European Commission Suggests ACTA's Opponents Don't Have 'Democratic Intentions'

from the what-planet-are-they-on? dept

Last week, we had a story about the IFPI (the international equivalent of the RIAA) saying that the ACTA protests were trying to "silence the democratic process". You might have thought that was bad enough, but here's worse.

Netzpolitik.org points us to leaked internal minutes of a meeting of the European Commission the day before the massive Europe-wide demonstrations against ACTA. They reveal the EU's top politicians taken aback by the scale of the planned demonstrations, but dismissing them with almost the same words as the IFPI (German original):

ultimately it will be hard to convince civil society organizations [about the benefits of ACTA]. Represented among them are interests that do not reflect the wider community. Specific activities were observed that do not always live up to the supposedly democratic intentions.
The minutes went on to detail some of the things people are up to:
ACTA's opponents are trying to mobilize people against the agreement, in order to influence the remaining MS [Member States that have not yet signed] and EP [Parliament].
So the European Commission thinks that tens of thousands of people on the streets somehow don't reflect the wider community -- presumably unlike the small band of negotiators and lobbyists behind closed doors that drew up ACTA in secrecy for years, who do represent the European Union's 500 million people.

And the Commissioners are just shocked that the opponents of ACTA, who have been denied any meaningful transparency about what was being agreed to in their name during those now-concluded negotiations, are desperately trying to make their voices heard by the only institutions left that can listen: the EU nations that haven't signed ACTA, and the European Parliament that must still ratify it.

This suggests that the European Commission is completely out of touch with the people it supposedly serves, and still doesn't understand the growing anger that its arrogant approach and condescending tone continues to generate on the streets.

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Filed Under: acta, democratic intentions, eu commission, europe


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  • icon
    Ima Fish (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:26am

    Poland's government called the protests "blackmail."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:29am

    Fuck off IFPI

    Nobody gives a shit what you have to say. Fuck off and die in a fire.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    The eejit (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:34am

    Wow,k so, under ACTA, the European Comission can be shut down based on the relentless copying/stealing of IFPI and RIAA rhetoric, right?

    oh, wait...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:35am

    If you want to ruin the Internet for profit, you are not democratic either.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    paddyduke (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:36am

    Oh Mike-Glyn, this is the NewDemocracy™.

    It’s like the old democracy, but… better. And trademarked.

    We didn’t get to be rich and powerful by letting "the public" tell us what to do. No, we told them to vote for us and accept this law and that law, or there would be child porn. Just child porn everywhere.

    Is that what you freetards want, Mike-Glyn? Terrorist child porn and cupcake bombs? Because that’s how it looks from way up here. And those things are totally unNewDemocratic™.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      el_segfaulto (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:11am

      Re:

      Cupcake bomb, either the best name for a new caffeinated dessert, or an all-girl band. Either way, awesome.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 10:19am

        Re: Re:

        I was more thinking a legion of midgets all dressed like infants with Stewie (Family Guy) masks throwing cupcake shaped grenades.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Dionaea (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 1:22pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          @53

          That sounds like fun, maybe we could do that for the next anti-ACTA protest :3 I went one on the 11th, but probably can't go this weekend... I got a really bad cold T^T

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    DannyB (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:37am

    What could be more democratic?

    What could be more democratic than private industry buying off politicians who will rubber stamp verbatim laws written by private industry, or "negotiate" international treaties in secret. (examples: DMCA was written by former Motion Picture Ass. head of America, Jack Valenti; ACTA was negotiated in secret. Gee, Jack, you couldn't have gotten more custom legislation than that could you?)

    Freetards just don't understand true democracy.

    The IFPI, RIAA and MPAA are just trying to buy the best democracy possible. Shut up now. It's for your own good.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Traveller800 (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:38am

    When I see things like this, it reminds me why I believe 'democracy' is broken.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      :Lobo Santo (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:51am

      Re: Big D

      Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting upon dinner.

