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And the Weak Suffer What They Must? cover art

And the Weak Suffer What They Must?

By: Yanis Varoufakis
Narrated by: Leighton Pugh,Yanis Varoufakis
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Summary

In 2008, the universe of Western finance outgrew planet Earth. When Wall Street imploded, a death embrace between insolvent banks and bankrupt states consumed Europe. Half a dozen national economies imploded, and several more came close. But the storm is far from over....

From the aftermath of the Second World War to the present, Varoufakis recounts how the eurozone emerged not as a route to shared prosperity but as a pyramid scheme of debt with countries such as Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain at its bottom. Its woeful design ensured that collapse would be inevitable and catastrophic.

But since the hurricane landed, Europe's leaders have chosen a cocktail of more debt and harsh austerity rather than reform, ensuring that the weakest citizens of the weakest nations pay the price for the bankers' mistakes while doing nothing to prevent the next collapse. Instead, the principle of the greatest austerity for those suffering the greatest recessions has led to a resurgence of racist extremism. Once more Europe is a potent threat to global stability.

Drawing on the personal experience of his own negotiations with the eurozone's financiers and offering concrete policies and alternatives, Varoufakis shows how we concocted this mess and how we can get out of it. And the Weak Suffer What They Must? reminds us of our history in order to save European capitalism from itself.

©2016 Yanis Varoufakis (P)2016 Random House AudioBooks
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

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This book should be read or heard by everyone.

Why it all went wrong and why we the ordinary people of Europe are suffering is brilliantly explained in clear and beautiful prose.

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26 people found this helpful

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An eye opening history of the real European Union

Varoufakis' eye opening narrative history of the EU leaves nothing much to recommend the union, only that it must be reformed.

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18 people found this helpful

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An informative take on the EU banksters

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have to admit I was pleased that Yanis did not narrate the whole thing. He has a pleasant accent but the additional concentration to decipher some of his words would have made this a difficult book to listen to. As it is the pace and diction of Mr Pugh who reads most of the book is excellent.

One thing did puzzle me. Yanis never delves into what the real motives of the EU banksters might be. On the face of this book he would have us believe it is stubborn vanity. I was horrified by much of the book although I knew that the Greek crisis had been misrepresented in the press (just as nearly everything is) I was unaware of much of the structure and history of the ECB. Now I have a little more awareness about it.

I would venture that the likes of these banksters are dogmatic malthusianists (or at least the lapdogs of people who are) who will enjoy enriching themselves while destroying the wages, pensions and healthcare provided by individual states. These are not stupid people, they will have their justification and their philosophy and it seems clear that whatever their beliefs are they are very dangerous ones for the rest of us. They will not worry about the creation of neo-nazi organisations as they can get these gangs of mindless thugs to do their dirty work for them.

I disagree that the EU needs reform. It needs demolishing and rebuilding from the ground up - a messy business indeed. I also disagree with his view of US economics which he seems to view as a powerless hero. They are in this game up to their necks. The two bought and paid for choices in the current US presidential election only shows how obscene democracy is in the US. The serpent is not waiting, it is chewing the final parts of the inside of the apple and about to break out on to the surface for all to see.

These are worrying times...and Brexit will not save the UK as the same global financial institutions will still be pulling the economic strings of the UK in or out.

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somehow bewildering

interesting historical considerations on Europe and the international monetary system.

however i found the authors conclusions very strange. After his country was plundered by rogue money landing on the basis that the common currency guaranteed small economies, like Greece, against big ones, like Germany, he doesn't question this system but instead lament the fact that his country was denied more loans...

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13 people found this helpful

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Think You Know How the EU Works?

A very vivid history lesson of the formation of modern Europe. Yanis gives a frank account, and we share in his frustrations as he lifts the lid on a fettered monetary system.

Yanis refrains from attacking Brussels outright, preferring a route of factual enquiry, which is a refreshing change from the scores of other doomsayers in this subject.

Leighton reads this splendidly! Even going to the trouble of inflecting the regional accents, when reading quotes.

An excellent purchase, and one which I look forward to listening to again!

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13 people found this helpful

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The inhuman and undemocratic Euro

A good historic account of the birth of the Euro and an analysis of the unfortunate effects of the rules applied to the countries using it. I would have liked more details on how the author wants to reform the rules.

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10 people found this helpful

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Nothing short of brilliant.

Recommend on audible as the reader does all the accents that occur in the story.

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7 people found this helpful

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An insightful and intelligent narrative of the economic and monetary history of Europe since WWII.

This book highlights many of the problems that Europe now faces in securing social, economic and political harmony within today's enlarged EU. Yanis Varoufakis is in an ideal position, as a former Greek negotiator, to observe first hand the internal workings and philosophy of the ECB and to understand many of the problems now confronting individual nation states within the EU.

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6 people found this helpful

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  • 10-05-17

Gobsmacking

Absolutely gobsmacking. A wonderful book that packs a huge political punch. Varoufakis throws some well needed light onto the Greek srory, and the workings of Euro economics overall. Well worth it!

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3 people found this helpful

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thoroughly enjoyable

history and current state of affairs well told. educational and entertaining simultaneously. much better than the author's talks on YouTube.

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3 people found this helpful