Tag Archives: democracy

EU Referendum – If You Really Believe in Democracy There is Only One Way You Can Vote on Thursday

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eu referendum A couple of months ago I began this EU campaign genuinely undecided about how I would vote. I knew we sent the EU quite a lot of money and that it was bureaucratic. But I also believed fully in the idea that we were stronger together and that free trade is usually a good thing.

After much thought and research I have decided to vote to leave the EU. The final factor was the Paxman documentary which I would encourage everyone to watch.

Much as I love Europe. I cannot vote in favour of a system which is undemocratic and unaccountable. We must all fight to defend our democracy. So many have already sacrificed so much in the past to do so.

How is the EU undemocratic? Firstly, perhaps most importantly it lacks transparency. This system is unnecessarily and seemingly deliberately complex. Understanding how laws are actually made is difficult. There are three main bodies.

The European Council – Decides priorities and directions of the EU

The European Commission – Proposes legislation, policies and programmes of action and is responsible for implementing the decisions of the European Parliament and the Council.

The European Parliament – Amends and approves legislation

There are also a myriad of other bodies involved, of which there are far too many to list. When a system is this complex it becomes impossible for ordinary people to have any input or influence on the decision making process. Power becomes held in a smaller and smaller elite.

New laws are not proposed by elected members of the EU parliament. In almost all cases they are proposed by unelected commissioners. This is crucial. What is the point of having elected representatives if they are powerless to change anything? When I vote for my MP to go to Westminster he or she stands on a manifesto of policies he or she wishes to undertake on my behalf. My MEP stands for nothing. It’s little wonder that almost no one actually knows who their MEP is. The elected European Parliament, in those policy areas in which it is allowed a say, votes on directives in vast batches with very little opportunity for debate. Detailed scrutiny is given in committees, but only a tiny proportion of MEPs are able to participate. The ability to modify directives is itself subject to many rules. There is no accountability. Any laws which are created trump our own parliament. Whatever people may say, it is not democracy.

I do not pretend that leaving the EU would not be difficult and there would not be a great deal of upheaval. I have also been very disappointed with most of the arguments and figures from both sides. It saddens me that the debate has been dominated by immigration and the economy when to me the true issue is our relationship with the EU and our democracy.

But we cannot allow this undemocratic system to continue. The EU has shown itself to be completely unwilling to reform. David Cameron had a golden opportunity to work for proper democratic reform during his re-negotiation. He didn’t even bother because he, and most other politicians, have no interest in changing a system which favours them. It is time for us all to stand up and be counted and take back control of our democracy. We may not get another chance.

 

G8: Governments Move To Crack Down on Internet Freedoms but Zuckerberg Issues Warning

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It was the opening day of the G8 summit today and one of the main issues on the agenda will be the future of the internet. Governments will discuss how and whether it’s possible to regulate and censor the internet.

Governments have become increasingly worried. China now operates a huge firewall which blocks any internet site with an anti-government line. The power of the internet was evidenced during the Arab spring, where social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, were major factors in causing uprisings and toppling regimes.

The talks also follow the super injunction scandal and British legal crisis. Thousands defied the law and defended the right to free speech using the websites twitter, including a many celebrities such as Dom Jolly, Piers Morgan and Boy George. Even now lawyers may seek to prosecute them. The situation has government’s worried and they may try and clamp down on internet freedoms in the future. This might start with certain regulations on companies such as Twitter, Google and Facebook.

Today Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg warned against any attempt to regulate the internet. He said any interference would damage the internet’s power to spread freedom.

Google leader Eric Schmidt said any regulation wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace of technology, ‘Technology will move faster than governments, so don’t legislate until you understand the consequences.

J’s thoughts

Whatever the outcome, it is all our duty to defend the right to free speech. The internet is the defining feature of our generation. It is wonderful in many ways and it has done a great deal of good for democracy, knowledge and dare I say peace. It has its darker sides of course but so does any product of humanity.

At some point some our governments will try and control the internet. They will twist it, manipulate it and use it as means to control us. In some cases like China it is already too late. It is all our jobs to stop this from happening.

 

Super Injunctions: People Unite to Defend Free Speech: Sunday Herald Names Accused Footballer

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The last few weeks have seen the start of the next stage in the most important battle of our lifetimes.  The battle for the free speech of the internet.  Today a well-known British journalist faced jail as the attorney general considered whether to prosecute him, after he named a British footballer on Twitter, who has allegedly had an affair. The footballer had taken out a super injunction preventing his name being published in the press.

Already governments worldwide have been clamping down on free speech. Most notably China, where the great firewall constantly watches and monitors what people can see. Anything which goes against the government line is mercilessly blocked. This article will certainly not make it through. We have also seen in Egypt how the internet was switched off when its people went against the government.

Today saw people and journalists unite against the tyrannical super injunctions which seek to silence us. The day we start locking people up for telling the truth will be the end of our democracy. Thousands of people on Twitter named or re-tweeted the footballer who took out a super injunction to prevent his name being reported in the press.

Today his efforts failed. The Sunday Herald named the footballer and its front page printed his picture with a black bar across his eyes with the words censored.

Twitter users relentlessly used their accounts to put out as much information on the footballer as they could.The Herald hit out at what it called, ‘restrictive privacy laws’. They said this was an ‘issue of freedom of information’ and they expected no legal ramifications. Have these actions left the British judicial system in crisis?

The accused footballer is already seeking to sue reality TV star Imogen Thomas (the women he is accused of having the affair with), accusing her of blackmail. The footballer is also trying to sue the Sun newspaper. How many more can he sue though?

Free speech is the life blood of democracy. Without a free press there is no democracy. It was no surprise to me that the internet was nominated for the Nobel peace prize this year. I hope it wins the award in the future.

The internet allows the world to communicate. Wars happen when we’re afraid of people and things we don’t understand. The internet prevents that.

It is the greatest tool of freedom we have and we must preserve it.