But This Time It's Different
by Brought to you by Sinead O'Sullivan and Alex Chalmers
Latest episode
Why Bother Voting? Democracy Has Left the Group Chat
Why Bother Voting? Democracy Has Left the Group Chat
About this podcast
But This Time It’s Different is where we unpack the truth behind the wrong, late or wilfully blind stories we’re told- about progress, markets, governments, and tech- with apparently sharp analysis and dark humor.
Episodes
- Why Bother Voting? Democracy Has Left the Group Chat · 58 minWhat is democracy, really—and is it still working? In this episode, Sinead chats to legendary hedge fund manager Eric Lonergan while Alex is on vacation. They poke and prod…
- Stocks Up, Spirits Down: What is driving the S&P500 prices · 59 minIn this episode, Sinead and Alex dive into the dystopian world of modern finance—where the stock market hits record highs while everyone you know is broke. They discuss the…
- The B-2 Spirit: Stealth mode ACTIVATED! · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 9In this episode, Sinead and Alex unpack the recent U.S. airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities—with a little help from everyone's favorite $2 billion flying triangle: the B-2…
- Building Nukes... for Dummies · 32 min · Season 1 Episode 8In this episode, Sinead and Alex cheerfully dive into the totally chill, everyday task of building your very own nuclear weapons program. They unpack the shady dealings of the…
- Diamonds Are Not Forever: The Collapse of a Sparkling Empire · 25 min · Season 1 Episode 11In this episode, Sinead and Alex dig into the collapse of the diamond industry, where natural stones are losing their luster and lab-grown gems are stealing the show. They unpack…
- How To Smuggle A Diamond: From Blood Mines to Bling Lines · 26 min · Season 1 Episode 11In this episode, Alex and Sinead crack open the glittering facade of the diamond smuggling world. From mine to market, diamonds are sold as symbols of eternal love and ethical…
- A State of Chaos: Yemen Edition · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 10In this episode, Sinead and Alex plunge into Yemen: a country that's mastered the art of existing without actually functioning. From Ali Abdullah Saleh’s impressive 30-year dance…
- Zero to Zero Margin in 3.8 Seconds: The Rise and Fall of China's Electric Vehicle Market · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 8In this episode, Sinead and Alex take you on a high-voltage joyride through China’s EV empire: from lithium-fueled ambition to zero-margin chaos. They unpack how China…
- Universities as Hedge Funds: Ivy Towers and Illiquid Assets · 23 min · Season 1 Episode 8In this episode, Sinead and Alex unpack how university endowments went from sleepy ivory tower piggy banks to Wall Street-grade investment machines. They trace the rise of the…
- Escape from the Rainbow Nation: South Africa's Fracturing Narrative · 28 min · Season 1 Episode 7In this episode, Sinead and Alex wade into the wonderfully messy world of South African politics, where historical memory collides with present-day power plays. From whispered…
- Hire-a-Pirate: The Billion-Dollar Business of Maritime Security · 21 min · Season 1 Episode 6In this episode, Sinead and Alex dive headfirst into the murky, lightly armed world of private maritime security, which the global capitalist system now relies on for the…
- Air Force: Won? How a Plane Became a Brand, a Gift, and a Crisis · 25 minIn this episode of But This Time It’s Different, Sinead and Alex board the wildest diplomatic flight of the year: Qatar’s luxury 747-8, recently “gifted” to the United States for…
- Freight As An Emerging Market: The New World Disorder · 24 minIn this episode, Sinead and Alex unpack the global shipping crisis, and discover that it is not just a logistics problem, it’s a financial thriller. From drones in the Red Sea to…
- Nuclear Tensions: The India-Pakistan Standoff · 24 min · Episode 3India and Pakistan are edging closer to the brink- and Sinead and Alex are digging into what happens when two nuclear powers share a border, a grudge, and a broken supply chain…
- Are We In A Recession? When Mood Moves Money · 30 min · Episode 2Are we in a recession… or just having a collective economic identity crisis? In this episode, Sinead and Alex ditch the GDP charts and dive into the weird, wonderful world of…
- De-Dollarization: Is the Dollar Losing Its Grip? · 40 minThis week, Alex and Sinead take on one of the juiciest questions in global finance: Is the dollar finally losing its crown? They dive into the drama of de-dollarization: from…
