{"podcast":{"title":"The Wes Cecil Podcast","slug":"the-wes-cecil-podcast-7118191","podcast_index_feed_id":7118191,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/66fb968b13b87f41275ee4bd","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/wes-cecil","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/66fb968b13b87f41275ee4bd/1732904692261-a1850073-9f1c-48a4-b2d5-8cb824de87f5.jpeg","author":"Wes Cecil","episode_count":235,"summary":"My lectures are dedicated to making Philosophy in particular and the world of ideas in general available to everyone. My exploration of topics and thinkers is designed to provide a foundation for listeners to engage in further reading and thought and develop their own conceptions of the topics I introduce. I have PhD in Literature and Philosophy and was a college professor for over 20 years. I am working to remove the barriers that prevent many from experiencing and understanding the lives and thoughts of some of the world's greatest thinkers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-31T20:19:35.855779+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wes-cecil-podcast-7118191"},"episode":{"title":"Thames Water, Philosophy and Our Near Term Future","slug":"thames-water-philosophy-and-our-near-term-future","published_at":"2026-07-29T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wes-cecil-podcast-7118191/thames-water-philosophy-and-our-near-term-future","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wes-cecil-podcast-7118191","url":"https://shows.acast.com/wes-cecil/episodes/thames-water-philosophy-and-our-near-term-future","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/66fb968b13b87f41275ee4bd/e/6a62a39e44c9eabf3ccf66c3/media.mp3","summary":"The bankruptcy of Thames water represents a pattern in infrastructure failures that are increasing and will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. The question is when, and perhaps if, elected officials and citizens begin to demand and implement different approaches to solving society's problems. Important notes on Thames water to keep in mind: They Bankrupted themselves - they were not bankrupted by the government it was a clear strategy to extract maximum value for a few at the expense of the many. The two buyout options - which are in fact bankruptcy proceedings - that private investors offer no plan to actually deliver water and deal with sewage, rebuild the infrastructure and guarantee water service and affordability. Rather, the plans, and I’m not making this up, involve paying the very people who have bankrupted Thames water 750 million pounds in fees, no more government fines for not meeting safety or ecology standards, and an aggressive schedule of raising rates. In other words, it is a financial transaction not a water delivery program. Join Wes on Patreon for a deeper dive into the ideas we explore on the podcast. It’s a space for lifelong learners — with bonus lectures, course materials, peer discussion, and audio diaries from France. Wes is active in the community and often engages directly with listener questions. Starting at $2/month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"The bankruptcy of Thames water represents a pattern in infrastructure failures that are increasing and will continue to increase for the foreseeable futur…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2436,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-wes-cecil-podcast-7118191/episodes/thames-water-philosophy-and-our-near-term-future/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-wes-cecil-podcast-7118191/thames-water-philosophy-and-our-near-term-future.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}