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The Econoclasts

The Econoclasts

UnHerd 164 Episodes Sep 15, 2026

The Econoclasts is a podcast from UnHerd hosted by economist Yanis Varoufakis and journalist Wolfgang Munchau. They challenge mainstream economic consensus, arguing that it has consistently failed to predict major events. Each week, they debunk two pillars of established orthodoxy, connecting money, geopolitics, and real-world forces.

Episodes

The AI extinction myth & Europe’s tech collapse
The AI extinction myth & Europe’s tech collapse Sep 15, 2026 45:21 In this AI focussed episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau expose the recent apocalyptic warnings from tech bosses as tricks for regulatory capture, reveal how weaponised AI and China’s robotic lead threaten stability, and dissect Europe’s failure to retain sovereignty in an era of cloud capital. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Germany's AfD surge & the death of the European project
Germany's AfD surge & the death of the European project Sep 8, 2026 45:15 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau dissect the political fallout from the AfD’s electoral breakthrough in Germany, debunk the establishment myth of how Hitler came to power in order to draw alarming parallels to what is happening with the AfD today, and reveal why the European Union’s current structure is inherently incapable of preventing systemic decay and
Iceland's EU rejection & the North Atlantic debt trap
Iceland's EU rejection & the North Atlantic debt trap Sep 1, 2026 42:24 Get your tickets for The Econoclasts Live: The world after capitalism, here: http://unherd.com/econoclastsliveIn this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau dissect the fallout of Iceland’s historic referendum vote to reject European Union accession talks, reveal the widening cracks in the transatlantic financial consensus, and debate whether a European capital markets u
America’s debt spiral & China’s big AI bet
America’s debt spiral & China’s big AI bet Aug 25, 2026 31:13 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau debunk the mainstream economic orthodoxy that reserve currency status grants America immunity from default, exposing how the US is heading towards an uncontrollable sovereign debt spiral, while exploring how China is pursuing an alternative path to escape economic stagnation through state-directed open-source automation. Hos
The decline of the US empire - with Richard D. Wolff
The decline of the US empire - with Richard D. Wolff Aug 18, 2026 37:55 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and guest Richard D. Wolff analyse the decline of US imperial hegemony, tracing how eroding global power, systemic economic instability, and the rollback of social democratic reforms have fuelled widespread political alienation, while offering a critical critique of mainstream economic theory and exploring the potential for a renewed socialist m
The wealth tax myth & Britain’s dangerous Rejoin trap
The wealth tax myth & Britain’s dangerous Rejoin trap Aug 11, 2026 44:45 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau debunk dominant economic orthodoxies surrounding wealth taxes as a quick-fix silver bullet for inequality, expose how central bank policies and globalisation are stripping nation-states of their democratic sovereignty, and reveal the grim economic stagnation, debt, and regulatory traps awaiting the UK should it attempt to re
The greatest fraud in human history – with Ron Paul
The greatest fraud in human history – with Ron Paul Aug 4, 2026 30:06 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and guest Representative Ron Paul join forces across the traditional Left-Right political spectrum to debunk the conventional economic orthodoxy of central banking, expose the covert tax of inflationary money printing, reveal how post-2008 financial bailouts transformed free-market capitalism into a system of corporate welfare, and dissect the c
China’s hidden crisis & the West's dangerous wealth bubble
China’s hidden crisis & the West's dangerous wealth bubble Jul 28, 2026 41:15 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau reveal the hidden macroeconomic realities behind China’s ongoing growth recession and local debt crisis, and expose how decades of central bank bailouts and Quantitative Easing have fuelled an inflated wealth bubble that leaves a fragile Western financial system dangerously vulnerable and dependent on US asset inflation. Hos
The UK’s investment trap & the lie behind Western wealth
The UK’s investment trap & the lie behind Western wealth Jul 21, 2026 38:54 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau dissect the political delusions stalling Western growth, debunking the idea that state investment alone can revive the UK, exposing Europe’s dangerous tech gap behind America and China, and revealing how flawed economic data hides declining US living standards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Europe’s populist panic & China’s real free market
Europe’s populist panic & China’s real free market Jul 14, 2026 37:29 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau dissect the establishment’s self-defeating 'lawfare' strategy against rising right-wing populists like Marine Le Pen, and Nigel Farage, while debunking the myth that capitalism is synonymous with free markets by contrasting Western state-protected monopolies like SpaceX with China’s highly competitive, state-guided economic
The tragedy of America 250 & the truth about Ukraine
The tragedy of America 250 & the truth about Ukraine Jul 7, 2026 38:36 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau analyse the structural decay of American hegemony at its 250-year milestone, while exposing the corporate and political motivations behind the media's distorted Ukraine war narrative used to justify a domestic defence heist funded by ballooning public debt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The great Brexit myth & Germany’s industrial collapse
The great Brexit myth & Germany’s industrial collapse Jun 30, 2026 39:00 In this episode of The Econoclasts, Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau debunk the popular orthodoxy surrounding Brexit, exposing the phoney statistics used to fabricate a narrative of British macroeconomic self-harm, while dissecting the existential reality of Germany's inevitable structural collapse through its automakers' loss of the critical AI and EV race to China. Hosted on Acast. See acas

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