1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:00,480 Speaker 1: Stacy. 2 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 2: One of the wonderful and profoundly unfair things you do 3 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 2: on this show as you ask me questions which would 4 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 2: be the foundation of a wonderful dissertation. The work week 5 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 2: maybe over, but the economy it never takes time off, 6 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: even for America's two hundred and fiftieth birthday. I'm justin 7 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 2: Morpher's and this is Off the Clock, the show in 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 2: which we unwind the week's economic news. 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: After a couple of weeks. 10 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 2: Off, I'm back with my friend and America's leading economics journalist, 11 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 2: Stacy Vanick Smith. 12 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 3: Wow. Well, I got a major promotion right there. 13 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 4: Technically speaking, I think if we're going to fact check this, 14 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 4: you can say that I'm a columnist for Bloomberg Business 15 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 4: Week and co host of the podcast Everybody's Business. That 16 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 4: will check out. But justin, I'm really glad to be 17 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 4: here with you on this the day of our nations 18 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 4: two hundred and fiftieth anniversary. 19 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: Stacey, it looks like you might be feeling to heat there. 20 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 3: Mate, Oh my god, it is. Yes, it is so hot. 21 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 3: My floor is sticky. 22 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 4: It's a scorcher one hundred and one degrees apparently today. 23 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: Oh God, bless new York. Okay, so today we're going 24 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 1: to wear are you I am on Cape. 25 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 4: Cod auspiciously refreshed. 26 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I've got a different backdrop because I'm in a 27 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: different place. 28 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 2: I went for a swim this morning. I worked out. 29 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 2: I hope you notice the rippling muscles. 30 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 3: I'm just going to see something. 31 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 1: It's not that you'll notice the good mood. 32 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 3: Oh I'm very jealous. 33 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 4: Well, I hope that you all are having you Betsy 34 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 4: and the kids are having a good breezy time. 35 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 3: That sounds divine. 36 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: Okay, so we're going to do some work. 37 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: We're going to peek through the week's headlines. Our job, Stacey, 38 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: as you know, we're here to tell you what you 39 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 2: should actually be concerned about, what you can safely ignore, 40 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: and my favorite bit, we're going to talk about some 41 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 2: silver lining. 42 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: So today we've got three big stories to talk about. 43 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 2: The latest jobs report, how the economy is going, what 44 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 2: it means for folks at home, what it means for 45 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: the Fed, what it means for the world. July fourth, 46 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 2: the official launch of a new part of the tax code. 47 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 4: I'm jta Independence Dave yep Trump accounts. 48 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: I mean, you're right, a nation founded on. 49 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 2: A tax revolt celebrates its two hundred and fiftieth with 50 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: a new few new paragraphs in the tax code called 51 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: Trump Accounts. And lastly, Stacey, I want to end with 52 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 2: a bit of reflection on the two hundred and fiftieth 53 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 2: anniversary of our nation's birth and year. You can say 54 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 2: that in an Aussie accent. Because this is a country 55 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 2: of immigrants. How can you and I as economists help 56 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 2: folks appreciate all the ways we've grown and changed. 57 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 3: Well, let's dive in. 58 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 4: I'm very excited to get started, and Happy birthday to America, 59 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 4: land of immigrants. 60 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:04,959 Speaker 2: Indeed, which is why we do so well in soccer. 61 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 2: By the way, Okay, so Stacey, what did you say 62 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 2: in the jobs report? 63 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 4: Right? Okay, this I'm very excited to talk with you about. 64 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 4: Because we got the job support on Thursday, because the holiday, 65 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 4: we got it a day early. 66 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 3: It was not looking awesome. 67 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 4: I think the US economy added fifty seven thousand jobs, 68 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 4: which was less than we thought of. The unemployment rate 69 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 4: did tick down a little bit. I think we're at 70 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 4: four point two percent overall. It's fine, Like it's not 71 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 4: bad news. But I will say justin that the last 72 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 4: couple jobs reports were so positive and it was quite 73 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 4: exciting to see because things have been kind of sluggish 74 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 4: and the job market doesn't feel great, so it seemed 75 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 4: really exciting, and I just want to ask you about that, 76 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 4: but also a little bit of a larger question at 77 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 4: the same time while you're answering, which is this economy. 78 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 4: I've been covering the economy for a long time and 79 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 4: I'm a journalist and to see stories, right, I like 80 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 4: to see narrative threads in the economy, and normally the 81 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 4: economy delivers the narrative threads, and now I don't know 82 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 4: what's going on. I feel like it's like a bad 83 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 4: boyfriend this economy. It's like one minute you're like, oh, 84 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 4: things are going great, and the next minute you're like, wait, 85 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 4: what happened? And then you're like, oh, this seems really bad. 86 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 4: And so no, no, I guess things are okay. And 87 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 4: I feel like that is exactly what I thought about 88 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 4: when I saw this job's report, and I need you 89 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 4: to weigh in and tell us what is happening with 90 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 4: the jobs report and then beyond. 91 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 2: I love that Sticy. The thing you always do is 92 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 2: you focus is on the bigger pictures. 93 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: Thank you for that. 94 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: I mean, it is a good it's a great question, 95 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: because it does feel like whiplash. I've got a sixteen 96 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 2: year old daughter. I know a little bit about bad boyfriends. 97 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 2: Right now, I'll go a little bit about. 98 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: She's not watching. 99 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 2: I know a little bit about the ups and downs 100 00:04:54,760 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 2: that occur, and honestly, I'm a little bit imoshinal. I've 101 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,039 Speaker 2: noticed that from time to time when it comes to 102 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: the economy, not bad boyfriends, and I've been through a rollercaster. 103 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: So how do we make sense of that? 104 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 2: So one view is people often start with their politics 105 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 2: and move to their economics. I think that's the wrong direction. 106 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: So let me tell you an amazing fact. Let's imagine 107 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 2: five years ago at Stacey, I said to you in 108 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: June of twenty twenty six, the unemployment rate will be 109 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 2: four point two percent. 110 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 3: Oh great, awesome, awesome. 111 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:31,239 Speaker 2: And that is our reality. It's a really strong reality. 112 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 2: It's a reality that goes against a lot of people's 113 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 2: emotional feeling about the economy right now. But it's a 114 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 2: reality that's worth It's not a false four point two percent. 115 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 2: They're not redefining it away. The numbers aren't being fiddled with. 116 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 2: This isn't account of how many people are on benefits. 117 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: It's a genuine four point two percent. This is actually 118 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 2: the sort of thing you and I would have dreamed 119 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,559 Speaker 2: about a few years ago, historically. 120 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 3: Low unapplayment rate. It's awesome. 