Ep95: Graham Elwood: Discussing debt ceiling and #MintTheCoin (as a guest on his show)
0:00
1:00:58
Welcome to episode 95 of Activist #MMT. Today I talk with progressive video journalist and stand-up comedian, Graham Elwood, about the debt ceiling, #MintTheCoin, and the myth that "printing money causes inflation". Graham and I first spoke in June 2018, when I introduced him to MMT [parts one and two], only four months after discovering it myself. Although primitive, our initial talk has been seen by thousands and every now and then, I still receive kind emails from people who happen to catch it. The experience was special especially because viewers can witness Graham’s eyes open up more than once.
(As a brief aside, neither Graham nor I realized that he was actually introduced to MMT eight months earlier than that, when a patron submitted an article written by Stephanie Kelton. Although the term MMT never comes up.)
In the middle of our conversation, we talk about the very common myth of “printing money causes inflation" I still have much to learn, but I think I hit on some important points, and put enough out there to call the myth into question.
The heart of our conversation, however, is on the false debt ceiling crisis and its only immediate solution, which is #MintTheCoin. We start off by discussing the true difference between national debt and personal debt. We then talk about where the debt ceiling came from, and how it’s seen from several different contexts and perspectives. And how, except for those who wish to deceive, it’s multiple layers of nonsense.
We end with #MintTheCoin, which is the only legal solution available right now, which the president can do by merely deciding to do it. It’s a ridiculous solution, but would end the crisis immediately and legally, and would prevent real world suffering from millions of people. The platinum coin, however, has the potential to do much more than end the next debt ceiling crisis. In the words of Joe Firestone, the author of the only full-length book on the subject, a big enough coin would be “a revolution“ that “would change politics for the forseeable future.“
Our conversation is based on two of my MMT resource posts, links to which you can find in the show notes. My posts are based on the works of Joe Firestone, Rohan Grey, and others:
And now, onto my conversation with Graham Elwood. Enjoy.
Resources- My video appearances with Graham (where the audio for today’s episode comes from):
- Graham’s full MMT playlist on YouTube
Weitere Episoden von „Activist #MMT - podcast“
Ep98 [1/2] Bill Brennan: Bridgegate, running for governor, and MMT
57:27
Welcome to episode 98 of Activist #MMT. Today I talk with fourth-year MMT activist Bill Brennan (Twitter/@BillBrennansays). In 2017, Bill ran for the Democratic nomination for New Jersey governor. In 2016, he filed a citizen's complaint against then-Republican governor Chris Christie for his role in the the Bridgegate scandal. Bill obtained damning sworn testimony from a Christie staffer, resulting in a finding a probable cause. This meant the accusation was legally acknowledged as being a valid one. The Christie administration objected, but instead of dismissal, it resulted in Bill's finding even more sworn testimony from another staffer, and a second finding a probable cause. The case lingered for several months but Christie was never charged or given a penalty. This is partly because the prosecutor decided not to pursue the case, claiming a lack of evidence. A prosecutor who was personally appointed by Governor Christie, and who could be arbitrarily fired by the governor at any time, for any reason. (Here's a link to _PART_TWO_.) I met Bill during his run for governor, as a local independent journalist. My outlet was called Citizens' Media TV, which, without exaggeration, covered the secondary candidates in the Democratic primaries more than any other news outlet in the state. I also had the honor of moderating a debate between Bill and another Democratic candidate, plus two Republican candidates. Our debate took place outside the official debate, where only those with big donations could enter. Bill discovered MMT at least a year before I did, but remained skeptical until only recently. I'm happy to have played a small role in pushing him over the edge, such as by introducing him to the concept of reserve accounting. Reserve accounting shows how simple it is for money to flow around the economy and, indeed, the world. Bill's also is in the unique position of being a progressive surrounded by highly conservative friends. As a consequence, he can boil some of their arguments down to their essence. He also has some unique analogies to share, which bring these ideas home. One of his conversations with his friends inspired me to write an MMT resource post: National debt versus personal debt (in reality). If you like what you hear, then I hope you might consider becoming a monthly patron of Activist #MMT. Patrons get super-early access to almost every episode. Patrons also get the opportunity to ask my academic guests questions, and they support the development of my large and growing collection of learn MMT resources. To become a patron, you can start by going to patreon.com/activistmmt. Every little bit helps a little bit, and it all adds up to a lot. Thanks. (Before were begin, a minor correction: I work in a school but I'm not a teacher.) And now, onto my conversation with Bill Brennan, who you can find on Twitter at @BillBrennansays. This is part one of a two-part conversation. Enjoy. Resources The audio snippet of Bill at the criminal-justice forum comes from around the 1-hour, 10-minute mark in this video. 5 things to know about anti-Christie Bridgegate crusader Bill Brennan Bill files a (non-Bridgegate) complaint with the New Jersey state ethics commission Resident Sues Township Over Bello Serving on the Environmental Commission Endorsement of Bill Brennan's candidacy by my copy editor, Ben Szioli. Interview: Bill Brennan on New Jersey's proposed changes to render citizens complaints ineffective My exclusive coverage of Bill Brennan's lawsuit of Bridgegate figure David Sampson. All my coverage of Bill at Citizens' Media TV:Ep97 [2/2] Ramona Massachi: We are in this together, whether we like it or not.
