Srsly Wrong 361 – Why We’re Getting Poorer (w/ Cahal Moran)
Mar 31, 2026
Cahal Moran, economist, author and creator of Unlearning Economics, offers a sharp critique of modern markets and mainstream theory. He discusses how inequality and billionaire power warp outcomes. Conversations cover housing stress, monopolies, limits of economic models, meritocracy myths, and democratic alternatives like public housing and workplace co-ops.
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Economics Teaching Often Omits Key Real World Issues
- Conventional economics education often ignores real-world crises like financial crashes, inequality and climate issues.
- Cahal describes founding Unlearning Economics and Rethinking Economics to fill that curricular gap.
2008 Crisis Sparked Cahal's Rethinking Project
- Cahal started studying economics after the 2008 crisis left students unsatisfied by curricula disconnected from reality.
- That experience spawned his involvement in student groups, Rethinking Economics and his first book pushing pluralist economics.
Rich Outcomes Reflect Luck And Privilege
- Wealth accumulation is heavily shaped by luck and privilege, not pure merit.
- Cahal cites survivorship bias and examples like government support for Tesla to show rich outcomes are not solely earned.
