As someone who believes the Euro, as structured and managed today, is a deeply flawed system that has pushed Greece (and other nations) into a deep and prolonged depression, I was excited about Syriza’s recent victory and hopeful that the new Greek government could negotiate a deal with other Euro members to ease the pain of its citizens, and begin transitioning the Euro toward a fuller and healthier economic integration among its member states.
But, according to this post on the Naked Capitalism blog, the latest signs are not good for this kind of positive outcome. Though I’m tempted to discuss the economic and political substance of the post, I’ll resist that temptation (though I’d recommend the post to anyone interested in this important development in the global economy). Instead, what I want to focus on here is what I believe is a first in communication history (please correct me if I’m wrong): the fact that Greece’s new Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, in addition to being a respected economist (as one might expect for this kind of post), is also a longtime and prolific blogger. And, even after taking on his ministerial role in the midst of a national (and arguably European and even global) crisis, he has not given up his blogging practice.
As Varoufakis said on his blog shortly after his party’s electoral victory:
The time to put up or shut up has, I have been told, arrived. My plan is to defy such advice. To continue blogging here even though it is normally considered irresponsible for a Finance Minister to indulge in such crass forms of communication. Naturally, my blog posts will become more infrequent and shorter. But I do hope they compensate with juicier views, comments and insights.
For hope to be revived we must all strive to change the ways of a dismal past. Maintaining an open line with the outside world may be a small step in that direction.
So, keep watching this space!
As the Naked Capitalism post notes (with extended excerpts), Varoufakis, in a May 2012 post on his blog, explained with frankness and some detail the terrible consequences of a Greek exit from the Euro (a.k.a., Grexit).
Unfortunately, we may be on the brink of such an event. And, unlike earlier eras, when citizens had limited and indirect access to information and perspective about important matters of state, today we can read the blogged commentary (both past and present) of a nation’s Finance Minister, as he and his colleagues confront daily decisions of global import. And, in addition, we get to read a range of online commentaries (such as the recent Euro-focused posts on Naked Capitalism and many other blogs) that synthesize reporting and opinions from a range of sources (including expert and non-expert commenters from Greece and other affected nations and institutions)—much of it “footnoted” via hyperlinks to those sources.
As this is being written, Varoufakis’ most recent blog post highlights what many (including myself) see as a chronic and serious shortcoming of television coverage of complex, delicate and important developments. Commenting on a BBC video segment featuring an interview with him, Varoufakis had this to say:
As a fan of the BBC, I must say I was appalled by the depths of inaccuracy in the reporting underpinning this interview (not to mention the presenter’s considerable rudeness).
I tend to agree with his take on the BBC segment, and invite readers to share their own reaction to the interview and the segment that introduced it (the intro runs about 3:20 and the interview is around 11 min. long).
http://youtu.be/BiIO4YciewU
Mitch, I believe politicians have been using the Web and blogs for some time to have a more direct link to the public. The fact that this is a way to avoid press interpretation, questions, and agendas has a negative as well as positive aspect. As long as we have both good journalistic coverage, and more direct links with politicians, it must be a overall benefit, but this has long been the dream of politicians – a direct line of communication with the voter.
Thanks for your comment Bill.
What strikes me as (at least relatively) unique here is that Varoufakis has been blogging for years before entering government, and that his blog is not written by a staffer, but by himself, and was written as an expert and concerned citizen rather than as a politician, which provides a relatively rare mix of frankness and substance for mainstream and social media to chew on. And that this dynamic is taking place as a very complex and severe multinational crisis unfolds in Europe, makes it all the more fascinating (though sometimes depressing) to observe.
In my view the rich network of what I’d consider “political economy” blogs (and “expert citizen” blogs in general) plays a key role in the mix you mention–“good journalistic coverage and more direct links to politicians.”
It does this in large part by fleshing out the very rich and relevant context that is too often unclear in the interaction between politicians and journalists (the push by the BBC reporter for yes or no answers to unclear and/or not fully informed questions in her interview with Varoufakis struck me as an example of this).
One reason for this “value add” is that this blogging community includes a range of experts with a broad mix of academic, business, financial, political and journalistic experience and perspectives. And, thanks to hyperlinks, comments, etc., they can engage in extended and in-depth discussions with each other and with their readers.
Journalists can and do play an important role in these discussions, but they no longer are the sole filter through which these various experts communicate with each other and the public about key current events and issues. And while academic and semi-academic journals also play a role, the world of blogging is far more accessible to the public in key respects (e.g., it’s usually freely available, more accessibly written, with real-time hyperlinks, and the ability to take part in the discussion with comments and/or questions).
Admittedly, most people don’t have time or sufficient interest to read a lot of blog posts about Greece and the Euro. But I think this unfolding situation is at least another good example of how “expert citizen” blogs have carved out an important role in the communication ecosystem.