59:15
Welcome to episode 97 of Activist #MMT. Today’s part two of my two-part conversation with Ramona Massachi. Last week in part one, we discussed our new interview series with MMT candidates. As I read these words, we’ve already scheduled seven. Today, in part two, we talk about various concepts we’ve learned in the past year, all centering around the idea of taking care of those at the bottom. This is something that our of-by-and-for-the-rich laws and media make extremely difficult. Taking care of the poor is not just a virtue and the right thing to do, it’s necessary for saving our species. If you think of all humans as a single person, that person has a terribly infected foot. It’s now spread up to his knee, and there’s a dull but obvious red line connecting the two. We pretend that foot’s not part of us. We’re deceived into thinking it’s not part of us or connected to us. Soon enough, however, that red line will work its way to the rest of our body and will become unstoppable. We are all in this together, whether we like it or not. The longer we keep neglecting those at the bottom, the sooner we – me and everyone listening to the show, with their comfortable homes and cars, and affordable health insurance, will become those at the bottom. We will start dealing with these problems and control our destiny, or we can enjoy our second-class amenities in blissful ignorance until the waterline reaches our staterooms. And yet, as Mr. Rogers says, in a crisis, look for the helpers. We have no choice but to take a breath and learn the true cause of our problems, and our own role in exacerbating them. Part of that is recognizing our own privilege. There is no other planet for us, there is no other government for us, there is no political savior. We are all we’ve got. As Ramona says, reality is what we think it can be. If something is physically possible, then we can do it. So let’s envision what’s possible and start doing it. Start discussing it. Because what else is there? And now, back to my conversation with Ramona Massachi. Enjoy.Verpasse keine Episode von “Activist #MMT - podcast” und abonniere ihn in der kostenlosen GetPodcast App.
Snippet: Activist #MMT, Ep100: What is MMT to me?
1:36
The snippet comes from episode 100 of Activist #MMT with Ron Placone, at around the one hour 10 minute mark.MMT candidate 03: Neal Walia for Colorado's first Congressional district
1:07:04
Welcome to Activist #MMT candidate interview number three, hosted by Ramona Massachi and co-hosted by me. Today, we talk with Neal Walia, who is running to represent Colorado’s first Congressional district. In his very first quarter as a candidate, in his first time running for office, Neal raised $100,000. It’s both extraordinary, and not nearly enough, paling in comparison to the $2 million expected to be raising each quarter by his incumbent opponent who is, no surprise, a powerful corporate Democrat. Neal, however, raises money from only actual human beings, so beating his opponent’s fundraising numbers is only possible by becoming someone he’s not. Neal is a candidate who cares about all people, and is standing toe-to-toe with a candidate who cares about some people more than others. Neal is dedicated to proving that it’s possible to win a campaign without compromising your soul – or your constituents – in order to inflate your fundraising totals. (Here’s a list of all MMT candidate interviews.) Although policy is paramount, Neal also discusses some of the secondary goals of his campaign and once in office. This includes supporting other progressive candidates, educating his constituents on policy, how Congress negotiates, and how bills are actually funded. Neal also mentions how sharing part of his personality with voters and constituents provides important context when evaluating him and his policy platform. As the host of a podcast substantially about providing context through personal stories, I obviously agree this is important. (A big thanks to Beyond the Spectrum for the "MMT Candidate" logo.) Finally, Neal indirectly inspired this MMT candidate interview series. Fadhel Kaboub, who I recently interviewed in episodes 91 and 92, asked if I would consider interviewing Neal. Having already worked with Ramona to introduce candidates to a MMT in late 2019 and early 2020, I asked if she would consider hosting. She not only said yes, we decided to create an entire series, as we discuss and EPISODE_96. Since Ramona is in contact with well over 100 candidates, finding interview subjects has not been one of our problems. You can support Neal’s candidacy