In this class we will review the ideas and actions of Yanis Varoufakis with particular emphasis on his latest book, Technological Feudalism. Prof. Varoufakis was elected to the Greek Parliament in January 2015 and was appointed Minister of Finance of Greece. He resigned his post in June 2015 when the Greek government accepted a fourth, major bailout loan, ignoring the fact that 62% of voters had rejected by referendum any further debt to the European Community. He became both an international star and international villain for his economics, his policies, his interviews, and his actions. In his new book, Varoufakis warns of emerging social order that revolves around enormous technological monopolies that use their command of the world’s data and market platforms to erode democracy and workers’ rights. Our discussions will cover:
- why his views are so threatening to the political and financial elites throughout the world and
- the solutions to the coming techno dystopia that he and others have suggested.
Recommended reading: Technofeudalism: What Killed Capiltalism? by Yanis Varoufakis.
Additional recommended reading for taxation is The Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay by Emmanuel Saez & Gabriel Zucman (2019).
For spending: Poverty by America, written by Matthew Desmond & Dion Graham (2023)
