I was in England in late 2017 visiting Richard Ireland, an old teaching friend of my late mother, and we were discussing topics far and wide. Richard kindly gave he his copy of this book, which had only been published that same year. He had read it and thought I should also do so. And so I duly did and I am glad I did.
I already knew of Varoufakis as he is a regular guest on the wonderful Late Night Live, hosted by the imcomparable Phillip Adams, one of Australia's living legends.
Published in 2017, this explosive book documents Varoufakis's six-month tenure as Greek Finance Minister - a story of almost daily confrontations with the IMF, the European institutions and, most of all, with a German government that seemingly held him in contempt, as he tried to rescue Greece from further financial ruin as part of the country's 2015 financial bailout negotiations. To quote from his own website
In this fearless account, Varoufakis reveals all: an extraordinary tale of brinkmanship, hypocrisy, collusion and betrayal that will shake the deep establishment to its foundations.
As is now clear, the same policies that required the tragic and brutal suppression of Greece’s democratic uprising have led directly to authoritarianism, populist revolt and instability throughout the Western world.
Adults In The Room is an urgent wake-up call to renew European democracy before it is too late.
Few European politicians or bearocrats come out unscathed. Even people like Barack Obama promised help but did not deliver. His book is an endictment on the way the European Union governs and operates. I can now understand better why the UK has imparted on a Brexit path. It may well be the best move for them.
Varoufakis was sold out on every front, culminating in a final backstab by his own allies in the Greek Govt and by the Greek PM himself.
I highly recommend this as a read for anyone wanting to understand more fully the way the rich countries manipulate the world's economy.
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