EU's black box

[luvdovz]

Who takes the most important decisions in EU? The answer should be: the states and the government leaders. But behind the scenes in Brussels, thousands of lobbyists are trying to influence politics - and often not in the healthiest of ways.

The EU does have a shady face too, a world of politics where decisions are formed outside the official

Comments

[hardblue]

You mean that's not the way government is supposed to work? speaking as an American. Heh, sometimes we have the process so streamlined that our business lobbyists merely have to hand in drafted legislation to the Congress and they will pass it straight into law like a rubber stamp, or such were the days when Newt Gingrich was the speaker of the House. Of course, we also now understand that corporations are people, too! And, surely, they should have a voice in our governance.

It's kind of a nightmare. But like climate change, one cannot see a way out.

[a_new_machine]

The business-drafted legislation is actually a bigger issue at the state and local level, where there are fewer resources and less attention on each piece of legislation.

[hardblue]

I don't doubt it. I'm in Texas and there is no pretending that government is anything but a handmaiden to business interests.

[unnamed525]

I love the smell of fascism in the morning.

[brother_dour]

As us Americans can attest: do not let special interest lobbies have any political power. That way lies madness and a certain erosion of representative government.

[yes_justice]

+1

[sandwichwarrior]

The question is what constitutes a special intrest? How is a teacher's union lobbying the state for higher wages any different from a buisiness lobbying for a tax break?

It reminds me of a quote that i can't seem to find at the moment but the jist is...

When politicians are allowed to control what is bought or sold, politicians will be the first item bought or sold.

[peristaltor]

Good quote. Perhaps if we remove the cash connection from the lobby, we can just say that one person lobbying is the same as the next.

Once the purse strings are attached, the non-profitable lobbies cannot compete.

[peristaltor]

They argue that what's good for big business, is ultimately good for the citizens. . . .

Zounds, but that argument pisses me off to no end. It is wrong, dead wrong, and getting wronger by the minute.

Of course, this is also the argument that says a strong stock market ticker is an indication of a healthy economy, or a high GDP means people are happy. It's like arguing that beauty mark on your cheek cannot possibly be malignant melanoma because it's pretty.

[brother_dour]

They've never heard of Upton Sinclair, have they? He pretty much proved that what is good for businesses is often terrible for the rest of us. Or maybe rivers that routinely catch fire are actually good for us? 10+ percent unemployment due to a dishonest, unregulated home finance industry sure doesn't seem very good for us...

[sandwichwarrior]

Not exactly unregulated, the regs that were on the books were half of the problem. Afterall, if you incentivise loaning to people who otherwise can't pay the loan back you cant really complain when that is exactly what happens.

[peristaltor]

Ah, but who lobbied for that particular regulation? (Hint: barely-able-to-repay lenders prove the most profitable to the lending institution.)

And we come full circle, from lobby to law to result that sucks for society, exactly what the OP discusses.

[lai_choi_san]

ARTE is an excellent channel, one of the most viewed and the favorite one for the French. Is ARTE a well-known channel in Sweden ? It's not for a survey, I'm just curious.

[luvdovz]

It's not broadcast on Swedish cable, but it's avaiable on Viasat. Personally, I occasionally watch it online due to professional need.

[lai_choi_san]

I've forgotten to say that I watched "The Brussels Business". This documentary has the merit to show the concrete reality of something that many were aware of but only vaguely. Now I can't read the words "think tank" on papers from the European Commission without a certain suspicion.

[papasha_mueller]

Those who speak French or German may enjoy this docu in full on Youtube.
The full version is etwa 70-80 min. long.