by visiting nealwaliaforcongress.com and NealforCD1 on Facebook and Twitter. You’ll also find a link to donate to Neal’s campaign in the show notes. Neal’s Instagram is @neal_k_walia and his YouTube channel is Neal Walia for Congress There are three goals of this MMT candidate interview series: the first is to support and give a platform to candidates who care about all people, and because of this, are ignored by the so-called news outlets that are, in reality, news of, by, and for the rich. The second goal is to determine what these candidates need to beat corrupt opponents supported by a corrupt party in a corrupt campaign finance system, and especially, once in office, to avoid becoming corrupted themselves. Finally, the third goal is to create a community of like minded, MMT-aware candidates who can support each other through their campaigns, and especially once in office. The latter is in order to remain focused on what really matters, which is all their constituents, in an environment where there is overwhelming pressure to focus only on the needs, favors, promises, and especially money of big donors – both in and out of their district. If you’re a candidate and would like to be interviewed by Ramona, please contact her directly on Twitter at @RamonaMassachi, or me at [email protected] If there's a candidate you would like to see interviewed by Ramona, please let us know, and please recommend us to them! If you like what you hear and would like to support this interview series and this podcast, please consider becoming a monthly patron at patreon.com/activistmmt. And now, onto our conversation with candidate for Colorado’s first congressional district, Neal Walia. Enjoy.Ep96 [1/2] Ramona Massachi: Discussing 2022 and MMT candidates (and our new interview series!)
1:02:17
Welcome to episode 96 of Activist #MMT. Today I talk with Ramona Massachi, a year after our first conversation in episodes 47 and 48. Early last year, we worked together to introduce dozens of federal candidates to MMT, by coordinating and scheduling them with private sessions with PhD economists. Now, for November 2022, we are overwhelmed with candidates who already know MMT. It’s time to take the theory and start applying it to the real world. (Here’s a link to part two.) In addition, it’s also time to start preparing for being in office and remaining true to yourself and all your constituents. This is something our electoral and campaign-finance systems try very hard to stop. The system corrupts even the best of us. For these reasons and more, Ramona and I have decided to start a series of interviews with these MMT candidates. Our goals are to better understand how they will get in the office, how they will manage once in, and what specifically do they need from us as supporters, from their fellow MMT candidates, and from MMT academics. Ramona and I talk about the 2022 campaign and what she hopes to get out of these candidate interviews and what they can contribute: for publicity, for learning, and for creating a community of candidates that can get in, hit the ground running, and prevent being deceived by, among other things, false economics. The candidate interviews are hosted by Ramona, with me as her co-host. After we’re done recording, I take care of the editing and post production. The current plan is to release these interviews with a higher priority than my normal weekly episodes. However, since candidate interviews are only around an hour, my hope is that the normal episodes won’t be too disrupted. There will be many primaries in the coming months, with the general election in November 2022. It’s time. As I write these words, we’ve already scheduled seven MMT candidates. If you’re a candidate and would like to be interviewed by Ramona, please contact her directly on Twitter at @RamonaMassachi, or me at [email protected] If there's a candidate you'd like for us to interview, then please let us, or them, know. If you like what you hear, then I hope you might consider becoming a monthly patron of Activist #MMT. Patrons get early access to every episode and super-early access to many. They also get the opportunity to ask my academic guests questions, and support the development of my large and growing collection of learn MMT resources. To become a patron, you can start by going to patreon.com/activistmmt. Every little bit helps a little bit, and it all adds up to a lot. Thanks. And now, onto my conversation with Ramona Massachi. Enjoy.Snippet: MMT Podcast ep109: Fadhel Kaboub: The cause of and solution to the OPEC oil crisis was political.
