In Yanis Varoufakis’ latest book, the former Greek finance minister argues that companies like Apple and Meta have treated their users like modern-day serfs.
Hm, interesting. I didn’t read it like that, but as an economist trying to make sense of what’s going on and explain it to others. I didn’t question whether the thoughts are original, neither do I know if there are holes in his concepts that I as a non-economist am blind to. My personal opinion, anyway, is that the message is important today (or better yet 15 years ago but nobody would have listened 😉), no matter whether he is primarily motivated by his ego or what.
Maybe this makes me part of the people he caters to, but that line of thinking doesn’t lead anywhere meaningful anyway, I think.
I liked the end of the book: A call to action for us to come up with tools and technological solutions for “users” to stand together so we can create resistance against overly powerful cooperations and demand our rights. I don’t think it’s hypocritical for him to ask for this either. We need people to point problems out and problem solvers, both.
Have you read more of what he wrote or how did you come by that opinion on him? Technofeudalism and a number of interviews leading up to the book release was the first I was exposed to him.
Yeah fair enough. I should say I haven’t read his latest. He’s been almost constantly on the European media circuit with hot takes on anything and everything from economics to science to politics to culture since the Greek economic crisis with the EU.
I used to like him in the beginning but after a while I got the impression he was the guy at the bar with a whisky and cigar in his hand telling the same story to patrons. But, my god, what a story it was!
Hm, interesting. I didn’t read it like that, but as an economist trying to make sense of what’s going on and explain it to others. I didn’t question whether the thoughts are original, neither do I know if there are holes in his concepts that I as a non-economist am blind to. My personal opinion, anyway, is that the message is important today (or better yet 15 years ago but nobody would have listened 😉), no matter whether he is primarily motivated by his ego or what.
Maybe this makes me part of the people he caters to, but that line of thinking doesn’t lead anywhere meaningful anyway, I think.
I liked the end of the book: A call to action for us to come up with tools and technological solutions for “users” to stand together so we can create resistance against overly powerful cooperations and demand our rights. I don’t think it’s hypocritical for him to ask for this either. We need people to point problems out and problem solvers, both.
Have you read more of what he wrote or how did you come by that opinion on him? Technofeudalism and a number of interviews leading up to the book release was the first I was exposed to him.
Yeah fair enough. I should say I haven’t read his latest. He’s been almost constantly on the European media circuit with hot takes on anything and everything from economics to science to politics to culture since the Greek economic crisis with the EU.
I used to like him in the beginning but after a while I got the impression he was the guy at the bar with a whisky and cigar in his hand telling the same story to patrons. But, my god, what a story it was!
By god, lemmy is civilised. 😂 I love it.
I can see what you mean, too, but am still on the liking him side I guess. And anyway, l’art pour l’art and all that, right? 😅
And I’m sure the fish he caught that one time really was YEA big. And boy the fight he gave him.