

254 - The Yale US-China Forum: Slavoj Žižek, Richard Wolff, Yannis Varoufakis, Robin Visser, Yascha Mounk, Pei Wang, Daniel Mattingly
12 snips Jul 6, 2025
Guest
Pei Wang
Guest
Robin Visser
Guest
Daniel Mattingly

Guest
Yascha Mounk

Guest
Yanis Varoufakis

Guest
Richard Wolff
Richard Wolff, a Marxist economist, critiques modern capitalism and its inherent challenges, while Yannis Varoufakis delves into Europe's strategic role amid US-China tensions. Yascha Mounk discusses the ideological battles shaping global perceptions of democracy versus authoritarianism. Daniel Mattingly analyzes the rise of China and its impact on international politics. With insights from Robin Visser and Pei Wang on cultural dynamics, the conversation weaves a rich tapestry of economic, political, and philosophical themes in understanding the evolving US-China relationship.
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Neo-Feudal Future and Europe-China Pact
- The future of global order risks plunging into a neo-feudal state dominated by imperial superpowers like the US, Russia, and China.
- Europe must forge a strategic pact with China to avoid geopolitical marginalization and preserve humanity's survival.
Trade Wars as Class Wars
- Trade wars are fundamentally class wars involving competing capitalist interests and wage suppressions.
- The US trade deficit acts as a vacuum sucking in global surpluses, recycling foreign capital primarily through Wall Street.
Rise of Cloud Capital
- Financialization post-2008 crisis funneled vast QE money primarily into the tech sector, creating 'cloud capital'.
- Cloud capital modifies behavior via algorithms, giving tech giants unprecedented power over economies and societies.