121 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: So I feel really good about that. 122 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: So how do we understan stand the emotional rollercoaster you 123 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 2: were just thinking about. I have my view on this, 124 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 2: which is I want to draw a distinction between the 125 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 2: economy and economic policy. The economy, the numbers that have 126 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 2: been coming out right now, four point two percent, as 127 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 2: you said. 128 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: Is pretty good. 129 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 2: That wasn't true through all of twenty twenty five. Twenty 130 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,119 Speaker 2: twenty five wasn't just a bad boyfriend. It was almost 131 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 2: an abusive boyfriend. 132 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: You know. 133 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 2: The numbers were going way up, way down. We actually 134 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 2: had periods of creating no jobs whatsoever. It was that 135 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 2: was the sort of relationship where you would intervene. But 136 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 2: right now I think we're doing okay. So the economy 137 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 2: and I'm not saying it's perfect. Right A million people 138 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: are going to tell me. Remember you're talking about the average. 139 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 2: The distribution is maybe folks at the bottom aren't doing 140 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 2: as well. There's many, many individual stories of people who 141 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 2: are struggling. This workers young people who were finding it 142 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: hard to find work, which is a reality. 143 00:06:58,240 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: That's the economy. 144 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 2: The other side's economic policy, which is folks like you 145 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 2: and me have been out here saying, you know, I 146 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 2: just think it's a bad idea to start a global 147 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 2: trade war on a whim, with a set of tariffs 148 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 2: that make no sense that we're literally written up the 149 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 2: night before Liberation Day. I think it's a bad idea 150 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: to start a global trade war using tariffs that proved 151 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 2: to be unconstitutional, so we get all the downside of 152 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 2: the tariffs, and then we still pay them back anyway. 153 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 2: I think it's a bad idea to start an immediate 154 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 2: sharp immigration purge. I think it's a bad idea to 155 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 2: get the rest of the world off side. I think 156 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 2: it's a bad idea to then decide to bomb a 157 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 2: run without any sort of exit strategy or even victory strategy, 158 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 2: not to mention possibly that we don't win. 159 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: So economic policy I. 160 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 2: Think is unquestionably weak, poor, and in fact, something like 161 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 2: three quarters of Americans would judge economic policy right now 162 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 2: to be weak. So when you say to me, how's 163 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 2: the economy doing, I'm not sure, which are those two 164 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 2: questions you're asking me. 165 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 4: We did also get other data though that I just 166 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 4: want to interject in here really fast, about job openings 167 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 4: and hiring, and that also was looking pretty flat, which 168 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 4: is the real worrying thing. I mean, unemployment is low, 169 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 4: but they're calling you know. Also hiring is low and 170 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 4: job openings are low. So it can feel if you're 171 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 4: in a job now like you're stuck a little bit. 172 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 4: And if you don't have a job right now, the 173 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 4: unemployment low unemployment rate is great, but if there aren't 174 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 4: very many job openings, that doesn't feel great either. 175 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. 176 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 2: So another way of saying this is you can be 177 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 2: in a stable labor market where the unemployment rate is unchanged, 178 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 2: which is roughly where we are two different ways. One 179 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 2: each month we fire almost no one and we hire 180 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 2: almost no one, or the traditional American way was actually 181 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 2: a lot of people lose their jobs each month, but 182 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 2: a lot of people gain jobs each month. That means 183 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 2: the American lab market historically was very distinct from the 184 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 2: rest of the world. So in much of Europe, for instance, 185 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 2: or even for a long time in my home country 186 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:58,839 Speaker 2: of Australia, if you lost a job, it would take 187 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 2: you a year to find your next job. Oh, so 188 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 2: that's the problem with if no one's getting fired and 189 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 2: no one's getting hired. If you lost your job, no 190 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 2: one's getting hired, So it will literally take you months 191 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 2: and months, maybe a year in some cases two years 192 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 2: to find work. So the risk of unemployment. Historically in 193 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 2: the US, the average duration of unemployment was around about 194 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 2: three months. So if you lost your job, you dust 195 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 2: yourself off, get back out there, throw out some measure made. 196 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 2: You wouldn't run down all your savings. 197 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 3: You very dynamic. 198 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, and in what's happened with this low higher low 199 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 2: fire that we're in, would become a little bit more European, 200 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 2: not in the good way that our bagets taste better. 201 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 2: American baking could still use a leg up. It could 202 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:50,599 Speaker 2: become a little more dynamic. Oh I see. This is 203 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 2: one of those mains where you say, I live in Brooklyn. 204 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 2: We have terrific bakers, we. 205 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 4: Have some good bread but by and large, it's very 206 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 4: difficult to say you're wrong on this one. Breads. Breads 207 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 4: are not where we shine as a country. 208 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. 209 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 2: No, and then so it is one of the most 210 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 2: important reasons it's hard for young people. Is young people 211 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 2: exit college or Finnish high school without a job, and 212 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 2: so in a world in which there's no hiring, it 213 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 2: hurts young people more than it hurts others. So one 214 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 2: of the biggest debates that's running around now is we 215 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: see that young people are finding it hard to get work. 216 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 2: Question one is is it AI or is it this 217 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 2: movement to low higher low fire that remains somewhat unresolved. 218 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 2: The answer is it's a bit of both. That's boring 219 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 2: because I could be saying it's twenty eighty or eighty twenty. 220 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 2: The answer somewhere between those two. 221 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 3: So can I ask a question here? 222 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 4: I always thought one of the main reasons, at least 223 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 4: in Europe why there was low hire, low fire was 224 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 4: there were so many regulations in place that made it 225 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 4: hard for companies to fire people that then they hesitated 226 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 4: to hire people. But that's not really the key in 227 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 4: the US. So the causes must be different. Why aren't 228 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 4: people getting fired and hired? 229 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: Right? 230 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 2: So, when we look across countries, you're exactly right to 231 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,719 Speaker 2: try to figure out why do some countries have more 232 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 2: versus less dynamic labor markets. We usually look to what 233 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 2: we call institutions, which are what are the lasting features 234 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 2: of the labor markets. So it's not a question if 235 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 2: you know what happened to monetary policy last month. That's 236 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 2: what are the laws around firing. That's one of absolutely 237 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 2: one of the most important ones. Other things like how 238 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 2: much assistance is there to help the unemployed become retrained, 239 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 2: to become employable again in a changing economy, and in 240 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,959 Speaker 2: some countries the welfare state, which is to say, unemployment 241 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 2: insurance is sufficiently generous that you think to yourself, should 242 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 2: I look for a job today, No, it's okay, I 243 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 2: can wait till tomorrow. 