Episodes
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Ep 61: Download Or Else
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Over three million Australians have downloaded the COVIDSafe App but the Australian Government has a terrible record on digital security and privacy. Co-hosts Scott Hargreaves and Chris Berg are joined by IPA Adjunct Fellow Matthew Lesh - now Director of Research at the Adam Smith Institute in London - to discuss this plus the UK's own experience of coronavirus as the Tories struggle to implement Brexit and find a coherent agenda for growth when Big Government holds sway. Plus they look at the forces pushing for and against the survival of the European Union as Eurocrats centralise more power but the struggling Euro threatens to blow up the whole financial system.
Books and Culture picks include Albert Camus' The Plague
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plague
The TV series Jack Ryan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ryan_(TV_series), and
The essay on Nassim Nicholas Taleb by Allan Farrington at Medium, A Tale of Two Talebs
https://medium.com/@allenfarrington/a-tale-of-two-talebs-1775dff3302b
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
Ep 60: Restoring Dynamism After Deep Freeze
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
Wednesday Apr 22, 2020
Only if we're free enough to adapt and allow entrepreneurs to create new businesses and institutions will the economy be dynamic enough for the high growth trajectory we need after the devastation of the lockdown.
A very special episode of The Looking Forward Podcast as Professor Jason Potts from RMIT University and host Dr Chris Berg join host Scott Hargreaves and the IPA’s Dan Wild to discuss their new book; Cryoeconomics: How to Unfreeze an Economy After a Pandemic. The panel discusses what the freezing / unfreezing metaphor used by Governments assumes too much and how Australia should find its way out of the social and economic crisis.
Show Notes
The Problem of ‘Freezing’ An Economy in a Pandemic
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3572365
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Ep 59: Only the First to Bail Out?
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Australia has been one of the most successful countries in reducing transmission of the coronavirus. Why are the Australian infection rates so low and what does this mean for policymakers and citizens? (2:44-22:37) Virgin Australia has asked the government for a bail out, what role should the government play in restoring the economy and how should this shape policy decisions? (22:37-44:25) Joe Biden is the presidential nominee for the Democrats, what went wrong for Bernie Sanders and what does this mean for the elections in November? (44:25-1:02:40) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA’s Andrew Bushnell to answer these questions as well as share their culture picks for the week. This week’s isolation picks include the new album by The Strokes The New Abnormal, the American true crime documentary Tiger King and the Netflix Thriller Giri/Haji. (1:02:40-1:19:06)
Show Notes
Tackling Virus Risks Head On is Way Forward for Business; Scott Hargreaves
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tackling-virus-risks-head-way-forward-business-scott-hargreaves
Coronavirus Australia: Worst Year Since Great Depression, says IMF; Patrick Commins
Australia’s endgame must be total elimination of COVID-19; John Daley and Stephen Duckett
https://grattan.edu.au/news/australias-endgame-must-be-total-elimination-of-covid-19/
Culture Picks
The New Abnormal; The Strokes
https://open.spotify.com/album/2xkZV2Hl1Omi8rk2D7t5lN?si=QfZL5QDISjGEit_MoowbCQ
Tiger King
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_King
Giri/Haji
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Ep 58: Government Models Can't Guide Us Back
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
The government has revealed the very simple model driving their public policy response to COVID-19. With focus placed on macro modelling general claims, the government must narrow its attention to micro measures and a timeline for society's recovery (1:26-23:44) On the weekend the IPA called for a safe and responsible roll back of social restrictions, and now the debate’s started on removing petty restrictions and starting economic recovery. (23:44-36:13) Parliament has decided to sit for the last time until August, just when social and economic policy decisions need more scrutiny than ever (36:13-54:56) Your hosts Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA's Andrew Bushnell as they answer these questions as well as share their isolation culture picks. This week’s picks include the computer game Surviving Mars, Sarah Bakewell's How to Live / A Life of Montaigne, and Demolition Man by Marco Brambilla. (54:56-1:11:01)
Show Notes
Begin to End the Lockdown Now! (with Gideon Rozner)
https://youtu.be/Nn5adebL-Co
Coronavirus: $1600 fine withdrawn for L-plater charged for breaching lockdown; Remy Varga and Rachel Baxendale
Upcoming Public Hearings (editor: what’s missing here?)
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Upcoming_Public_Hearings
PM plans staggered virus exit; Phillip Coorey
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/pm-plans-staggered-virus-exit-20200407-p54hqp
Coronavirus: Push to let COVID-19 infect us slowly; Yoni Bashan
NSW Premier says coronavirus social distancing to stay ‘until vaccine is found'; Paige Cockburn
‘Use isolation to our advantage': Who is exempt from the hard WA border closure?; Lauren Pilat
Fortress Queensland: borders locked down as state records fourth death; Stuart Layt
Coronavirus: Call to sign up for 'Team Australia’ has fallen on a lot of deaf ears; Janet Albrechtsen
Culture Picks
Demolition Man; Marco Brambilla
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106697/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
How to Live or A Life of Montaigne; Sarah Bakewell
https://www.amazon.com.au/How-Live-Montaigne-Question-Attempts/dp/1590514831
Surviving Mars; Paradox Interactive
Friday Apr 03, 2020
Ep 57: Of Moral Panics and Spendathons
Friday Apr 03, 2020
Friday Apr 03, 2020
This week’s episode is brought to you from the Looking Forward remote studio! This week the Australian Government introduced the centrepiece of their corona virus crisis strategy, ‘the job keeper scheme’. How can we bring Australians back to work to unfreeze the frozen economy? (1:48-18:06) Everyday more social restrictions are emplaced on citizens, showing many what it is to live in a police state. How much power should politicians and the police have to curtail civil liberties and at what point has it gone too far? (18:06-37:38) The economic price tags for new policies have piled up, will these policies ever be reversed and how can the economy be rebuilt? (37:38-56:43) Your host Scott Hargreaves and Dr Chris Berg are joined by the IPA’s Gideon Rozner to answer these questions and share their isolation culture picks. This week’s picks include Zionism: the concise history, the TV show Modern Love and Lord Macaulay’s The History of England from the Accession of James the Second. (56:43-1:10:26)
Show Notes
Cryoeconomics: how to unfreeze the economy
https://medium.com/@cryptoeconomics/cryoeconomics-how-to-unfreeze-the-economy-a5536ee261f0
Culture Picks
Zionism: the concise history; Alex Ryvchin
https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/Zionism-the-concise-history--Alex-Ryvchin_p_302.html
Modern Love (TV Series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Love_(TV_series)
The History of England from the Accession of James the Second; Lord Macaulay
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_England_from_the_Accession_of_James_the_Second