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Let's listen to Yanis Varoufakis explain why we need to tear all the walls down [1]

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Date: 2023-10-08  

You may have already caught this recent interview with Yanis Varoufakis, a former finance minister of Greece, on Unherd Ideas, but there’s a particular section that’s been ringing in my head the last 24 hours.

It’s been a few months since I was able to post a diary, but anyone with a long memory of this space will recall there’s no hero worship here; merely a measurement of ideas and action. I leave it to you to decide how you feel about Varoufakis on the whole, or what to think of his most recent book, Technofeudalism.

But his words are important to listen to today with events in Israel. Kos already has an amazing piece up, and I agree — it’s a shit situation. And as with him, I wouldn’t presume to say I know better than anyone -- I’m here reacting in horror along with the rest of you.

One clip this last day has stood out to me, though, as Varoufakis’ words were fresh in my mind:

Make no mistake, there’s no excuse for murder, torture or SA. I’m privileged to have never experienced a life that could push to make choices like this. Yet when I watch that fence demolished, I can’t deny the existence of that fence feels as much an abomination as all the violence it has seemingly inspired.

Let’s listen to Yanis Varoufakis hère, eerily prescient on a central issue at hand in Gaza. The context of this discussion were recent comments by U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who asserted multiculturalism has failed society. Varoufakis’ counter is as powerful as it is contemptuous, quickly noting, “I think borders are a sign of failure of the human species.”

Of particular note, at 1:23:

“We Europeans exported hordes — hordes — of people. We immigrated to the four corners of the universe — of the planet. We populated the Earth, from Latin America to North America to Asia… millions, usually armed as well, right? Imperialists. We had no qualms about that, for a thousand years. All that has happened is we are getting old. Demographically, we are aging. So migratory flows have reversed. We need migrants. The more the merrier.”

Palestinians in Gaza live behind fences and have two checkpoints, with massive lines, to go to and from work. Many never leave Gaza in their lifetime.

Again, I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I’m not sure how I would react to this being my daily existence simply due to the color of my skin or the land beneath my feet. It’s one planet, and it belongs to all of us.

Varoufakis with additional food for thought, at 2:56:

“Even if you didn’t have a single foreigner, and all this angst and rage ... is being diverted, as in a mid-war period, against the Jew, the Muslim, the Romanian, the Brit, the German, the foreigner. We must not tolerate and we must never pander to that and say, oh the solution is to erect taller fences. No, it is not.”

I hope there is an immediate end to the violence. I hope hostages are returned safe. Still, I also want all the fences knocked over before it’s too late. I want our compassion and the human spirit to prevail over fear and cowardice. Fences are weak. An open hand, reaching out to help — that’s real strength.

Tax Musk. Fund the State Department. Get a better result.

Okay, I’m through. See you in the comments.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/8/2198193/-Let-s-listen-to-Yanis-Varoufakis-explain-why-we-need-to-tear-all-the-walls-down?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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