Social Spending: Who’s Generous, Who’s Stingy, Who’s Screwed

Social Safety Nets or National Gaslighting?Austria Spends, America Pretends...Ever wonder what happens when you pit countries in a Hunger Games of public social spending? Well, spoiler alert: Austria wins, the U.S. brings a plastic fork, and Mexico’s chilling in the corner wondering if anyone brought snacks.In this episode, Max and Lisa dive into the OECD’s latest data on social protection spending as a % of GDP, and trust us – the disparity is not just embarrassing, it's morally offensive. Austria, Finland, and France are dishing out nearly 30% of their GDP for public social welfare. Meanwhile, the U.S. is busy writing checks to defense contractors and calling it “freedom.”Max calls out the capitalist cosplay of countries that claim to be "developed" while treating social spending like a swear word. Lisa unpacks how social spending (or the lack thereof) reveals national priorities, from healthcare and pensions to “you’re-on-your-own-ism.”Note: This project explores the new creative potential unlocked by generative AI, showcasing how a single person, in just two hours, can curate (not create, but curate) a polished podcast series. I recognize the critiques around AI-generated content and the potential for digital clutter but invite you to take a listen on your next walk or drive and see what you think. Audio is AI-generated by Google's NotebookLM. Images by Grok-3 and Magic Studio.