The Plan to Is Privatise EVERYTHING. Here’s How | Aaron Bastani meets Brett Christophers

Asset management companies like Blackrock, Vanguard and Macquarie have avoided real scrutiny for decades, but their secretive activities are starting to attract attention from political researchers and academics. What do these companies do, and what risk do they pose to society? Author and academic Brett Christophers sets out to answer this question in his new book, Our Lives in Their Portfolios: Why Asset Managers Own the World. He sat down with Aaron for a crash course in the world of asset management, discussing the dangers of financialisation, how UK infrastructure has been gutted by privatisation, and what we can learn from the case of the City of Chicago vs. Morgan Stanley. 00:00 Intro 01:45 What are asset managers, hedgefunds and private equity? 06:02 The power/influence of asset managers. 20:28 Who are Blackrock? 23:52 Asset managers and housing? 39:17 Asset managers and care homes. 41:17 Chinese infrastructure 45:23 Asset Managers vs. UK Infrastructure 01:02:38 Asset Managers vs. Chicago 01:06:32 How these companies ruin cities. You can buy Brett’s book here: Novara Live broadcasts every weekday from 6PM on YouTube and Twitch. Episodes of Downstream are released Sundays at 6PM on YouTube. __________________________ Can you help fund people-powered media? To be ready for next year, we need 5,000 of you to join our regular supporters and back our work. Donate one hour’s wage per month, or whatever you can afford at today.