Yanis Varoufakis on misogyny, resistance and why everything could be different

In this powerful episode of Follow the Money, host Ebony Bennett interviews Yanis Varoufakis, former Greek finance minister and renowned economist, about resistance, misogyny, and the radical possibility of a different world. Varoufakis reflects on his political journey, from his brief tenure as finance minister during Greece’s debt crisis to his ongoing activism, emphasizing that resistance must happen at every level—personal, familial, institutional, and global. He argues that patriarchy, capitalism, and misogyny form a destructive triangle that must be dismantled, drawing from his own upbringing by feminist influences and his personal experience with systemic oppression. The conversation expands to include the global implications of U.S. imperialism, the erasure of Palestinian rights, and the urgent need for solidarity across racial and national lines. Varoufakis and guests like Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah and Professor Claire Wright challenge the inevitability of history, highlighting moments like Australia’s pioneering role in women’s suffrage as proof that change is possible. The episode closes with Varoufakis’ defiant yet hopeful vision: 'Everything could be different'—a radical assertion that humanity has the capacity to produce what we need and destroy far less, if only we choose to act. Key takeaways include: 1) Resistance to misogyny must begin in the home and soul, not just in politics; 2) The left must overcome internal divisions and reframe its strategy beyond slogans like 'equality' and 'justice'; 3) True power lies not in government but in corporate and tech monopolies, which must be democratized through models like one-member-one-share; 4) Historical change is not inevitable—Australia’s past achievements in democracy prove that bold decisions by ordinary people can reshape nations; 5) The future is unwritten, and collective moral clarity is our most powerful tool. The episode ends on a note of cautious optimism, urging listeners to reject fatalism and embrace agency.