism, as well as regional autonomy.Key Topics Covered:2025-03-1858 min
The Rasheed Griffith Show46. The Philosophy Of Reggae - A Guided TourSend us a textIt's not all love, peace and brotherhood and if you're looking for Bob Marley, you're out of luck there too. Join CPSI director Rasheed Griffith and podcast producer Shem Best for an unfiltered foray into reggae, its historical starting point, political ramifications and cultural proliferation throughout the region and the world. Reggae is first and foremost a vehicle of protest. We explore the societal context which forced the hands of the Rastafarians, producing anthems of anti-establishment sentiment that resonated with a growing movement which was finding itself increasingly at odds with a...2024-11-2550 minThe Rasheed Griffith Show34. Tea Time Discourse: The Rise of Chairman Mottley - Shem BestSend us a textNavigate the Barbadian political landscape with Rasheed Griffith and CPSI Podcast Producer Shem Best. In this episode, we discuss the evolution and decline of governance on the island, starting with one of its most prolific Prime Ministers, Owen Arthur. What tipped the scales for the David Thompson administration's rise after over a decade of BLP rule? What disastrous decisions paved the way for Mottley's landslide victory in 2018? Barbados' Westminster-style government structure has created one of the world's most stable democracies with over three centuries of an uninterrupted parliament (the 3rd oldest in...2024-05-131h 49The Rasheed Griffith ShowHow to Dollarize Argentina, Exactly - Nicolás CachanoskySend us a textIn this fascinating episode, we dive into a more nuanced discussion for implementing dollarization in Argentina. Nicolás Cachanosky joins our Executive Director, Rasheed Griffith, for a detailed and technical rundown of the steps needed to transition the beleaguered economy to the US Dollar. Firstly, there's the equilibrium rate. How many pesos would be needed to redeem one US dollar? How would this price be established? The government could remove the country's capital controls, which have been used to maintain an inflated and unsustainable rate. This would allow the market to de...2024-03-2052 minThe Rasheed Griffith ShowThe Northern Silence — Andrew MellorSend us a textThis episode takes us deeper into the idea of art as part of the welfare state. Music journalist and critic, Andrew Mellor is our guide to the historical nuances that fuel the Nordic's ongoing domination of the classical music space. Finland boasts the highest number of conductors per capita in the world. This has not happened by chance. The unique way of talent selection at the Sibelius Academy plays a large role in this. The country exports its prowess to almost every corner of the classical music space. In the UK...2024-01-2539 minThe Rasheed Griffith ShowThe Dilemma of Reform in Argentina — Bruno BinettiSend us a textA return to Argentina. On this episode of the Rasheed Griffith Show, we focus again on the beleaguered South American economy and discuss Javier Milei's meteoric rise to claim victory in the recent elections. Our guest, Argentinian political analyst Bruno Binetti, explores the socio-economic conditions that paved the way for Milei's win and the harsh recovery journey ahead for what was once one of the continent's financial powerhouses. The name of the game is change. Binetti posits that the electorate grew tired of policies, particularly under "Kirchnerism", which...2023-12-2950 minThe Rasheed Griffith ShowBetter Money in Latin America — Lawrence WhiteSend us a textFrom gold to Bitcoin. In this episode, we are joined by Professor Lawrence White to explore a comparative history of money, starting with the era of the gold standard. We trace the origins of bank notes, private money, and the underpinnings (and shortfalls) of monetary systems across Latin America and the Caribbean. Our discussion begins with dollarization rumblings across Latin America, namely Argentina. "In a way, dollarization is a bit like going back to the gold standard in the 19th century. You're adopting external money that's a world currency. This has...2023-12-2248 minThe Rasheed Griffith ShowHow Iceland Changed The World — Egill BjarnasonSend us a text"1 in 10 Icelanders write books." This curiously repeated statistic, (accuracy notwithstanding) stems from Iceland's proud literary heritage. The North Atlantic island nation is renowned for its contributions to the arts, gender norms, and governance. This episode's guest, Egill Bjarnason (a writer himself) gives us some insight into the origins of this cultural dynamism, the modern policies that foster its continuation, and the resulting influence beyond Iceland across the globe. At just over 370,000, Iceland's population is surpassed by some Caribbean countries (Trinidad & Tobago is 1.3 million). Like the Caribbean, in the art world, the...2023-12-2024 minThe Rasheed Griffith ShowAnalysing the Guyana-Venezuela Border Crisis — Ivelaw GriffithSend us a textWhy is Venezuela on the verbal offensive and threatening to carve off more than two-thirds of Guyana's land area? The answer is wrapped in a tale almost 200 years in the making. Dr. Ivelaw Griffith takes us on an insightful journey from the nascent years of the Bolivarian Republic and its then-colonial neighbor, right up to today's war of words and saber rattling.Venezuela's initial claims to the Essequibo, the disputed territory, began as far back as 1841. During this period of nation-building, we see a fresh new republic eager to settle the...2023-12-1834 minThe Rasheed Griffith ShowThe Techniques of Market Access — Federico SequedaSend us a textWhat does it actually mean to "restructure" debt? Federico Sequeda, a portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley, discusses the intricacies of default with our CEO Rasheed Griffith. No two restructurings are the same and we get to the bottom of the how and why behind the hard conversations Caribbean governments find themselves in to attempt fiscal correction.The region is no stranger to default. A dearth of foreign investment and a glaring lack of projects to invest in may be to blame. Coupled with a faltering reputation due to lapses in accountability an...2023-11-181h 03The Rasheed Griffith ShowDollarization: A Solution For Argentina with Emilio OcampoSend us a textArgentina is gearing up to make one of the most pivotal decisions in its economic recovery: dollarization. The country heads to the polls this weekend, and a win for presidential hopeful Javier Milei means a vote for the shift to an officially dollarized financial system. Emilio Ocampo is the man tasked by the potential new president to coordinate and execute the transition to the dollar. In this episode, he discusses the implications of this controversial move and the conditions that have brought one of Latin America's most culturally and economically significant...2023-10-2036 minThe Rasheed Griffith ShowUS Financial Sanctions and Dollar Dominance with Daniel McDowellSend us a textIs US Dollar dominance going away? No. Let's get that out of the way immediately. Rasheed Griffith and Daniel McDowell sit down for a much more serious and interesting conversation, grounded in the reality of economic and political history. The US dollar has been the reserve currency of the world since Bretton Woods in the 1940s. How did that come to be and what effects do sanctions have on the global standing of the greenback? "Demise of the dollar" predictions are nothing new, often surfacing during periods of economic turmoil and...2023-10-1747 min