This morning's Guardian's editorial on the independence debate includes an interesting comment of universal concern:
The reality for modern nation states is that they all face a global economic order in which corporate power is in the ascendant, threatening the livelihoods of the poor and averagely well-off with no respect for borders, and against which most elected politicians can only deploy limited authority. This is what modern politics is fundamentally about.
I do agree that a great deal of what modern politics is about is the relationship between corporate power, the state and the people it represents.
I also agree with the subtle wording of the first sentence. It is true that 'most elected politicians can only deploy limited authority'. I add the emphasis with care because it is all too easy to overlook it in the original.
It is not true that all politicians need, by definition, suffer this complaint. Most do because they choose to shackle themselves to the interests of the corporation and so voluntarily curtail their capacity to act. That, of course, is the act of the cowardly politician as described in my book, The Courageous State.
What is clear in that case is that if this is the issue that modern politics is fundamentally all about then we need politicians willing to be open about it, to debate it, and to stand up against that interest when it is appropriate to do so rather than capitulate to it.
France capitulated to corporate interests yesterday.
Deloitte has issued a demand that any future UK government capitulate in advance of next year's election.
Some elements of UK politics are dedicated to granting Deloitte their wish whenever they ask.
What's need are politicians who will represent the people of this country to ensure they get what they really need.
Alex Salmond was playing that card last night for all it was worth. It will boost him. But who have we in the Rest of the UK saying the same thing? Caroline Lucas, undoubtedly. But who else? Some in Labour, definitely. And once we had some Lib Dems, but that seems to have been a long time ago now.
In that case what modern politics is all about is not just the challenge of the corporation but why there is no adequate response to it, because that's at least as worrying
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Interesting about Deloitte…I was just reading about Care.Data/NHS England and their intention to upload ´sensitive´ patient data to the HSCIC database, irrespective of permissions.
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/20007611.article#.U_wt9KE_6D4
Wandering through the website, and searching for data on personnel, it seems we end-up at high-level corporation everywhere we look:
care.data programme director Eve Roodhouse = http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/eve-roodhouse/10/11b/107
gives us….Deloitte.
I long ago got used to bumping into Goldman placemen when looking through matter EU…..
Please provide correct link for the Deloitte demands capitulation by government story. The one you supplied doesn’t refer to that.
Yes it did
You just chose not to read it that way
Some would argue that the greater capitulation in France is to the Euro orthodoxy which can certainly be argued to be a worse version of the Gold standard. If this is the case business’ role is of insignificance compared to the elite signing up a country to the worst possible of all policies. If the Euro does break up (and one can imagine the impact) it will be in spite of not because of corporate actions.
I agree about the Euro nightmare
But have no doubt business wanted, and wants, the Euro as part of its quest for the undeliverable that it always expects of government but can never supply itself, which is certainty
If our government / EU signs up to TIPP then the take over by corporations will be complete and no politician will be able to stand against them. The World Trade agreements have already taken us a long way down this road. The question that I cannot answer is why politicians sign up to these agreements- except to assume they are a) stupid b) brainwashed by neocons.
I wonder who pays those who attack democracy here?
I note Worstall’s been doing it at the Adam Smith Institute recently too
Many politicians are simply ciphers, they are not capable of independent thought. They are just channels for the dominant power plays. Joined up thinking that might also refer to the impact on communities, resources and life quality of so many around the world is simply absent. They get the status, cudos and benefits-that’s about all it amounts to.
Fred Harrison’s book ‘The traumatised Society’ has a lot to say on this.