

How to cut through political spin — Richard Denniss, Joelle Gergis, Yanis Varoufakis, Tom Keneally with Natasha Mitchell
Jan 7, 2025
Join economist Richard Denniss, climate scientist Joelle Gergis, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, and acclaimed author Tom Keneally in a thought-provoking discussion. They tackle the obfuscation of political language, emphasizing its impact on democracy. Gergis highlights Australia's climate crisis urgency, while Varoufakis critiques technofeudalism. The group also discusses the failures of trickle-down economics, advocating for clearer communication to bridge public understanding and reclaim our shared humanity amidst political division.
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Climate Action
- Joelle Gergis dislikes the term "climate action" as it often justifies "business as usual."
- She emphasizes the need to stop burning fossil fuels, the root cause of climate change, rather than focusing solely on renewable energy.
Rule of Law
- Yanis Varoufakis criticizes the term "rule of law" when used by Western leaders.
- He argues their actions often violate international law and human rights, making the term hypocritical.
Retrenchment
- Tom Keneally dislikes "retrenchment" as it hides the human impact of job losses.
- He highlights the "cruelty" and "dehumanization" behind this jargon.