10:38
This snippet comes from around the eight-minute, forty-second mark in episode 109 of MMT Podcast with Fadhel Kaboub, called Unravelling Financial Media & Strategies For The Global South This snippet is included in the explanation for a question in the online course called "Historical context for real-world economics", which is based on a series of lectures by economist Asad Zaman and produced by Activist #MMT. When the course is made public, a link will be added here.Snippet: MMT Podcast ep110: Randy Wray: Unemployment is both the problem and solution
5:15
This snippet comes from around the 18 minute mark in episode 110 of MMT Podcast with L. Randall Wray, called Are We Living In An MMT World?MMT candidate 02: Imani Oakley for New Jersey's 10th Congressional district
1:08:27
Today is MMT candidate interview number two, with Imani Oakley in New Jersey’s tenth Congressional district, which is right across from Manhattan. No surprise, she’s running against an incumbent Democratic representative who spends most of his time away from the district, is weak on gay rights, and is lavished with big donations from industries that harm the actual people in the district. But he’s a "good Democrat". (Here’s a list of all MMT candidate interviews.) New Jersey’s tenth is a historically majority black district, and a mostly urban and suburban area. It struggles with gentrification and poor air quality, and has some of the highest levels of foreclosures in the nation. Regarding the latter, Imani is a law graduate who served as a constituent advocate in the Senate who supported homeowners with mortgage-related concerns. In this role, she too often witnessed the amount due in monthly payments skyrocket suddenly and randomly. This is due a loophole in US federal law that allows new fees to be arbitrarily applied when the mortgage is transferred from one bank to another. The borrowers are often blamed for their own exploitation as not being "financially savvy". Stopping this practice is one of Imani’s first legislative priorities once in office. (A big thanks to Beyond the Spectrum for the "MMT Candidate" logo.) Imani also talks about how New Jersey is unique in the nation with its deceptive and exploitative ballot practice called "the line". In the words of Imani, candidates essentially must "kiss the ring" of those already in power in order to be featured on the ballot. Those who do are placed together as a "team" with the biggest name on the ballot, like Joe Biden or Cory Booker. Those who don’t are banished to "ballot Siberia", disconnected from all other candidates – essentially given the appearance of a footnote or misprint. Thankfully, Imani has decided to not kiss the ring, and to instead expose the practice for all to see, and win in spite of it. You can support Imani‘s candidacy by visiting oakleyforcongress.com (that’s F-O-R, not the number 4), and by following her on social media at ImaniOakleyNJ10 (Twitter, Facebook). You’ll also find a link to donate to her campaign in the show notes. There are three goals of this MMT candidate interview series: the first is to support and give a platform to candidates who care about all people, and because of this, are ignored by the so-called news outlets that are, in reality, news of, by, and for the rich. The second goal is to determine what these candidates need to beat corrupt opponents supported by a corrupt party in a corrupt campaign finance system, and especially, once in office, to avoid becoming corrupted themselves. Finally, the third goal is to create a community of like minded, MMT-aware candidates who can support each other through their campaigns, and especially once in office. The latter is in order to remain focused on what really matters, which is all their constituents, in an environment where there is overwhelming pressure to focus only on the needs, favors, promises, and especially money of big donors – both in and out of their district. If you’re a candidate and would like to be interviewed by Ramona, please contact her directly on Twitter at @RamonaMassachi, or me at [email protected] If you like what you hear and would like to support this interview series and this podcast, please consider becoming a monthly patron at patreon.com/activistmmt. Before we get started, a correction: Imani wanted to clarify that her incumbent opponent has one of the lowest attendance rates in the Democratic Party, but not the lowest. And now, onto our conversation with candidate for New Jersey’s tenth congressional district, Imani Oakley. Enjoy.Ep95: Graham Elwood: Discussing debt ceiling and #MintTheCoin (as a guest on his show)
1:00:58