      Liberty is a well-armed sheep.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:34am

        Re: Re: Big D

        Its more like the reverse. Big corporations are the powerful wolves preying on a larger number of sheep.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Atkray (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:53am

        Re: Re: Big D

        ...bleating and babbling we fell on his neck with a scream

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 23 Feb 2012 @ 2:16am

        Re: Liberty is a well-armed sheep.

        I hear that bullshit all the time. Guess what happens whenever one of your “armed sheep” pulls out his gun?

        He gets shot.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      The eejit (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:41am

      Re:

      Democracy has been broken for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time. It's just taken the masses some time to realise it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      DannyB (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 11:32am

      Re:

      > When I see things like this, it reminds me why I believe 'democracy' is broken.



      Democracy is working perfectly**. The largest number of votes prevails.


      **please note that vote ballots are small sheets printed in green ink with pictures of dead presidents.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    LyleD, 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:39am

    Democratic indeed

    The European Commission DOES NOT represent the people! The European Parliament represents the people!

    "The members of the commission are proposed by their member state governments, one from each, however they are bound to act independently – neutral from other influences such as those governments which appointed them." (wiki ref)

    Which ofc is complete bollocks.. They're all backroom boys who legislate for the good their club and not the people.. Democratic intentions indeed..

    IMO their opinion carry's no weight whatsoever and everything they say or do is immediately suspect.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      TtfnJohn (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:50am

      Re: Democratic indeed

      I'm starting to think that the the populations of EU countries share the same opinion you do. Appoint in "secret" negotiate treaties in secret.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:25am

      Re: Democratic indeed

      The European Parliament represents the people!

      I'm assuming this was a joke. With the average voter turnout being 43% per country in 2009 and THAT only being helped by countries like Luxembourg up in the 90's and for example the Conservatives the top scorers in the UK getting 25 seats from 27% of the actual vote (or about 10% of people in the country voting Conservative). I wouldn't call that terribly representative of the people.

      I'd say Winston Churchill was right: "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."
      Of course no one has actually tried a real democracy yet and it seems in most cases Parlimentary Democracy has little to do with "The People". In this day and age a "true" democracy is technicaly possible - I wonder why no-one has tried. Perhaps Sir Winston was right about that one too: “The best argument against democracy is 5 minutes with the average voter.”, but I don't think they could make a worse hash of it than the average bought-and-paid-for politician.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:46am

    Hey, what can be more democratic then listening to the people with the biggest bags of money that they're willing to give you?

    After all, that's why American democracy is flourishing with Super PAC spending, all thanks to 5 really REALLY rich people who have donated over 25% of the Super PAC money to date. What could be more democratic then rich billionaires trying to force candidates onto the public that the public already said they don't want?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    kenichi tanaka, 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:47am

    What did they think was going to happen when the meetings were closed off to the public and only those who represent intellectual property and copyrights were allowed to be involved with the meetings.

    But, it backfired on the ACTA terrorists. Excuse me for saying so, but anyone involved with putting together ACTA ARE terrorists. The entire reasoning behind ACTA was misrepresented because the entertainment industry keeps demanding more restrictive copyright laws and what can be done with their product. The thing is, the entertainment industry does not create content (games, movies, music).

    When you have game developers, music artists and movie directors, producers, cast and crew all rallying against ACTA, then there has to be a major problem.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Chris From Poland, 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:47am

    Oh well... I guess we will just have to take to the streets again. February 25th, anyone?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Squig (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:03am

      Re:

      Germany is in. Thought most Polish protests are taking place on the 26th?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Chargone (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:00pm

        Re: Re:

        fireworks on the 5th of november might be an interesting idea if protests are still needed then.

        wouldn't really be noticed in the commonwealth, i suppose, but elsewhere the sudden migration of such an event might be noticeable.