244 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: I'm trying to say that carefully. I don't want to be. 245 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 2: Ungenerous to people who are struggling. Whereas in the US 246 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 2: our unemployment insurance turns off after six months, and so 247 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 2: I better get a job or else. 248 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: I'm going hungry. 249 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 4: As not super generous, and in most places the amounts 250 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 4: are pretty low, like you can't live comfortably on unemployment. 251 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and so none of those things have dramatically changed 252 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 2: in the United States. So, Stacy, one of the wonderful 253 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 2: and profoundly unfair things you do on this show is 254 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 2: you ask me questions which would be the foundation of 255 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:24,839 Speaker 2: a wonderful dissertation. 256 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 4: That is, I think, very diplomatically put too broad. 257 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:32,440 Speaker 3: Is that what I've saying. 258 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 2: No, I think it's actually no, You're doing exactly the 259 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 2: right thing. These are the most important questions of our times. 260 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 2: What's changing that we're becoming somewhat more sclerotic. I don't 261 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 2: want to overstate the degree to which work become somewhat 262 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 2: more sclerotic, but it's absolutely the case. Now, you know, 263 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 2: you could say, let me give you a sketch of 264 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 2: an answer that I don't believe just because I'm not 265 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: sure it's big enough to explain all of this. This 266 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:04,319 Speaker 2: administration believes very closely, very much in its relationship to business. 267 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 2: The President's always calling in Tim Apple or other business leaders. 268 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 2: Sam Altman's by the White House every second day. 269 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: All of that. 270 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 2: What he's doing is his striking deals. He's getting stuff 271 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:18,719 Speaker 2: out of the way. But notice the only people the 272 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 2: president can talk to with the leaders of existing businesses. 273 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 2: In fact, it's all big businesses, and so what that's doing. 274 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 2: And also, by the way, tariff uncertainty, all of the chaos, 275 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 2: These big businesses have armies of lawyers whose job is 276 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 2: to look through this. If you run a small business, 277 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:43,559 Speaker 2: like say Platypus Economics, you find the whole thing thoroughly confusing. 278 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 2: And so all of this, and by the way, Platypus 279 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 2: Economics has never been invited to the White House to 280 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 2: talk about the regulations that are getting in our way. 281 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 4: Not one, not once, not once tomorrow lago. 282 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 2: Even while I was invited, it was a million bucks 283 00:13:56,280 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 2: of plate and Platypus Economics didn't have that. But so 284 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 2: you see how this systematically hard wires a bias towards 285 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 2: existing businesses. And now I'm going to use provocative language, 286 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 2: but it's actually the only use for language the unborn. 287 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 1: Who this hurts the unborn businesses. Oh, so it's. 288 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 3: Harder to get off the ground. 289 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 4: It's more expensive to get a loan because interest rates 290 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 4: are high, and you aren't big enough to get a 291 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 4: carve out the way that you can if you are, 292 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 4: you know, Tim Cook or something that's right. 293 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 2: And so I'm not I think that that's everything I 294 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 2: just said is true. I suspect it's true enough to 295 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 2: be economically meaningful, but I haven't done any enough work 296 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 2: to say therefore it explains this, And so I don't 297 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 2: want to say that I have an explanation for you. 298 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 2: In some sense, was using that as an opportunity to 299 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 2: riff Stacey. Have you figured out why people are so 300 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 2: unhappy if the economy is doing all right? 301 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 4: I think it's a few things. 302 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 3: I mean, consumer sentiment. 303 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 4: We talked about this before, and you've done I know, 304 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 4: platypus videos on this is the consumer sentiment which is 305 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 4: out of your your home University of Michigan, and has 306 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 4: been since the thirties. I think, lewis it's ever been 307 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 4: on record, which is wild because, like you say, the 308 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 4: data actually is quite good in a lot of ways. 309 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 4: Four point two percent of employment is amazing. Our stock 310 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 4: market's never been higher. 311 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 3: In a lot of ways. 312 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 4: Our economy is just a beacon in the world. But 313 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 4: it does not feel great. I think part of it 314 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 4: is the low higher low fire, because that makes you 315 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 4: feel a little trapped as a worker. 316 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, let me double doubt on that. 317 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 2: Betsy Stevenson, who is I mean, I'm going to sign 318 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 2: on these podcasts. She's my fist sake and favorite economist. 319 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 2: You're my favorite sticicy I'm not an economist. Great, great, 320 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 2: I want everyone sh Betsy is my favorite economist. Sticy's 321 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 2: my favorite economics journalist. 322 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 3: I will take that. That makes me very proud. That 323 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 3: makes me very proud. 324 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, but honestly, no one till Betsy please, oh my god. 325 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 4: Okay, yeah, no that that that will not happen. That yeah, 326 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 4: I can, I can. 327 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 2: And actually no, I'm rethinking it. Even if you were 328 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 2: an economist. 329 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: Stacey, I prefer her. 330 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 3: I just that's fair, that's fair. 331 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 4: The mother of Miels I would also prefer her. 332 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 3: She does excellent work. 333 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: Well, who do you like more out of me and her? 334 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't worry. 335 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 4: It's like a tie. 336 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 2: I can't the male leg I can't take it. Speaking 337 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 2: of male league as, here's my favorite job market fact. Yes, 338 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 2: since January twenty twenty five, women have gotten ninety percent 339 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 2: of all job gains. 340 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 3: What does that mean? Job gains? 341 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 2: Okay, take the level of employment in January of twenty 342 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 2: twenty five. Take the level of employment today. Count up 343 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 2: how many extra female jobs you've got? Count up how 344 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 2: many extra male jobs? 345 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 3: Like who's getting hired? 346 00:16:58,800 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: Yep? 347 00:16:59,240 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 3: Men or women? 348 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 2: Okay, there are nine times as many new jobs with 349 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 2: women in them as there are jobs with men in them. 350 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 4: Is that because of the kind of job or just right. 351 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 2: I love just the sort of shooter irony of it. 352 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: The Trump economy is delivered for women. 353 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 2: All that talk of hard hacks, steel toe burts, manufacturing renaissance, 354 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 2: it has delivered big buffy blokes a returned to nineteen 355 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 2: sixties family values has delivered jobs for women and almost 356 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 2: none for men. 357 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,160 Speaker 1: You guessed exactly right. What it is is. 358 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 2: Almost entirely the structure of the job gains. That they're 359 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 2: coming into industries that have been historically female carded. Yeah, 360 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 2: most particularly healthcare and social services. 