E121: Elon vs. D.C. - Can DOGE Fix America’s $36 Trillion Debt Bomb? w/ Dr. Dirk Mateer
El Podcast22 Feb 2025

E121: Elon vs. D.C. - Can DOGE Fix America’s $36 Trillion Debt Bomb? w/ Dr. Dirk Mateer

In this episode, Jesse is joined by Dr. Dirk Mateer, award-winning educator and professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin. Together, they dive deep into the growing U.S. national debt, the rise of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and whether Elon Musk can really trim $2 trillion from the federal budget.

Topics covered include:

  • The real scale of government waste, fraud, and inefficiency
  • Creative destruction and whether government can be “run like a business”
  • What students today think about the $36 trillion national debt
  • Why Social Security is a demographic time bomb
  • Lessons from Japan’s debt and what a U.S. default could look like
  • Modern Monetary Theory and why Dirk doesn’t buy it
  • The risk of de-dollarization and losing global reserve currency status
  • Whether AI could shrink the size of government
  • Why U.S. education needs to be reimagined for a post-industrial world

Mateer also shares his favorite films for learning economics and gives a final message on how individuals can prepare for fiscal turbulence ahead.

📚 Books: Principles of Economics by Dirk Mateer (Norton)
📬 Contact: dmateer@utexas.edu | @dirkmateer on X

📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/OoKzo2N2pPo

🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright
💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/
📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us.

Thanks for listening!

Episoder(190)

E54: Who Are the Controligarchs?  The Silent Overlords of Your Life

E54: Who Are the Controligarchs? The Silent Overlords of Your Life

Sheamus Bruner, author of Controligarchs, exposes how billionaire elites use philanthropy, media, and tech to build a global system of surveillance, censorship, and control.Guest bio: Sheamus Bruner i...

1 Des 202352min

E53: Snow-birding in The Villages & Affordable Retirement Gems

E53: Snow-birding in The Villages & Affordable Retirement Gems

Retiree Charlie shares his snowbird lifestyle between Wisconsin and The Villages, Florida, offering candid reflections on retirement, community, and how to age actively and meaningfully.Guest Bio: Cha...

23 Nov 20231h 10min

E52: How a $1.8 Billion Ruling Reshapes Real Estate - w/ Dr. Ann Schnare

E52: How a $1.8 Billion Ruling Reshapes Real Estate - w/ Dr. Ann Schnare

Dr. Ann Schnare breaks down the implications of the $1.8B real estate commission lawsuit, revealing how changes to traditional agent fee structures could make it much harder—especially for first-time ...

18 Nov 202338min

E51: China's Trillion-Dollar Game: Sovereign Wealth Funds - w/ Zongyuan Zoe Liu

E51: China's Trillion-Dollar Game: Sovereign Wealth Funds - w/ Zongyuan Zoe Liu

Dr. Zongyuan Zoe Liu explains how China's "sovereign leveraged funds" differ from traditional sovereign wealth funds—and how they’re being used to advance the Communist Party’s global ambitions throug...

5 Nov 202352min

E50: Transforming Debt into Wealth - w/ Richard Vague

E50: Transforming Debt into Wealth - w/ Richard Vague

Richard Vague explains how money is created through debt, why inflation is usually a supply problem—not “money printing”—and how understanding private debt is the key to avoiding financial crises and ...

29 Okt 202350min

E49: The Myth of European Socialist Utopia - w/ Dr. Nima Sanandaji

E49: The Myth of European Socialist Utopia - w/ Dr. Nima Sanandaji

Dr. Nima Sanandaji challenges the myth of Nordic socialism, explaining how high-tax policies stagnated Sweden’s economy and why true Nordic success stems from deep capitalist roots and cultural norms—...

21 Okt 202345min

E48: AI HYPE - Explained by Computer Scientist

E48: AI HYPE - Explained by Computer Scientist

Dr. Emmanuel Maggiori, author of Smart Until It’s Dumb, exposes the myths around artificial intelligence, argues why the AI bubble will burst, and explains how hype, inefficiency, and misplaced incent...

13 Okt 20231h 25min

E47: Ultimate Guide to Full-Time RVing: Tips, Tricks & More

E47: Ultimate Guide to Full-Time RVing: Tips, Tricks & More

Full-time RVer Mike Mixa shares six years of hard-earned wisdom on the joys, costs, and realities of life on the road.Guest BioMike Mixa is a retired Wisconsin native who, along with his wife Julie, h...

8 Okt 20231h 4min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
stopp-verden
dine-penger-pengeradet
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
pengepodden-2
pengesnakk
utbytte
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
finansredaksjonen
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
rss-sunn-okonomi
liberal-halvtime
rss-politisk-preik
lederpodden
okonomiamatorene
stormkast-med-valebrokk-stordalen
rss-markedspuls-2