        (now, Guy Fawks day is actually a celebration of the fact that he Failed to destroy parliament... but more importantly, failed to kill the Monarch, as the point in the exercise was apparently a change in king. still, whether you read it as pointing out that those sufficiently unhappy with how things are being run may well resort to explosives or as that attempts to undermine the right and proper order of government Will fail (note that right and proper in this case means actually for the good of the people, with their participation, whether a monarch is involved or not) it'd still be significant.

        failing that you get the link to V for Vendetta and Annoymous, so meh *shrugs*)

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:51am

    it suggests to me that the members of the EU Commission are just as bought and paid for as the US Senate/Congress. sooner or later, there will be severe repercussions against those that are supposed to represent the people but are, in actual fact, interested only in lining their own pockets with the 'encouragement' received for representing big corporations!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:55am

    just read a new article on torrentfreak concerning ACTA. hope the link works

    http://torrentfreak.com/european-court-of-justice-to-examine-acta-for-rights-breaches-12022 2/

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Traveller800 (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:04am

      Re:

      I hope the court see's through the bullshit that the ACTA supporters eep throwing up.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      tqk (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:30am

      Re:

      Thanks for the link. It works. Um:
      De Gucht insists that ACTA will not lead to the censorship or closing down of websites and will not hinder freedom on the Internet or freedom of speech, but said that the referral to the European Court of Justice would help “cut through this fog of uncertainty.”

      Uh huh. Politicians not reading stuff they expect to sign, still? If De Gucht wants to cut through the fog of uncertainty, perhaps he ought to read it?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Chargone (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:06pm

        Re: Re:

        either that or he's blatantly lieing.

        also, most of these things are written in legalise. that can obfusicate ANYTHING in a perfectly precise and totally accurate manner.

        (technically bills up for vote here in NZ are available to the public, at least usually. problem is every two or three sentences there's five paragraphs of this, that, or the other party or politician forcing through changes to the effect of adding or removing full stops, swapping 'a' for 'the' and vice versa, and other equally pathetic things that would not MATTER if the bloody thing were written in proper english in the first place. (the courts have to make rulings on exactly what is meant all the time Anyway, and while it might give people a little more leigimate wiggle room on the less important stuff, the More important stuff would be a heck of a lot clearer. there'd be less loopholes and what loopholes there were, Anyone could see and thus compensate for, and it'd be a lot harder to HIDE any unintended (or intended) consiquences that were contrary to the public good.)

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:01am

    Your error is a basic misunderstanding of "democracy." It is not, as you seem to think, "rule by the people," but rather "rule by the bureaucrat." Once you understand that it becomes clear than anything intended to stop or divert the inexorable grinding of the political machine is fundamentally anti-democratic.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Caroline, 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:05am

    Again de Gucht

    Again Karel de Gught is lying and spreading the opposite of what ACTA is really going to mean.

    Of course the EC exactly knows what is going on. They cannot be surprised, so naive nobody can be.
    This leads to the conclusion that it all is deliberate. And that we are really in a fight that we have to continue and win in order to keep our freedom.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    crade (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:21am

    Trying to mobilize the people for political purpose is undemocratic? wtf is democratic then?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:45am

    In some ways they are right. Just like the SOPA deal, the opponents are more interested in their own business models and vested interests, and are going to scream loudly to get it stopped. They don't respresent a majority, they don't even appear to represent a good sized minority.

    It's not democratic when a small group of people try to tell the larger group what is and what is not right. That just isn't going to work out well. It's funny to see you guys with your panties in a knot because someone pointed out the issue.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Squig (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:57am

      Re:

      What corporation, except a few ISPs and techblogs and techmedia, have spoken out against ACTA exactly?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:02am

      Re:

      "They don't respresent a majority, they don't even appear to represent a good sized minority."

      Hundreds of thousands of people on the streets in various countries is what then?

      "It's not democratic when a small group of people try to tell the larger group what is and what is not right."

      You are completely delusional. This isn't a cartel of corporations buying political influence. This is THE people speaking out. And ultimately, in a Democracy, you do what the people want.

      European leaders should just stop poking the hornets nest. People are already on edge because of the austerity measures. Push them too far, and we'll have a revolution in our hands. Or worse: another war.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:32am

        Re: Re:

        It is people speaking out, but is it the majority of people, or just some people?

        Can you really say it is democratic if 10% of the people are against something, so you don't do it?

        20%?

        Where is the magic number? Usually in a democracy, it is 50% (plus 1). Moreover, most political systems do not put every issue to a public referendum, rather the laws are created and passed by the democratically elected government.

