Yanis Varoufakis for Age of Economics - Full interview

Age of Economics: in the first part of this project a diverse group of global thinkers answers 8 fundamental questions about economics and capitalist civilization. (Interview number 28)

0:00 - Prologue
01:19 - Intro
01:38 - 1. Why does economics matter?
03:00 - 2. What are the differences between economic science and economic engineering?
09:46 - 3. What role does economics play in society? Does it serve the common good?
15:21 - 4. Economics provides answers to problems related to markets, efficiency, profits, consumption and economic growth. Does economics do a good job in addressing the other issues people care about: climate change and the wider environment, the role of technology in society, issues of race and class, pandemics, etc.?
27:50 - 5. As we live in an age of economics and economists – in which economic developments feature prominently in our lives and economists have major influence over a wide range of policy and people – should economists be held accountable for their advice?
45:47 - 6. Does economics explain Capitalism? How would you define Capitalism?
54:52 - 7. No human system to date has so far been able to endure indefinitely - not ancient Egypt or Rome, not Feudal China or Europe, not the USSR. What about global Capitalism: can it survive in its current form?
01:02:26 - 8. Is Capitalism, or whatever we should call the current system, the best one to serve the needs of humanity, or can we imagine another one?

About Yanis Varoufakis
Greek. Economist, politician, leader of MeRA25 and DiEM25, former Greece’s Finance Minister, author and professor

Interview by Fabio Dondero and Julian Karaguesian

Music: J.S. Bach, from The Well-Tempered Clavier. Kimiko Ishizaka, piano. Video by Fabio Dondero

[ianwoodywoodwoof]

Yanis is such a wonderful speaker and thinker... A polymath and humourist....I love listening and learning from this man for all seasons. I believe he still works as a member of the Greek Parliament, and as a a University professor, social and political analyst, writer, broadcaster and more...You are greatly admired and loved Yanis... More power to you...

[irabraus]

As a former university prof, I noted that administrators evaluated my courses
less by their content than by their enrollments. The same administrators referred
to newly admitted students as "tuitions."

[nathank]

Have a math degree and an econ degree. Completely agree with this

[jonmati]

Yanis, thaks for the truth, we need you to tell the world, very good work

[victorialeif]

Mathematics was not taught to me. I can understand the concepts, but not the mathematics.
In a “ finacialized” world, most working class people cannot understand any of it.
Not accidental, I’m sure.
However, even the stupid ones know that things are bad!
I’m grateful for the education that I can glean from those who know more. I do whatever I can to direct the young people to find Yanis, Richard D. Wolff, Dr. Harriet Fraad, David Harvey, Ralph Nader, Chris L. Hedges, Micheal Hedges, Dr.Cornell West, Cara Mattei, Heather Cox Richardson, Noam Chomsky( of course), Robert Reich, Bernie Sanders, and for news Democracy Now, and Christian Amanpour.
There are more to mention. There are people who are giving of their time and their academic work for the benefit of the public.
All of these generous people have changed my perspective, and have helped me to understand what is actually happening to all of us.
Your efforts are not in vain.

[Llkc]

this man is seriously underappreciated. ofc they will not talk to him as he points out how their system is facist. Yet future generations will admire his genius. thank you for being.

[dmwalker]

One of the best things I ever did in my journey to try to understand the world, was discovering the lectures, interviews, and writing of Yanis Varoufakis. He is a phenomenal example of the power that comes from knowing the mind of your opponents. Understanding their strategies, and tools, and weapons, as well if not better than they do.

[waynemcmillan]

Interesting and intriguing talk by one of the best thinkers on Economics alive today.

[johnhernlund]

I am a professor of geophysics with a specialty in modeling and Yanis' issues with economic modeling do, in fact, apply to the "hard sciences." In fact, I am going to share this with my students.

[kp]

This is a thinker that I learned as he is so correct we are blessed where another Greek thousands years later now guiding us onward

[azoteapost]

Wow! This remind me of my great years in the university learning economics . I miss so much does days. When you open the mind and learn for the first time that the world is so complex.
That’s why we need thinkers that are way ahead of the rest. And thinkers that can tie economics to all of the knowledge available. Not only financial or state or worker view.

Chapó Mr Varoufakis!

[HBFaash]

Excellent, look up Diem 25 for the politics that he espouses.

[girdharrathi]

A very fine deconstruction of the constructs such as hypothesis, thesis, theory, and falsification/verification ....

[bill]

this thesis could apply to so many subjects... Great work, Yanis.

[detectiveofmoneypolitics]

Economic investigator Frank G Melbourne Australia is still watching this very informative content cheers Frank

[gcdhvf]

Such an eye opener... I knew it was a few at the top but only 3 evil empires left!!

[Xestra]

You’re the light to the world prof YV while the rest of us buried our head in the sand you always speak the truth.
God bless

[yasseralsaidi]

We respect mr Yanis for his accurate interpretations

[joeldwest]

Thank you for your work. Please do not stop, ever.

[Felicity]

Great interview & very pertinent! Thanks. Also, it is wonderful to hear Yanis say that pareto efficiency departs from the assumption that humans are sociopaths. Because that was my immediate reaction back in Highschool in economics lesson and it made me recoil from economics the way it was taught.