361 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 4: Right the healthcare has been the big I mean, it 362 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 4: has been the begon of our job market for a 363 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 4: long time. But one of the things that actually Betsy 364 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 4: spoke about with me at one point, this was a 365 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 4: little while ago, but she said she was especially worried 366 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:11,159 Speaker 4: about AI coming after women's jobs. That she worried that 367 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 4: previous industrial revolutions had really taken a lot of jobs 368 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 4: that had been traditionally done by men, and she worried 369 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 4: this one was going to take a lot of assistant 370 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 4: jobs and other jobs that were sort of primarily female 371 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 4: right now, So it's interesting, it's an interesting moment for 372 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:28,440 Speaker 4: women in work. 373 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 2: And so we'll follow the usual rule of economics, which 374 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 2: is Betsy's always right. And to those who don't know, 375 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 2: by the way, Betty Stevenson is both a superb economist. 376 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 2: She was one of President Obama's advisors. She's a professor 377 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 2: at the University of Michigan. She's also my partner and 378 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:48,119 Speaker 2: baby mama and occasional source to Stacy. 379 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 1: That's right, yah. 380 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 2: So there was a lot of hats, so many hats, 381 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 2: and you know it looks like hats for sale. 382 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: I don't know if you've ever read that book. 383 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 2: So it's about a man who has a lot of 384 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 2: hats and he sells them. 385 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 1: Doesn't have a lot of name. 386 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 3: Sounds like an app title. 387 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, yes, it's a kid's book. So you know what's 388 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,680 Speaker 2: going on with AI and the gender aspect. I think 389 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 2: the simplest way of thinking about this is past revolutions, 390 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 2: things like electricity, the steam engine and so on, have 391 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 2: been a substitute for braun. Yes, and blokes tend to 392 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 2: have more braun. I'm going to go fully Aussie on you. 393 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 2: And the opposite of a bloke is a sheila. And 394 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 2: so this one's coming after cognition and blokes don't have 395 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 2: a competitive advantage in cognition. If anyone has a comparative 396 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 2: advantage racial cognition brain to braun, Sheila's are a head 397 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 2: on that ratio. I'm not saying Sheila is a smarter 398 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 2: I'm saying that they have less braun. I think that's 399 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 2: okay to say. And so women are in knowledge work 400 00:19:57,280 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 2: and pink color occupations. Another way thing thinking about this 401 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 2: is this revolution is fundamentally one of language. Yes, and 402 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 2: language is an important part, for instance, of your job stacy. 403 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, very much so. 404 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: So. 405 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 2: The other thing that's going on in this economy right 406 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 2: now is the traditional brawn based model is disappearing. I 407 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 2: think it's disappearing before the Ai Revolution. In fact, it 408 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 2: has been disappearing for decades. The president came to power 409 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:35,360 Speaker 2: promising a manufacturing renaissance. We're still losing manufacturing jobs. There 410 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 2: are people who will focus on this month's number. That's 411 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 2: almost always commenting on statistical noise. But you know, the 412 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:48,439 Speaker 2: traditional big boofy bloke jobs are continuing to decline. The 413 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 2: future of work for men, if there is one, is 414 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 2: getting a little bit comfortable with with moving into the 415 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 2: service economy, which is not historically male. 416 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 4: Coded come on in the water's fine. 417 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 2: Look it's also even Yeah, so much I could say 418 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 2: about modern masculinity, but I'm not going to go there. 419 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,359 Speaker 3: Right, Wow, that's a whole other podcast. 420 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, speaking Actually, actually there's a light transition here, which 421 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 2: is we saw a display of a certain form of 422 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 2: masculinity by Kevin Walsh, who is our new. 423 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 3: Yes, Yes, first press conference. 424 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 4: Yes, Okay, I'm dying to hear your breakdown of this, 425 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,719 Speaker 4: because I of course was watching with beited breath. Actually, 426 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 4: most people probably were not as excited about this as 427 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 4: I was, but I think people were very interested even 428 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 4: in general, to see what he was going to say. 429 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, a few things. 430 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 2: One I observed he made it clear that his is 431 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 2: not a continuation of the previous administration. 432 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:46,400 Speaker 3: Right. 433 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 2: The length of the statement was one hundred and thirty words. 434 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: Statement. 435 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 2: He almost tweeted a statement instead of it being as 436 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,879 Speaker 2: it typically is, a page long five hundred. 437 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 3: I actually he was a reporter. 438 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 4: If some if your editors, as can you do one 439 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 4: hundred and thirty words? It feels like either the deadline 440 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 4: is really near, or they don't think the story is 441 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 4: very good, or you're on the social media desk or 442 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 4: you're on the social media desk. 443 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 3: That's right. 444 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 4: Should in thirty words, that is wild. 445 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 2: I didn't realize Kevin is not a big believer in 446 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 2: central bank communication. 447 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 3: No, he's not into transparency. 448 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 2: He wouldn't say it that way, but I believe that 449 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 2: that's exactly right. 450 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 4: He would even I mean, BERNANKI was so into transparency 451 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,119 Speaker 4: explaining financial crisis. This is what's going on, this is why, 452 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 4: this is what we're going to do. Forward guidance, you know, 453 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 4: where he's like, this is what we're going to do. 454 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,439 Speaker 4: This is why we're going to do it. And worsh 455 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 4: has been pretty explicit, like fewer press conferences. We don't 456 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 4: need to explain ourselves. We don't need to tell everybody 457 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 4: what we're thinking. 458 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 2: Yes, his side of the story is if we explain ourselves, 459 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 2: then everyone thinks that that's a contract, and then we 460 00:22:57,119 --> 00:22:59,160 Speaker 2: have to move this way even if the world changes. 461 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: The Steelman version of this. 462 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 2: Now, if your concern was if I say something, I'm 463 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 2: going to feel locked in by it, my therapist would say, 464 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 2: just don't be locked in just because she said something. 465 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:14,880 Speaker 2: Justin that he says it all the time. You don't 466 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 2: have to fall through you can change your mind, that's 467 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 2: all right. And so look, I'm gonna send Kevin my 468 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 2: therapist's number, and you know, if he actually calls. 469 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: I mean, there is a. 470 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 4: Certain vary in defense of ye, mister Walsh. I think 471 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 4: it's a little bit different because the markets are so 472 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 4: reactive to everything the Federal Reserve does. I mean, forget, 473 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 4: let us not forget the Taper tantrum where Ben bernank 474 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 4: like basically hinted that maybe all of the federal Fed 475 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 4: intervention into the economy was going to let up now 476 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 4: that the financial crisis seemed to be mostly behind us. 477 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,159 Speaker 4: The markets lost their minds for months. It was like 478 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 4: sell off, sell up, sell off. So there is this 479 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 4: outside reaction to everything the Fed does. 480 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 3: So I do I have some I have, you know, I. 481 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,159 Speaker 4: Don't think it's a it's without reason to want to 482 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 4: be a little less transparent. 