Welcome to episode 95 of Activist #MMT. Today I talk with progressive video journalist and stand-up comedian, Graham Elwood, about the debt ceiling, #MintTheCoin, and the myth that "printing money causes inflation". Graham and I first spoke in June 2018, when I introduced him to MMT [parts one and two], only four months after discovering it myself. Although primitive, our initial talk has been seen by thousands and every now and then, I still receive kind emails from people who happen to catch it. The experience was special especially because viewers can witness Graham’s eyes open up more than once. (As a brief aside, neither Graham nor I realized that he was actually introduced to MMT eight months earlier than that, when a patron submitted an article written by Stephanie Kelton. Although the term MMT never comes up.) In the middle of our conversation, we talk about the very common myth of “printing money causes inflation" I still have much to learn, but I think I hit on some important points, and put enough out there to call the myth into question. The heart of our conversation, however, is on the false debt ceiling crisis and its only immediate solution, which is #MintTheCoin. We start off by discussing the true difference between national debt and personal debt. We then talk about where the debt ceiling came from, and how it’s seen from several different contexts and perspectives. And how, except for those who wish to deceive, it’s multiple layers of nonsense. We end with #MintTheCoin, which is the only legal solution available right now, which the president can do by merely deciding to do it. It’s a ridiculous solution, but would end the crisis immediately and legally, and would prevent real world suffering from millions of people. The platinum coin, however, has the potential to do much more than end the next debt ceiling crisis. In the words of Joe Firestone, the author of the only full-length book on the subject, a big enough coin would be “a revolution“ that “would change politics for the forseeable future.“ Our conversation is based on two of my MMT resource posts, links to which you can find in the show notes. My posts are based on the works of Joe Firestone, Rohan Grey, and others: The reality of the debt ceiling (and #MintTheCoin) National debt versus personal debt (in reality) And now, onto my conversation with Graham Elwood. Enjoy. Resources My video appearances with Graham (where the audio for today’s episode comes from): How #MintTheCoin Could End Government Austerity Activist MMT Explains Debt Ceiling Myth FULL INTERVIEW: Acitvist MMT Explains Debt & Mint The Coin Graham’s full MMT playlist on YouTubeMMT candidate 01: Jason Call in Washington State's 2nd Congressional district
57:01
Welcome to the first Activist #MMT candidate interview, hosted by Ramona Massachi, and co-hosted by me, Jeff Epstein. Today we talk with candidate Jason Call who is running in Washington state’s second congressional district, against a twenty-year incumbent that Jason calls "arguably the most corporate-conservative Democrat in the Washington state delegation." This is someone who benefits from large donations from corporations that pollute and exacerbate the climate crisis, among other things. All MMT candidate interviews Jason Call for Washington State's 2nd Congressional district Imani Oakley for New Jersey's 10th Congressional district Neal Walia for Colorado's 1st Congressional district (A big thanks to Beyond the Spectrum for the "MMT Candidate" logo.) In 2020, Jason came within one percentage point of placing second in a district where the top two candidates, regardless of party, move onto the general election. He earned around 35,000 votes on a shoestring budget of $50,000. For the upcoming primary in August 2022, he’s going to need a lot more than that to breach the top two, and have an actual policy debate with a candidate who has little to offer beyond moderately less abuse than the Republican. You can support Jason‘s candidacy by visiting callforcongress.com (that’s F-O-R, not the number 4). There are three goals of this MMT candidate interview series: the first is to support and give a platform to candidates who care about all people, and because of this, are ignored by the so-called news outlets that are, in reality, news of, by, and for the rich. The second goal is to determine what these candidates need to beat corrupt opponents supported by a corrupt party in a corrupt campaign finance system, and especially, once in office, to avoid becoming corrupted themselves. Finally, the third goal is to create a community of like minded, MMT-aware candidates who can support each other through their campaigns, and especially once in office. The latter is in order to remain focused on what really matters, which is all their constituents, in an environment where there is overwhelming pressure to focus only on the needs, favors, promises, and especially money of big donors – both in and out of their district. If you’re a candidate and would like to be interviewed by Ramona, please contact Ramona directly on Twitter at @RamonaMassachi, or by writing me at [email protected] If you like what you hear and would like to support this interview series and this podcast, please consider becoming a monthly patron at patreon.com/activistmmt. And now, onto our conversation with candidate for Washington state’s second congressional district, Jason Call. Enjoy.
Hol dir die ganze Welt der Podcasts mit der kostenlosen GetPodcast App.
Abonniere alle deine Lieblingspodcasts, höre Episoden auch offline und erhalte passende Empfehlungen für Podcasts, die dich wirklich interessieren.
© radio.de GmbH 2021