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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Copyright, and Ownership for All

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Copyright, and Ownership for All
Steamboat Willie, the original Mickey Mouse, steps into the public domain after 95 years of copyright restriction. Copyright law has been with us for over 300 years, but it's due a serious revision in the light of Artificial Intelligence. The New York Times is relying on current legislation to sue Open AI for infringing their copyright to train ChatGPT, but surely the information and analysis that the NYT report on belongs to us all? Background music: 'People Watching' by Sir Cubworth

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: The Black Hole of Economics

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: The Black Hole of Economics
Enjoy this entertaining romp through capitalist economics from the demise of feudalism to Thomas Picketty’s book ‘Capital in the 21st Century’, but a careful search for any mention of inter-generational rebalancing will leave you disappointed. Welcome to the Black Hole of Economics, the elusive feature which keeps us from integrating free enterprise and individual empowerment with fair provision of opportunity for each new generation to enable them to achieve their potential in adult life. Background music: 'Generations Away' by Unicorn Heads Order 'Capitalism - A Graphic Guide' here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/capitalism-a-graphic-guide-dan-cryan/1475839?ean=9781785785146

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Could Africa benefit from Incentivised Learning?

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Could Africa benefit from Incentivised Learning?
Last week we heard of sixty migrants dying in an attempt to reach Cape Verde across the Atlantic Ocean: young people risking all for a better life. But, as we wrote on 15th May, it's the underlying challenges, including conflict and poverty, that must be addressed. Global problems like these require global solutions: we suggest a combination of inter-generational rebalancing funding a programme of incentivised learning for young people across Africa, providing them with the resources and life skills to start achieving their potential. Background music: 'Six by Eight' by Jimmy Fontanez_Media Right Productions. 15th May Commentary link: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2023-05-15/

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Financial Legacies

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Financial Legacies
The shining towers and ivory walls of the City of London — many of our financial trials and tribulations can be traced back to October 1986, when the clear distinction between self-interest and acting in the interests of customers was abruptly brought to an end in the 'Big Bang'. Among those who saw it all happen was legendary market-maker Brian Winterflood MBE, who died on 29th June. His financial legacy, built over sixty years in the City, is massive. Background music: 'Communicator' by Reed Mathis

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: The Social Merits of Long-Term Ownership

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: The Social Merits of Long-Term Ownership
What is the psychological effect of individual ownership — and, notwithstanding the low starting point, how can we bring a sense of ownership right across society? Is the rate at which people discount the future impacted by their sense of ownership and thereby their sense of responsibility for the future? Background music: 'Everything Has a Beginning' by Joel Cummins

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Democracy’s struggle with the long-term

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Democracy’s struggle with the long-term
Democracy is a great blessing, but it has a major Achilles Heel — it is not good at coping with all the long-term issues which are growing in number and importance. Trying to address long- and short-term issues together without specific definition will always handicap the former. That's why Princess Anne focused correctly on this challenge in her interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation — but monarchy can do little more than draw attention to the problem, which needs constitutional and political resolution. We propose a way forward out of this dilemma, suggesting how the United Kingdom can set a course for the democracies of the world to follow. Background music: 'Saving the World' by Aaron Kenny Image source: BBC Research, based on National Archives Federal Reserve Economic Data

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Underlying Principles for Taxation

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Underlying Principles for Taxation
For the past 250 years, starting with Adam Smith, there have been valiant attempts to set out principles for taxation: but they have been principally domestic, and with no attempt to address inter-generational rebalancing. Without specific provisions requiring hypothecation of inheritance levies it's hard to see how disadvantaged young people can be empowered with resources and life skills so that all may share in future wealth creation. Don't expect change in this week's Budget, but the Treasury Select Committee should look again at the principles they established over ten years ago. Background music: 'Dark Alley Deals' by Aaron Kenny

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Energy Supply - the Silver Lining

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Energy Supply - the Silver Lining
The ground-breaking announcement last week from the Oxford Institute for New Economic Thinking, almost totally eclipsed when it was published, is that decarbonizing the energy system by 2050 could save at least $12 trillion compared to continuing with our current levels of fossil fuel use. So, once this has transformed energy supply across the world, can we at last look forward to a silver lining to the dark clouds currently hanging over us, in terms of drawing a line under climate change, economic turmoil and international conflict? Background music: 'Solar Power' by Ashley Shadow. Image source: Institute for New Economic Thinking

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Guiding Principles for our first 250

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Guiding Principles for our first 250
Welcome to our 250th commentary, produced over these last five years since Share Radio moved to 100% online broadcasting. It's been a period of massive change and increasing clarity on what we need to do to sort out the problems of the world, and we hope these thoughts are making some contribution in that respect. To mark this staging point we thought it might be helpful to set out some of the guiding principles which have steered, and will continue to steer, our comment. For our full list of commentaries, please visit https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/ Background music: Hovering Thoughts by Spence

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Gavin Oldham

Thought for the Week: Inflation Drivers

Gavin Oldham
Original Broadcast:

Thought for the Week

Thought for the Week: Inflation Drivers
The range of major drivers which will steer inflation over the years ahead is wide and diverse, but their duration must be considered as well as their positive or negative impact on rates. For example, the drivers most affected by Putin's war in Ukraine are energy shortages and supply chain disruption, and the threat of de-globalisation in future. These all contribute to higher inflation but it is only a more cautionary approach leading towards de-globalisation which will persist. Meanwhile technology, demographics and a swifter transition to low cost alternative energy will all bear down on price rises. In this commentary we take a look at nine major influences on future rates of inflation, and conclude that central bankers are right to be cautious about chasing after inflation with their interest rate policy.

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