Yanis Varoufakis

The video recording of my discussion with Andrew Brady, of USI, below is for ‘true believers’ only. It is a talk from the heart about the Eurozone Crisis on the day when labour around the world heralds the obligation and asserts the right of working people to demand a re-think of the social relations governing production, distribution and governmance. On this, rather bleak, May Day, with rising unemployment and poverty taking their hideous toll in Europe, Andrew gave me an opportunity to express fully, and without a whiff of strategic rhetoric, my frustration regarding the European elites’ inability even to look after themselves properly. In a confessional mood, I told Andrew that Europe resembles a ship whose captain is  interested far less in the seaworthiness of her vessel than in maintaining her firm grip on her crew. In the video I speak openly as a leftwinger who finds himself in the awkward, and quite schizophrenic, situation of trying to stop European capitalism from committing suicide when  the stewards of European capitalism are sitting idly by, unwittingly encouraging a suicide which they will suffer from massively. 

Before or after watching this video, please do visit USI’s webpage and contrbute if you can to their worthy campaign to throw bridges across our many, and growing, European divisions.

Any fair minded reading of the Bundesbank’s latest Constitutional Court deposition must lead to one of two conclusions: Either the Bundesbank has failed to recognise the existentialist threat to the Eurozone (that was placed in suspended animation during the past eight months or so), or the Bundesbank has intentionally opted for a strategy that will, sooner or later, see the disbanding of the current Eurozone. Loath to assume naiveté on the Bundesbank’s part, I opt for the latter. Here is why: Continue reading →