Yanis Varoufakis: The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy

[mother earth]

15/05/2013, 18h, cinema Europa, Hall Müller, Zagreb, Croatia
Yanis Varoufakis: The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy (book promotion)

Q&A: Marko Kostanić

Yanis Varoufakis: "The Global Minotaur: America, Europe and the Future of the Global Economy" (Zed Books, London, 2013)

In this remarkable and provocative book, Yanis Varoufakis explodes the myth that financialization, ineffectual regulation of banks, greed and globalisation were the root causes of the global economic crisis. Rather, they are symptoms of a much deeper malaise which can be traced all the way back to the Great Crash of 1929, then on through the 1970s: the time when a 'Global Minotaur' was born. Just as the Athenians maintained a steady flow of tributes to the Cretan beast, so the 'rest of the world' began sending incredible amounts of capital to America and Wall Street. Thus, the Global Minotaur became the 'engine' that pulled the world economy from the early 1980s to 2008.

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In this book promo, Varoufakis gives us a synopsis of economic history and explains the underlying dynamics.
You'll recognize some big names in his account of history, I'm sure...good stuff.

[jakeXT]

1. He knows his history, I wonder how he got that Volcker memo /nt

[cantbeserious]

2. Eye Opening

eom

[zeemike]

3. That was interesting thanks.

I do wish someone would have asked him what he would do about changing an unfair system...which he clearly believes exists.

For me the answer is starve the Minotaur, and create something new.

[mother earth]

5. He has a Ted talk where he outlines his vision for the EU. He is a man much needed at this time,

he has his website where he blogs, as well.

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/

[libdem4life]

8. Also, he had a talk somewhere introduced by Richard Wolf. Thanks for this link.

Looks like the BBC took down a video. I think he's going to make a lot of badly needed waves, perhaps a tsunami in our US and global view of what an economy is and does, being he's in Texas academia.

[mother earth]

10. He is seriously making waves. Why? Hmmm....could it be because we are all suffering at the hands

of the oligarchs who are thriving under this second great depression....if you can find that link please post.

TY, libdem4life, Syriza is powerful beyond anything I would have imagined possible. This matters more than anything else IMO.

[libdem4life]

12. Couldn't find it, but found this small news site and am impressed at how this is getting some

wings. Watched some of it...now I'm hooked on Europe and its transition. To the US, they've always been held out as socialists and used as a perjorative of the free lunch continent. Interesting times, to be sure.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=13167

[mother earth]

13. I wonder if it is the BBC interview posted at his site? The reporter was rude, but in spite of that

he carried on. If it is that one I actually posted it awhile back, so no big deal. It was really to introduce people to who he is.

This man is going to break the EU & they really have no other choice...I mean he is not going to withdraw from the EU because it would be catastrophic, and they know that, they fear that...Podemos in Spain is next, and remarkably I read where even England is or was considering leaving the EU...this was a surprise to me, but I digress, like dominoes they will fall. Will Germany let that happen? They would be fools...so change is in the air.

I couldn't be more thrilled, this kind of thing that relatively few people are paying attention to, but they will be, this isn't going away.
I listen to Varoufakis and I hear progressive values, I hear change for predatory capitalism that celebrates death & destruction to end.
Isn't this what we are all about? Isn't this what we've waited our whole lives for?

Look, I'm not Greek, but today we are all Greeks...if we value life above all of the lies, death, destruction and exploitation, and that is exactly what every word this man speaks is about...I would never have believed it was possible, but there he is...and all I can say is spread the word, let people know. We are many, the 99%, the 100th monkey has arrived.

[libdem4life]

14. OMG...the 100th Monkey...hopefully this qualifies !

Varoufakis is very confident, speaks smoothly and easy to watch and hear. I think he is a professor, maybe visiting?, at a Texas University. I plan to spend some time on his site, as well.

Indeed, we are all Greeks.

[blkmusclmachine]

4. http://www.renewamerica.com/images/columns/13/130219cobb.jpg

[libdem4life]

6. This guy is amazing...no wonder is a professor. He has a gift of making huge conceptual subjects

understandable...and in a second language. Suddenly the secret society of economists has been outed. The last sentence...Germany is stupid...he's a rabble rouser, all right. Makes you wonder how this relates to Elizabeth Warren's efforts, opinions, and responses as it surely crosses her path.

[mother earth]

7. It's all coming home, isn't it? I have optimism I didn't have before I started listening,

learning and realizing exactly what is before us.

Syriza needs to go global.

[libdem4life]

9. Hopefully, there can be a soft landing, but....I'd not bet too much on it. Think it's going to be

a rocky ride. It's causing me to rethink some of my little personal economic decisions. But I share some bit of your optimism.

[mother earth]

11. It certainly can be a rocky ride, but he is not about leaving the EU, which is brilliant beyond

words. In fact, he sees the folly in letting the EU die, but does Germany see that? It's a big game of chicken.

I always come back to slow road vs. fast road...I have no doubt the slow road is best, but we need to take that road, how rocky it is will be determined by Greece (or rather Germany) and what happens next.

It is really in the hands of Germany, and he seems to be forcing them to oust Greece or offer alternatives. He is looking for cooperation of a united EU...it's sublime....