Are you stupid? That’s really, really stupid? Are you a grown up? Can you read? Do you know how to think? Are you able to judge for yourself? What’s your answer? Yes? Sorry, no. You are stupid, really stupid. You are not able to judge for yourself. So says the European Parliament.
Blogging is too open and accessible for Eurocrats to bear
Blogs. Apparently MEPs, those people with all that cash, are worried about them. You see it is all a bit of a free for all. People can write blogs without applying for a licence or being approved by the proper authorities. Shocking isn’t it?
Euro-MPs want action: blogs with “malicious intentions or hidden agendas pose a danger”. Marianne Mikko, an Estonian centre-left MEP, is calling for something to be done in a report. Thanks to EU Referendum for this amazing story.
“Blogs are publicly available web pages, with personal views and links expressing the opinions and observations of a particular person, usually on a specific topic or theme and are usually updated regularly reflecting the personality of the author,” so says the Parliament’s website.
How terrible. Just imagine, anybody can think what they like or say what they like, and all by themselves too. People can (easily, what’s worse) publicly write what they think online. And, what is really worrying is that other people might read it.
Ms Mikko: “The blogosphere has so far been a haven of good intentions and relatively honest dealing. However, with blogs becoming commonplace, less principled people will want to use them.”
“I think the public is still very trusting towards blogs, it is still seen as sincere. And it should remain sincere. For that we need a quality mark, a disclosure of who is really writing and why.”
“Hidden agenda” is code here for not trusting people to be able to judge for themselves over arguments put forward by others. It also tends to be the cry from those who are less than sure about being to carry the debate themselves. They think we are stupid and that those who disagree with their world view are malicious and dangerous.
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, a German MEP who claims to be a Liberal, said: “Bloggers cannot automatically be considered a threat, but imagine pressure groups, professional interests or any other groups using blogs to pass on their message. Blogs are powerful tools; they can represent an advance form of lobbyism, which in turn can be seen as a threat”.
“Lobbyists” are those people whose interests are not identical with the state or officialdom or the EU. The state, officialdom and the EU is automatically suspicious of any public sphere, including the blogosphere, where interests can clash. From the clash of interests and ideas comes independent politics.
Mr Chatzimarkakis says: “Any blogger representing or expressing more than their personal view should be affected by this report.” What he means is anyone with an audience, outside an officially approved institution or designated responsible grouping, should be treated with suspicion.
Ever wondered why you are not getting a referendum on the EU Treaty? Same mentality. It is because the debate would be public. All public debates, like the “blogosphere”, have a life of their own. Our rulers don’t like that because they mistrust us. We can not have a referendum because we can not be trusted to say Yes.
By the way, the European Parliament wants to know what you think:
Let them know.
5 comments:
The EU was a bad idea to begin with.
Yes, I think it is.
Hopefully, the Irish vote will shut it down. But, somehow I doubt it.
Yes, I think it is.
Hopefully, the Irish vote will shut it down. But, somehow I doubt it.
Did you guys know the EU parliament wants to set up it's own internal form of Facebook?....The idea of an EU like entity was a good idea. I would have favored a United States of Europe...but it's execution has been an unmitigated disaster! Maybe the problem is far too much cultural variation between the European states and not enough that binds us. Maybe each individual state pushes it's own agenda too much, maybe because Britain isn't running it, European technocrats have had a field day....What I know is this. The Irish vote will not kill it. The Irish vote will not even kill the bill it was for (Lisbon agreement I think). The response of the EU administration, too the voice of the people saying 'NO' was......'Were going to carry on with the bill anyway...if your lucky, we'll ask you the same question again, in a few years, in a slightly different way...and keep on doing that until we get the answer we want!' Democracy at work!.....Then again...at least the Irish got a chance to vote on this issue....we were promised a vote on this issue ....and the promise was conveniently forgotten by the PM.
Watcher,
That's what I figured.
Honestly, I don't see what could be wrong with a United States of Europe, if the USE had an American-type constitution.
But, that's not what the EU is. It's a trade agreement grown into a monstrosity of laws and bureaucratic regulations, limiting freedom.
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