483 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 3: I think there's a logic to it. 484 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,479 Speaker 1: I'm going to violently disagree. Actually, so I only disagree. 485 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 1: Tell me the historical. 486 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 2: Reference for folks was during the bananki Fed. You know, 487 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 2: he basically said a comment in a half and markets 488 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 2: sold off. 489 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: And everything went crazy. So here's the. 490 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 2: Thing is, if what you're doing is you're telling a 491 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 2: story and you add another sentence to the story every week. 492 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 2: Then markets are grounded. They understand where you're coming from 493 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 2: and where you're going. If you move back to I'm 494 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:43,239 Speaker 2: just going to occasionally speak, they're guessing and then like, 495 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 2: oh he just said this, it must mean this crazy thing. 496 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: Oh we just said that, it must mean this other thing. 497 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 2: So were we in a gambling frame of mind, I 498 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 2: would be willing to bet we're going to see greater 499 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:58,359 Speaker 2: volatility in Federal Fund's futures as a result of WASH's 500 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 2: opacity opacity although he did. 501 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,360 Speaker 4: Give some pretty strong I mean, I don't I feel 502 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 4: like the effect of his talk was not volatility. He said, 503 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 4: you know, we are committed to price stability, which is 504 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:15,880 Speaker 4: basically fed code for we're not going to cut interest rates. 505 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 4: At least that's how I read it. So I think 506 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 4: he did give a pretty strong shot across the bow 507 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,400 Speaker 4: and exactly the way you're talking, Stacy. 508 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 1: What I love is giving you the last word. So 509 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: you just had it. You beat me, you win. 510 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 2: The reason I gave you the last word is I 511 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,600 Speaker 2: want to get to another topic, which is we are 512 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 2: celebrating the official lawnch not just the two hundred and 513 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,879 Speaker 2: fiftieth birthday of the United States, but we're celebrating and 514 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:43,399 Speaker 2: both throwing cash in the air. 515 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 1: Which is as of July fourth. 516 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 2: The Trump accounts, which are tax advantage investment accounts for 517 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,880 Speaker 2: the kiddos. They were created as part of the One 518 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:59,479 Speaker 2: Big Beautiful Bill. They're now officially with us. Stacey, do 519 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:01,199 Speaker 2: you know about this? Do you want to take a 520 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 2: first stab at trying to explain what they are? 521 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 4: From what I understand, it's a little bit like this, 522 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 4: this concept people have often had of baby bonds, where 523 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 4: somewhat a child is born and you set up an 524 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,400 Speaker 4: account for them and you can put some very safe 525 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 4: assets in it. It's a little bit protected from you know, 526 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 4: taxes and things like that, and it's just a way 527 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 4: to give this kid a little start in the world. 528 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 4: It's a place where you can put money they can 529 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,439 Speaker 4: save for college. It's a little bit like a four 530 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 4: to oh. 531 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 3: One k, but for life instead of for retirement. 532 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 4: That's that's my very basic understanding of the Trump accounts. 533 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:42,400 Speaker 1: It sounds adorable. 534 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 3: I know, baby bonds. What's not to love? 535 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 2: Okay, So let me actually dig into some of the 536 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:53,479 Speaker 2: detail because I think what it is is a lightly 537 00:26:53,520 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 2: adorable pace with which distracts from my inequality enhancing set 538 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 2: of tax deductions. So there's actually two parts to this, 539 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 2: so one and also plus there's the populist nonsense you 540 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 2: would expect at a moment like this. So the first 541 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 2: part of it is, if you're a baby born between 542 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five and twenty twenty eight, the government puts 543 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 2: a thousand dollars in a stock account for you. That's 544 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,120 Speaker 2: really nice. I mean, if you're born in twenty twenty nine, 545 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, you know. So the whole thing's not funded. 546 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 2: It's not really that serious. 547 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 3: It doesn't happen. I thought it. 548 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 4: I knew there was an early start date, but there's 549 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,479 Speaker 4: like it's like a finite little window. 550 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 2: Oh wow, which, by the way, might not be how 551 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 2: you do physical policy, but it is a way of 552 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 2: you might notice. The end of it is twenty twenty eight. 553 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 2: Is there anything happening in November of twenty twenty. 554 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:50,119 Speaker 3: Eight presidential election is happening? 555 00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:51,439 Speaker 1: Wow? 556 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 2: I wonder why these things keep sunsetting exactly in even 557 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:58,679 Speaker 2: numbered years. By the way, that's also winning the no 558 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 2: tax on tips goes away, no text on overtime. Who 559 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 2: by the way, don't worry, Stacy. I see you're worried, 560 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 2: but don't worry. The tax cuts for the rich they 561 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 2: don't sunset. It's only the populist policies at sunset. 562 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: Okay, So. 563 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 2: The basic rule of dumb is, if it affects the 564 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 2: middle class, sunsets in twenty twenty eight. If it affects 565 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 2: the elites, we're already paid prittle. 566 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 1: That's permanent. 567 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 3: Interesting. 568 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, anyway, so talk more about these accounts though. So 569 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 4: you get a thousand bucks if you're born within this 570 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,639 Speaker 4: window before twenty twenty nine. And then but you were 571 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 4: talking about how like you're worried it's going to contribute 572 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 4: to inequality or maybe exacerbate current inequality. 573 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 2: You get the thousand bucks in Yeah, it goes into stocks, 574 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 2: which is really interesting. By the way, it's rhetorically interesting, 575 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 2: it's economically interesting. So you know, the rhetorically interesting part 576 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 2: is you know, you're eighteen and you look down and 577 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 2: your own stocks. Yea, you own part of the American economy. 578 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:02,959 Speaker 2: And I think the economically interesting part of you know, 579 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 2: when this has been by the way, this has been 580 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 2: historically suggested by progressive economists Corey Booker had a plan 581 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 2: like this as well. Corey Booker's plan was a much 582 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 2: bigger amount of money, and it was means tested, so 583 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 2: it would only get to low income kids. So it's 584 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 2: only one thousand dollars. It's you know, all right, fine, 585 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 2: It's typically been very progressive. But one of the nice 586 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 2: things it does is historically, in many economies, including the 587 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 2: United States, has been a fight between capital and labor. 588 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 2: That's been the most important division, and those fights can 589 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 2: be quite unproductive. And if you can find ways in 590 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 2: which regular families, regular workers own some of the stock market, 591 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 2: then they're also part of capital. And as a result, 592 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 2: you can blunt in these distributional conflicts, which changes politics 593 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 2: and the scope for productive economic policy, which is great. 