        If you really want your say, have it at the ballot box. Don't delude yourself into thinking you are majority, because the ballot box says otherwise.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          The eejit (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:41am

          Re: Re: Re:

          But then you have laws almost literally purchased and negotiated in secret, without public input. That's not democracy either, and you damn well know it.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:25am

            Re: Re: Re: Re:

            The democractic part is this: If you think the people you elected are screwing you, toss their sorry asses out and replace them.

            Don't bitch because you selected a group of criminals (by your description) to run the country.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:57am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              THE FUCKING PROCESS DOESN'T END AT VOTING!!!

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • identicon
                Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 11:18am

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                Thank you! I'm sick of hearing the same argument about how we do our part at the ballot box and then we have no voice until the next election. That line of thinking is bullshit dreamt up by lobbyists.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

              • icon
                Chargone (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:09pm

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                not only that, but the people in question here weren't elected in the first place, and often those who appointed them weren't either.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              tqk (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 10:10am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              The democractic part is this: If you think the people you elected are screwing you, toss their sorry asses out and replace them.

              You should take off those rose coloured glasses. That doesn't appear to work anymore.

              Vic Toews, Canada's "Minister for Public Safety"'s latest hobby horse is "Lawful Access" legislation which was written by the Liberals who have since been tossed out and relegated to fringe party status. Toews pretty much admitted to the CBC that he hadn't even read the thing. Why are the Conservatives now pushing for laws that originated with the Liberals?

              Who should we vote in now, Bugs Bunny or Donald Duck?

              Could it be that deep pocketed corporations (RIAA, MPAA, et al) are now in control of the elected politicians, and not the electorate?

              For the US-ians among us, how's that "Hope and Change" thing of Obama's working out for you?

              Democracy, 21st Century style: "Shut up and take it. We know what's good for you, not you."

              link to this | view in chronology ]

              • identicon
                Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 11:10am

                Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                Next time around, if you are voting in Canada, toss them out.

                link to this | view in chronology ]

                • identicon
                  Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 11:55am

                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                  Or voice your discontent now. You don't have to wait, you know.

                  link to this | view in chronology ]

                • icon
                  Chargone (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:10pm

                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                  yes, because the Other, ALSO bought and payed four 1-4 options are any better :S

                  link to this | view in chronology ]

                • identicon
                  AB, 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:48pm

                  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

                  We had a very nice minority government for a while, but in the last election they managed to trick their way back into a majority leadership despite having less than 50% of the people's votes. (What was that you said about democracy meaning 50% +1?)

                  The reality is that very few politicians in the modern world actually represent their constituents. They are usually voted in because they are the least of a bad lot, not because they are the best of anything.

                  link to this | view in chronology ]

            • icon
              explicit coward (profile), 23 Feb 2012 @ 2:16am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

              "The democractic part is this: If you think the people you elected are screwing you, toss their sorry asses out and replace them."

              The problem is: You can't toss them out BEFORE they screw you, unless they try to screw you right before the end of their term - which they usually don't, because they are clever bastards.

              The very SYSTEM is broken: You elect someone based on his/her promises. If he/she starts to break said promises you have no means to stop him/her from doing so until the end of term.

              In an age of potential instant feedback this is nothing but sad.

              link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          TtfnJohn (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:49am

          Re: Re: Re:

          On issues such as SOPA and ACTA the ballot box says no such thing. ACTA may not have been an issue in many EU countries the last time they held an election and SOPA/PIPA certainly weren't the last time Americans went to the polls. So to say that the majority are in favour of these things is what's delusional.

