Downstream IRL: We Are in a New Cold War w/ Yanis Varoufakis
Feb 26, 2024
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Yanis Varoufakis discusses the new Cold War, China's tech ambitions, US-China power shift, missed opportunities for green investments, geopolitical tensions, German politicians' challenges, and the importance of free speech in combating ideologies.
Discusses China's economic influence in Europe and the new cold war in 'the cloud'.
Critiques Germany's political cowardice and technological lag in addressing infrastructural projects.
Debates on US-China technological competition, freedom of speech, and combatting extremism effectively.
Deep dives
Geopolitical Turmoil and Technological Advancements
The podcast discusses the current geopolitical landscape, highlighting significant events like China's economic influence in Europe, alleged war crimes, and destabilization in the United States and the Middle East. It emphasizes the profound disruptions and transformations occurring globally.
European Political Challenges and Technological Lag
The conversation delves into Europe's political challenges, especially in Germany, where political leaders are criticized for their cowardice and lack of courage in addressing issues like the Nord Stream pipeline incident and Nord Stream 2. It sheds light on Germany's technological lag and the impact of such shortcomings on infrastructural projects like 5G.
Israel-Palestine Conflict and European Silence
The podcast touches upon the complex dynamics of the Israel-Palestine conflict, highlighting the issues of genocide, Zionism, and global political implications. It criticizes European politicians, including German officials, for their silence and reluctance to address crucial human rights violations.
US-China Relations and Global Technological Competition
A significant portion of the episode discusses US-China relations, focusing on the technological competition between the two superpowers. It raises concerns about the US attempting to impede China's technological advancements, especially in fintech, and the potential impact on global economic power dynamics.
Freedom of Speech and Political Extremism
The podcast debates the concept of freedom of speech, advocating against the ban of extremist parties like the AFD in Germany. It argues that preserving political rights, even for disagreeable ideologies, is essential to combatting extremism effectively and maintaining democratic principles.
Yanis Varoufakis is an economist and author who served as Greek Finance Minister in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crash. Since then, he has become one of the most sought after public speakers on the left. He joined Aaron Bastani for an IRL edition of Downstream at EartH in Hackney, North-East London to […]
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