594 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 2: Giving a baby on a thousand bucks isn't going to do that. 595 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 2: But you know, there's a lot of pro business, pro 596 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 2: stock market rhetoric around all of this. I'm basically okay 597 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 2: with that. Okay, So that's the main policy. It's what 598 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,920 Speaker 2: progressive economists have been in favor of. It's much smaller, 599 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 2: but you know, it moves in the right direction, and 600 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,800 Speaker 2: it's unfunded. Be on twenty twenty eight. Okay, the other 601 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 2: side is that your family and your employer can contribute 602 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 2: another five thousand dollars in a tax advantaged way to 603 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 2: your account. Okay, Now, the thing about that is, first 604 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 2: of all, lots of families don't have five thousand dollars 605 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 2: a year to put in. But more to the point, 606 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 2: the way to think about tax advantages. So the tax 607 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 2: system is so bloody complicated. And by the way, our 608 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,960 Speaker 2: audience is going to be thrilled by this. I don't 609 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 2: understand taxes very well. Actually, they might not be thrilled. 610 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:50,880 Speaker 2: They might be hoping for expertise. But I'm as confused 611 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 2: as you are. Fortunately I can ask an expert, which 612 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 2: is my better half, Betsy Stevenson, does in fact understand 613 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 2: all of this. So here's one way of thinking about 614 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 2: tax advis It's basically, I invest my five thousand dollars 615 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 2: dollars and the government sends me a check. Now, in reality, 616 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 2: what they do is, instead of me sending the government 617 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 2: a big check, I send the government a smaller check. 618 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:13,959 Speaker 2: That's what any kind of tax deduction is, right. I 619 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 2: think it's more honest to think about it as if 620 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 2: the government's sending me a check, because it's like a 621 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 2: form of welfare. Okay, so realize any time the government 622 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 2: announces a tax deduction, it's almost always an income tax deduction. 623 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,920 Speaker 2: A lot of working in middle class Americans pay a 624 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 2: lot of taxes, but no income taxes. 625 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 3: Right. 626 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,040 Speaker 2: They pay a lot of sales taxes, they pay a 627 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 2: lot of payroll taxes, but they don't pay federal income tax. 628 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 2: You know, there's the un income tax credit and so on. 629 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 2: So a new credit where the government is offering to 630 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 2: reduce my tax bill. When my tax bill is zero, 631 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 2: it's worth zero dollars to me. 632 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 3: Okay. 633 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 2: What that means is anytime the government, and this is 634 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 2: true of no taxes on Social Security, no taxes on tips, 635 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 2: and on anytime the government does something through tax deductions 636 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 2: as opposed to checks. It's it's a very clever way 637 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 2: of disguising the reality that working class Americans won't get it. 638 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 2: It only when it goes to upper middle class and 639 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 2: above Americans. 640 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 1: And so that's a general. 641 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 4: Commic mortgage tax deduction, things like that, right. 642 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,720 Speaker 1: And actually it's even crazy than that. Right. 643 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 2: Imagine the government says I want to send your kid, 644 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 2: you know, a few thousand dollars, yeah, to the amount 645 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 2: that it sends your kid, because it's a cut off 646 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 2: my taxable income. The higher my taxable income is, the 647 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 2: higher my tax rate is. So therefore the higher subsidy 648 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 2: I get from the government is So this point I 649 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 2: want to dwell on it because I think it's important 650 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,480 Speaker 2: beyond Trump accounts. I want people to get in the 651 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:57,200 Speaker 2: habit of understanding whenever you hear the word tax deduction, 652 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 2: it's a way of helping those who are and more 653 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 2: rather than those who are less, and actually providing even 654 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 2: more assistance to those in the highest incomes because they're 655 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 2: at the highest tax brackets. Now, a common counter is, yes, 656 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 2: but the low income folks they don't pay taxes, so 657 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 2: this is fair, And that's not true. They do pay taxes. 658 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 2: They pay a lot of taxes, they just don't. They 659 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:22,800 Speaker 2: pay state taxes, they pay sales taxes, they pay payroll taxes. 660 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,160 Speaker 2: It's just income taxes, one part of our whole slew 661 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 2: of taxes. So by doing all of this through the 662 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 2: income tax system, we're doing it through the one way 663 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 2: in which we're not helping a bunch of folks. 664 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:36,720 Speaker 3: Interesting, that is really interesting. 665 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 4: So you see the Trump bonds, the baby bonds, as 666 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 4: potentially very much advantaging wealthier kids because if you are 667 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 4: a wealthier parent, you can afford to put more kind 668 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 4: of protected money in this bond, and your kid has 669 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 4: even more of a leg up than they already would have. 670 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it makes it cheaper for the upper middle 671 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:07,640 Speaker 2: class and above to transfer money to the next generation. Right, 672 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:11,320 Speaker 2: So I want people to understand Trump accounts as two policies. 673 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:14,839 Speaker 2: Here's a three thousand bucks. I'm not going to tell 674 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:16,200 Speaker 2: you what your view about that is. I just want 675 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:18,759 Speaker 2: you to have one. And here's a set of tax 676 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:21,640 Speaker 2: advantages for the upper middle class and above to transfer 677 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 2: money to their next generation. They're quite separate, calling them 678 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 2: Trump accounts, and actually just reading the analysis, it's mind 679 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:31,720 Speaker 2: blowing how hard it is to separate those two ideas. 680 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,839 Speaker 2: It seems like quite self consciously done. And of course 681 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 2: when people think about Trump accounts. By the way, if 682 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 2: you are having a kid anytime soon, folks at home, 683 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:42,520 Speaker 2: I do want you to go and sign up for 684 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:44,600 Speaker 2: that thousand bucks. You actually have to sign up for it, 685 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 2: because this is the government, and the government doesn't actually 686 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:49,919 Speaker 2: just I can get all though enrolled in a bunch 687 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 2: of things. 688 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: But apparently they don't like sending you. 689 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 2: A thousand bucks, so enroll your kid, get your thousand bucks. 690 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 2: They deserve it, You deserve it, and I'm happy to 691 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 2: pay my taxes to make your little baby there the 692 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,480 Speaker 2: holder of a thousand dollars worth of stock certificates. 693 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:08,399 Speaker 1: What a beautiful moment. 694 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 3: I agree. 695 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:16,800 Speaker 2: See now, I also want to just vent about something. 696 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:19,759 Speaker 4: If I may, go for it, that's why we're here. 697 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 2: I went to Trump accounts dot is it? 698 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 3: It's part of it? 699 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:27,880 Speaker 4: Okay, feelings about the economy, gotta let it out. 700 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 3: You're a therapist, would agree. 701 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 1: I'm sure when I say I talk about my feeling, 702 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 1: let it out. 703 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 4: Feeling your feelings. That's what therapists always used to say, 704 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 4: feel your feelings. 