          The response to on line petitions, phone call campaigns and other kinds of protest indicate that the majority are opposed to these sorts of things. By which I mean bills in legislatures written by and for special interest groups such as the entertainment and fashion industries in the back rooms before being brought onto the floor for debate. Or international treaties being negotiated exclusively in the back room with those same interests before being imposed on countries without wide, knowledgeable and extensive debate by the citizens of the countries involved and not merely interest groups.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Chosen Reject (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:32am

          Re: Re: Re:

          If less than 50% of the people show up, then it is definitely a minority, but that ignores several things:
          1) More people are going to have an opinion one way or the other than are going to show up for a protest. I don't know what percentage of people who agree but are no shows, but it's not a trivial number.
          2) ACTA supporters could also rally in the streets to show their support, but they're not. Sure, like above, there's going to be support that doesn't show up, and the number isn't trivial, but I would suspect the percentages are the same. In which case, it's obvious more people are against ACTA than for.
          3) The only people who have been allowed to say anything for or against ACTA while it was being negotiated were either those who wanted it, or those lobbied by those who wanted it. That's not democracy. If the opposers aren't being democratic, that only means nothing about ACTA has been democratic, because the supporters have been even less democratic than the opposers.

          However, let's consider the ramifications of a minority turnouts. In the 2010 election year, Lamar Smith received 69% of the vote, whereas Ron Wyden received only 57% of the vote. However, only 32.2% of the eligible voters in Texas showed up to vote, which means Lamar Smith only received ~22.2% of the vote, whereas 52.7% of eligible voters in Oregon showed up to vote, giving Ron Wyden ~30% of the vote. Judging by this, neither should hold office, but Wyden deserves to be in office more than Smith.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          crade (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:34am

          Re: Re: Re:

          Your mistake is to assume everyone who isn't against is for. If 10% are against something, 0.01% are for it and 89.99% don't care either way, then sure it's democratic to go with the 10%.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 1:52pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          Where is the magic number? Usually in a democracy, it is 50% (plus 1).

          Except that would be 50% + 1 of the people that turn up. By that measure then 100% of the people that turned up are against ACTA. By any other measure then you don't live in a democracy there in America (assuming you ARE American),or anywhere else for that matter, since at the last presidential election voter turnout was 56.8% and Obama got 52.9% of the vote, so about 25% of Americans allowed to vote voted for him (considerably less than 25% of Americans). So... what exactly IS the magic number?

          I'm curious, do you seriously beleive that the ONLY say a citizen of a country should have is to once every [four] years make a choice between a small handful of people they had no say in choosing and with whom they will inevitably disagree with strenuously on a majority of issues? When was the last time you found ANYONE who agreed with you on every issue? Or is it your position just a convenient excuse for something else such as a lack of caring or a vested interest?

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          btr1701 (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 2:39pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          > It is people speaking out, but is it the
          > majority of people, or just some people?

          It's more people (by far) than the ones who negotiated ACTA in secret.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          AB, 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:42pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          So you are saying ACTA is not democratic since it is being decided entirely by an incredibly tiny minority with no ballot box option (or any other form of representation) being made available to anyone else.

          The elected officials who are supposed to be representing their constituents have been cut off from those people by a wall of secrecy enforced through unethical rules and mandates. In order to even be present they had to sign contracts specifically preventing them from seeking the opinions of the people they are supposed to represent. No matter how you slice it, that is not a good example of representative democracy.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:20am

      Re:

      It's not democratic when a small group of people try to tell the larger group what is and what is not right. That just isn't going to work out well.

      Yep. a small group of content companies, many of who's clients, employees, and customers don't support their agenda, trying to enforce their will onto the vast majority of people isn't going to work that well.

      When you push enough people into a corner for a long enough period of time, eventually they push back. And the more you people insist on pushing us, the harder we are going to push back.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:29am

      Re:

      Black is white! Up is down! Freedom is slavery!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:46am

      Re:

      Cargo cult comment.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      JMT (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:16pm

      Re:

      "Just like the SOPA deal, the opponents are more interested in their own business models and vested interests, and are going to scream loudly to get it stopped. They don’t respresent a majority, they don’t even appear to represent a good sized minority."

      This is a ridiculous statement. In fact, you’ve just perfectly described SOPA proponents. The movie studios, record labels, etc are more interested in their own (outdated) business models and vested interests, and scream loudly (via lobbying the government) to get it enacted. They don’t represent a majority; they don’t even appear to represent a good sized minority (0.14% of the US’s GDP from memory).

