Episodes

In discussing America's growing economic might in the 1930s, journalist Ludwell Denny wrote, "We shall not make Britain's mistake. Too wise to govern the world, we shall merely own it." In 1944, his prediction came true, as the US dollar was officially made the de facto currency of the world via...

The Saudi government made headlines in March when it hinted it might accept payment for oil in China's currency, the renminbi. This breaks with the longstanding tradition of OPEC buying and selling oil exclusively in US dollars, and is thought to be a move towards creating an alternative system of...

In the last episode of YDHTY, we explored China's plan to replace the dollar as the dominant global currency with Zoe Liu of the Council on Foreign Relations. In it, we learned the measures China is taking to internationalize the renminbi and create an economic sphere independent of US influence. ...

Sanctions have proven a valuable weapon against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, allowing Western nations to cripple the country's economy and target the oligarchs who run it. They've also accelerated a trend to move away from the dollar as the chief currency for international...

After Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the sanctions that followed, it began seeking closer ties with China. Recent headlines of Russia requesting military aid from the country have raised suspicions a military and economic alliance may be forming among the world's two most powerful...

Many of the questions around Russia's invasion of Ukraine have been framed in terms of Putin's mindset and ambitions. Is this the right way to view the conflict, or are we missing the bigger picture? Dan speaks with political theorist, Ben Studebaker, about how Putin maintains power via a mix of...

The United States ranks alongside a long list of nations that have taken on enormous debt to fight wars, pandemics, and fuel future economic growth. How have nations resolved their debts, and what does this tell us about the future of the United States? Barry Eichengreen of UC Berkeley joins me in...

In the conversation around the US national debt, the process around what the government spends money on and how is often crowded out by conversations around what spending programs we should add. For Maya MacGuinaes of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the current process is one that...

The $25 million verdict against the organizers of the Unite the Right Rally was largely praised for holding them responsible for the death and injuries caused when one participant drove his car into a crowd of counter-protestors. Many also saw this as a way to send a message to other activists who...

One of the questions that arose in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol was whether Trump and others who spoke at the rally were responsible for inciting the violence that occurred afterward. In part two of a series on whether rally organizers should be held responsible for violence and...