705 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 1: Feel okay, great? 706 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 3: Well, then I never figure out what that meant. 707 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:42,560 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm going to lean into feeling my feelings. 708 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,880 Speaker 2: I am kissed. I went to Trump Accounts dot GV. Okay, 709 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:49,040 Speaker 2: look this Trump account sing it's a very serious policy 710 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 2: that lasts for three years, a non serious amount of time, 711 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 2: so with a non serious amount of budgeting. But's you know, 712 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 2: it's economic policy. 713 00:35:57,480 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 1: It's serious. 714 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 2: This is a ton of money. This is real people's 715 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:03,840 Speaker 2: real lives well on their website. 716 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:06,040 Speaker 3: Wait, I'm going now, what is it called. 717 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 2: Trump Accounts dot gov. It's the most infuriating set of 718 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 2: horseshit bullshit and wives. They have a calculator telling you 719 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 2: how much your Trump account will grow to. And what 720 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:20,719 Speaker 2: they've done is they've just thrown utterly absurd assumptions of this. 721 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,319 Speaker 2: And according to Trump Accounts dot Gov, which is to say, 722 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:29,240 Speaker 2: the White House that if you get these government thousand 723 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 2: dollars contributions by age eighteen, you don't put anything in 724 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:34,840 Speaker 2: that'll be worth six grand fair enough. 725 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 1: They reckon that by age fifty five that'll be worth 726 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: a quarter of a million dollars. 727 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:40,279 Speaker 3: It's possible. 728 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 1: It's possible. 729 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:45,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely might be snowing in New York next June 730 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:46,200 Speaker 2: as well. 731 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:49,680 Speaker 3: If you buy Apple at for dollars a share. 732 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: You know, their claim, I'm not kidding, is you accept 733 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 1: the government's thousand, and you contribute the five thousand a 734 00:36:57,480 --> 00:36:59,800 Speaker 1: year while your kid's a kid, right un till they're eighteen. 735 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: They reckon by age fifty five that'll be worth thirteen 736 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 1: million dollars. 737 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 4: Wow, I mean no, that's bullshit. That's very optimistic. 738 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, a much better journalist than I am calling that optimistic. 739 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:20,280 Speaker 2: I'm done with you if, Missms, I'm sick of bullshit. 740 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,000 Speaker 2: This is people's lives, and if you're going to give 741 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:25,759 Speaker 2: them estimates, they should be realistic estimates. They should be 742 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:30,359 Speaker 2: adjusted for inflation, they should have an error band around them. 743 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 2: They should give you a basis for making real decisions. 744 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:35,879 Speaker 2: Saying if you take up this plan, your kid will 745 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:38,560 Speaker 2: be worth thirteen million dollars is a flat out line, 746 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:40,840 Speaker 2: and I'm pissed about it, and I'm feeling my feelings. 747 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:45,759 Speaker 2: But I guess at this point dishonesty, that's nothing new. 748 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 2: So why don't we talk about something happier, Stacy? 749 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:51,839 Speaker 3: That sounds good. I'm just looking at this calculator now. 750 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, apparently, if you just get the thousand dollars by 751 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,320 Speaker 4: age fifty five, you'll have two hundred and forty three thousand. 752 00:37:58,960 --> 00:37:59,200 Speaker 1: Even. 753 00:37:59,239 --> 00:38:00,320 Speaker 3: Sure, that's true. 754 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 1: It's a magic money machine. 755 00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:04,840 Speaker 3: I'm all for magic money machines. 756 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:10,719 Speaker 2: But yeah, Stacey, let's change the emotional mode. 757 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 3: Let's do it. Yes, Okay, let's feel. 758 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:15,360 Speaker 1: Some happy feelings. Is there anything to make me happy? Stacey? 759 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 4: I mean I would say that whatever your feelings are 760 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:23,400 Speaker 4: at this moment about the economy or the country. 761 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:26,359 Speaker 3: Fourth of July. You know, we've made it two hundred 762 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:27,759 Speaker 3: and fifty years. That's pretty good. 763 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 2: I am taking the kids out to a small town parade. Oh, 764 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 2: my son's going to be in the parade. What they're 765 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:37,960 Speaker 2: going to throw candy? 766 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 3: Awesome? 767 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 1: I feel incredible about it. 768 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:46,960 Speaker 2: So I actually thought, this is a nice moment also 769 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:51,960 Speaker 2: for us, as you can on enthusiasts to reflect on. 770 00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:56,480 Speaker 2: So it's the point, you might say, so I love it. 771 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 2: If we go week to week, you can get annoyed 772 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 2: and frustrated and feel naked of about the economy and 773 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:04,200 Speaker 2: what it's delivered. But if you look over longer periods 774 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:06,680 Speaker 2: of time. You've told me to look over fifty year 775 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:10,400 Speaker 2: periods of time, it's start to see a more optimistic story. 776 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 2: But so I thought, today, let's look over two hundred 777 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:16,880 Speaker 2: and fifty years and compare today's economy to what it 778 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:18,319 Speaker 2: was in seventeen seventy six. 779 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, Yes, I love this. 780 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:24,760 Speaker 2: That you're going to discover the magic of economic growth, 781 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:28,279 Speaker 2: that in fact, ours is a narrative of progress, and 782 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 2: that we've got to get out of this week to 783 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:33,080 Speaker 2: week and pan back and you'll see that our lives 784 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 2: today are pretty extraordinary compared to what they might once 785 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:36,160 Speaker 2: have been. 786 00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:39,680 Speaker 3: Yes, I'm very excited to hear this. What did you find? 787 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,560 Speaker 1: Okay, So this blew my mind. How many? 788 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,840 Speaker 2: So there's three hundred and forty million people in America today? 789 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,920 Speaker 2: How many do you reckon there were in seventeen seventy six. 790 00:39:53,120 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 4: Counting need of populations, Yes, hmm, like ten million. 791 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 2: I think I'm gonna I'm going to give you a 792 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:10,959 Speaker 2: really good grade. That's two and a half million. But 793 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:14,440 Speaker 2: for economics, getting the right number of zeros is really good. 794 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:17,240 Speaker 3: I appreciate the great inflation. 795 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:20,640 Speaker 2: Right, So basically the United States was smaller than Kansas 796 00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:21,360 Speaker 2: City is today. 797 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:24,320 Speaker 3: Wow. Two million people. 798 00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 1: That's okay. 799 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:29,200 Speaker 2: Here's the one that really blew my mind. If you 800 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 2: look at material standards of living, the typical American in 801 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:36,200 Speaker 2: seventeen seventy six, their average income, their average production we 802 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:39,760 Speaker 2: call it GDP per capita if you want, was roughly 803 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,800 Speaker 2: at the level of poor Sub Saharan African countries today. 804 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 1: Wow, which I think is interesting in two ways. 805 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:52,359 Speaker 2: One how poor we were back then, and two how 806 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:58,439 Speaker 2: much some economies have failed that folks are stuck at 807 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:01,800 Speaker 2: not much above survivor and in some cases below survival 808 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:06,480 Speaker 2: to even today. So the United States was born at 809 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:08,319 Speaker 2: one level, one of the rich, a very very rich 810 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:11,560 Speaker 2: country compared to other countries at the time, but still 811 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:14,960 Speaker 2: by any measure, a very very poor country. But what's 812 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,120 Speaker 2: striking about that is it's only two hundred and fifty 813 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:20,719 Speaker 2: years later, and our material standards of living are roughly thirty. 814 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:21,440 Speaker 1: To forty times higher. 