Who controls your money?

Most of us spend our lives thinking about money—how we’re earning it, how we’re spending it, how much we have and how to get more. But we rarely think about the bigger picture: What is money? How did we agree on the concept in the first place? How is it regulated, and who are those regulatory systems built to serve? This episode asks one of the most fundamental questions in economics and politics: Who controls your money? Is it the government? The ultra-rich? The free market? And should any of these organizations or individuals have that much power, or should our economic systems be totally democratic? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: Saifedean Ammous: Economist and author Jason Hickel: Professor of political economy, Autonomous University of Barcelona Pavlina R. Tcherneva: President, Levy Economics Institute Moderated by award-winning journalist and writer Mohamed Hassan ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰ 0:00 Intro 1:41 What is money? 07:43 Is money neutral? 12:23 “Issuing money is theft, and a more precise way of putting it is slavery.” 15:02 What gives money value? 16:21 “In the modern world, money is actually debt.” 24:55 Are economists gaslighting the public? 25:55 “The money system is profoundly undemocratic.” 28:18 What is fiat currency? 37:39 Does private finance, not government, drive instability? 41:03 Would ending central bank bailouts end money creation? 58:56 Why countries issue their own currency 1:08:04 “We live in effectively fake democracies.” 01:18:24 Is bitcoin the answer to existing power imbalances? 1:31:33 “It’s not money that finances the war, it's people.” 1:35:41 “Bitcoin takes away from [money printers] the ability to loot you.” 01:43:47 How capitalism drives war 01:56:39 What China's industrial policy gets right and wrong 02:14:10 Can the global south escape the dollar? 02:24:09 Experts' final take: What is one thing you wish you had known about money when you were younger? Doha Debates hosts Majlis-style conversations that bring together diverse global voices for truth-seeking dialogue on the questions shaping our world. ►► Subscribe and watch a new debate every Tuesday:    / @dohadebates   Follow Doha Debates! Instagram   / dohadebates   LinkedIn   / doha-debates-2020   TikTok   / dohadebates   X https://x.com/DohaDebates Learn more: dohadebates.com