      "It’s not democratic when a small group of people try to tell the larger group what is and what is not right."

      The "small group", which were not small by the standards of public protests, were not trying to tell a larger group what is and what is not right, they were trying to tell a the government what is and what is not right. It’s a rather important difference, and it’s amazing you don’t understand this.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 8:00am

    If the EC represented the people of their nations, the article would be titled:

    "European Commission Suggests ACTA's Proponents Don't Have 'Democratic Intentions'"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    kamjam (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:08am

    This suggests that the European Commission is completely out of touch with the people it supposedly serves, and still doesn't understand the growing anger that its arrogant approach and condescending tone continues to generate on the streets.

    Of course they understand, it's just they're paid off to turn a blind eye. Otherwise no one can be that stupid... i hope...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    AB, 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:12am

    If they want more freedom, let them enjoy more laws.

    As Marie Antoinette said of the starving masses, "If they have no bread, let them eat cake." The really sad thing is that she honestly meant it. Like all elitists she was so completely out of touch with reality that she truly believed her suggestion was a feasible alternative and could not understand why they continued to starve.

    Revolutions are an effective method of clearing an overpopulation of elitists from the field, but eventually the population builds up again. And they inevitably are attracted to positions of power from which they become more and more disconnected until the next revolution rolls around.

    It is a mistake to assume all these people are bought and paid for. Certainly some of them are, but there are also many who simply have no clue and sincerely believe the rhetoric. These truly cannot understand the anger of the people.

    An old-fashioned revolution may not be the prettiest solution, but it is certainly time to start looking. If enough intelligent people focus on the problem, perhaps a better way to achieve the same effect can be found. The democracy we currently practice has served well for a long time and I certainly hope it can be modified rather then discarded.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Chosen Reject (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:42am

      Re: If they want more freedom, let them enjoy more laws.

      I don't disagree with your sentiment, but Marie Antoinette not only never said that, she also probably wouldn't have ever meant it. I'm not saying she was perfect (far from it), but she never said that, and she did show concern for people during famines.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Chargone (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:15pm

        Re: Re: If they want more freedom, let them enjoy more laws.

        not only that, but in the era in question 'cake' was not a delicious desert type thingy. it was the left over crud in the bottom of an oven at the end of the day from anything that dripped/overflowed/whatever. so that's not being clueless and out of touch. just evil.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          AB, 22 Feb 2012 @ 7:28pm

          Re: Re: Re: If they want more freedom, let them enjoy more laws.

          The term accredited is 'Brioche' which does indeed refer to 'a delicious desert type thingy.' Perhaps the word 'pastry' would have been a more accurate translation, but 'cake' remains close enough for most people.

          As to whether the quote is real or not... while there is some question of its validity, it remains a well known phrase with a strong association. Good enough for the purpose of demonstrating how an powerful individual (old-time aristocrat or modern politician) can have the best of intentions while remaining totally out of touch with reality.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Beech, 22 Feb 2012 @ 9:20am

    In this context "majority" is a funny concept. Ten thousand people in a country demonstrating isn't 50% of the population, but who is to say the rest of the people who chose not to demonstrate aren't in agreement? I would love to see some polls taken in the EU about Acta and see what the numbers really are.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Chargone (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:17pm

      Re:

      problem with that is, if you don't do it yourself with the actual true objective of finding the truth...

      the results will be bias to the point of uselessness for anything other than propaganda.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2012 @ 11:49am

    dont have "Democratic intentions"
    =
    dont have "Democratic rights"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    The Amazing Sammy (profile), 22 Feb 2012 @ 6:29pm

    Just in general...

    The more the Europeans throw around the word democracy... the more I get the feeling that they have absolutely no idea what the word even means. Huh, maybe it's me?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      explicit coward (profile), 23 Feb 2012 @ 2:21am

      Re: Just in general...

      Sorry, but I live in Switzerland and think that we have one of the best (although not flawless) democracies EVER.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Feb 2012 @ 8:07am

    You really want to send them a message?
    Stop buying their products you spineless, gutless "I must be entertained" wonders.
    Yeah, that's so not going to happen.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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