815 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:23,040 Speaker 3: Wow. 816 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:25,960 Speaker 2: So the amount of stuff we can buy, the amount 817 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 2: of stuff we produce there, and this is adjusting for 818 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 2: things like quality changes and so on. So you know, 819 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:36,040 Speaker 2: you hear people occasionally look back wistfully and say, wasn't 820 00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 2: America great back then? And the answer is no, no, no, 821 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:45,000 Speaker 2: it wasn't. Typical person life expectancy at birth was about 822 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:46,760 Speaker 2: maybe late thirties. 823 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:48,600 Speaker 3: Wow. 824 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:52,360 Speaker 2: Now, it turns out, by the way, lots of folks 825 00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:54,359 Speaker 2: back then lived into their sixties. So you could say, 826 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,600 Speaker 2: how's life expectancy so low? I mean, it's stunning, right, 827 00:41:57,640 --> 00:42:00,319 Speaker 2: thirty five, thirty six, thirty seventy eight, some number line that, 828 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:03,680 Speaker 2: And it's because so many people died before age five. 829 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:07,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, and a lot of people died in childbirth, 830 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:13,439 Speaker 4: and also new antibiotics. So if you yeah, I mean, 831 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:16,359 Speaker 4: if you got an infection, if you got to cut 832 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:19,600 Speaker 4: the god infected it was curtains. 833 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:23,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's actually really amazing. So not only 834 00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:26,640 Speaker 2: was the rate at which women died during childbirth so very, 835 00:42:26,719 --> 00:42:31,600 Speaker 2: very high, people must have known that, Like you know, 836 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:35,239 Speaker 2: you lost an aunt, a sister, or a neighbor. So 837 00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:39,719 Speaker 2: just think about the extraordinary act of faith it must 838 00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:43,960 Speaker 2: have been to become a parent knowing you might die. 839 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:45,680 Speaker 2: I mean, I'm really struck by it. I am. 840 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:46,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm a dad. 841 00:42:46,960 --> 00:42:50,279 Speaker 2: I sat next to Betsy while we were going through childbirth, 842 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:54,480 Speaker 2: and the truth is, actually, if Betsy with our pregnancy, 843 00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:56,040 Speaker 2: can I call it ours? 844 00:42:56,560 --> 00:43:00,480 Speaker 4: I don't know if that's that's very progressive. Yes, I 845 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:02,759 Speaker 4: think she were pregnant, Yeah. 846 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 2: She'd call it stolen valor you know, a couple of 847 00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:11,520 Speaker 2: things went wrong, which meant she would have died. 848 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:12,359 Speaker 1: In seventeen seventy six. 849 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:15,400 Speaker 3: Yeah. 850 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:18,320 Speaker 2: And I don't know whether it's something about the resilience 851 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:21,880 Speaker 2: of the human spirit that people really want to create 852 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:24,960 Speaker 2: another generation, or you know, the other side of me 853 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,360 Speaker 2: can't help but joke, maybe people were so damn horny. 854 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:29,680 Speaker 3: I mean, that's part of it. 855 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:33,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean putting death on the table doesn't that. 856 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:36,120 Speaker 2: I mean I could just imagine a candlelight dinner back then, 857 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:38,799 Speaker 2: and I don't know, if I was a Sheila, I'd 858 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:40,719 Speaker 2: be like, you know what, we're not going past third 859 00:43:40,719 --> 00:43:41,280 Speaker 2: base tonight. 860 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:42,719 Speaker 1: I just don't feel like dying. 861 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:47,719 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, well, I mean there were other things too, 862 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:50,359 Speaker 4: because if you were a Sheila back then, chances are 863 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:52,880 Speaker 4: it would have been a little tough to earn a living. 864 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,880 Speaker 4: So there was like an economic issue too, where. 865 00:43:58,120 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 2: You know, yeah, yeah, So look, all of that's just 866 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:04,600 Speaker 2: to say I didn't hope, I didn't get distracted by 867 00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:09,040 Speaker 2: anything along the way there. All that's to say, heavy Birthday, America. 868 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:12,920 Speaker 2: There's another one, finally, extraordinary change. I want to leave 869 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:15,160 Speaker 2: you with, because there's so much angst and anxiety on 870 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 2: this two hundred and fiftieth birthday about AI and dramatic 871 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:20,160 Speaker 2: economic change, and I just want to remind you that 872 00:44:20,239 --> 00:44:23,839 Speaker 2: dramatic economic change is the story of America. That back 873 00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:29,239 Speaker 2: in seventeen seventy six, almost everyone farmed. They farmed because basically, 874 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:34,160 Speaker 2: one person could grow enough crops to one family could 875 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:38,040 Speaker 2: grow enough crops to feed one point two families, and 876 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:39,960 Speaker 2: as a result, you needed sort of eighty or ninety 877 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 2: percent of the population working on farms. Now one point 878 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:46,200 Speaker 2: two percent of American population is on farms. It's not 879 00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 2: the food went out of fashion, in fact, I just 880 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:52,600 Speaker 2: ate it was delicious. Instead, it's that the folks on 881 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:58,240 Speaker 2: farms have become so intensely productive they had the AI 882 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:02,240 Speaker 2: of their time them become so intensely productive. We didn't 883 00:45:02,239 --> 00:45:04,720 Speaker 2: need that many people doing the stuff that in sevene 884 00:45:04,719 --> 00:45:08,360 Speaker 2: and seventy six we imagined was the stuff of economic life, 885 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:12,840 Speaker 2: which was agriculture. And so the optimistic story about AI 886 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:15,960 Speaker 2: is maybe we're about to discover that we don't need 887 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:18,399 Speaker 2: so many of us doing all the things we do. 888 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:19,279 Speaker 1: As you and I are. 889 00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:22,680 Speaker 2: About to be replaced by AI, we have fewer people 890 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:25,040 Speaker 2: doing that stuff, and we discover whatever it is that's 891 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:27,160 Speaker 2: going to be the new and beautiful story for the 892 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:29,200 Speaker 2: next two hundred and fifty years. 893 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:33,680 Speaker 4: I love that takeaway. I love that perspective on AI. 894 00:45:33,880 --> 00:45:34,439 Speaker 3: And you're right. 895 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:38,480 Speaker 4: I mean progress is always uncomfortable, and as is growth, 896 00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:41,600 Speaker 4: and I feel like your therapist would agree with me there. 897 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:46,960 Speaker 4: But it's also like part of you know living, you know, 898 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:51,360 Speaker 4: evolving changing shedding things, and I like thinking of AI 899 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:53,480 Speaker 4: as part of that cycle. I think that's like a 900 00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:57,600 Speaker 4: really beautiful framing and really a really nice way to 901 00:45:57,680 --> 00:45:59,520 Speaker 4: go into the two hundred and fiftieth. 902 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:04,960 Speaker 1: So let's take that optimism. I love it. 903 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:08,720 Speaker 2: Let's bottle that optimism. Remember that actually our economic story 904 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:13,160 Speaker 2: is an optimistic story. So, folks, this has been Off 905 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:16,400 Speaker 2: the Clock the Economics podcast in which Stacy Mannix Smith 906 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:20,120 Speaker 2: and I slow down, we review the week that was 907 00:46:20,160 --> 00:46:23,360 Speaker 2: and try to sort out what really matters. We're going 908 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:24,759 Speaker 2: to be back in a couple of weeks with the 909 00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:29,239 Speaker 2: next installment. In the meantime, Platypus Economics is an experiment 910 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:32,520 Speaker 2: and we need your help. So if you enjoy this, 911 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:35,160 Speaker 2: can you let a mate know, Can you drop a comment, 912 00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:36,000 Speaker 2: can you subscribe? 913 00:46:36,040 --> 00:46:37,960 Speaker 1: Can you like? But actually, what I really. 914 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:40,319 Speaker 2: Want to do is you find someone today or this 915 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:42,520 Speaker 2: week and say America is celebrating one hundred and fifty 916 00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:44,480 Speaker 2: years and the best way to do that is to 917 00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:48,320 Speaker 2: subscribe to Platypus Economics, because there is nothing more American 918 00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:49,759 Speaker 2: than a platypus. 919 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:54,640 Speaker 1: In the meantime, Stacey and I are going to keep 920 00:46:54,680 --> 00:46:55,080 Speaker 1: on top. 921 00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:57,360 Speaker 2: Of all the economic news you don't have time for, 922 00:46:57,600 --> 00:46:59,000 Speaker 2: say stay Creius. 923 00:47:03,239 --> 00:47:05,200 Speaker 4: It is an 924 00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 2: Intan