Ramon Casha, Qormi
Of the people, for the people, by the people
In the famous Gettysburg Address, US President Abraham Lincoln ended with the famous words “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”.
Sadly, he was wrong. Through agreements like Acta, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, it has turned into “government of the people, for the corporations, by the lobby groups”.
Large international corporations create heavily funded industry groups whose only reason for existence is to persuade politicians at every level to favour laws that cater for that same industry – usually at the expense of the citizens. Such laws are often created and introduced quietly, behind closed doors, sometimes piecemeal, gradually eroding what once were freedoms and rights. Where simple manipulation and misinformation do not work, consciences can be salved by the liberal application of campaign funding.
Acta is not the first and it will not be the last. We are moving into a time where the invisible vote of a corporation is worth thousands of citizens’ real votes. It is time that the people start to push back and remind legislators that the only ones they represent – and the only source of their authority – are the citizens, not the corporations, no matter how large and well-funded.
This reminder is being delivered at 11 a.m. today starting from the entrance to Valletta. Be there.
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Gerry Cowie
Feb 11th, 16:28
Ramon, your life does revolve around one topic only. Consider the nature of secularism. It is to a great degree about selfishness - and selfishness is what is the reason for all of this...corporations above people due to rich people having all the power!
R Caruana - take note also!
Ramon Casha
Feb 11th, 19:56
Secularism has absolutely nothing to do with selfishness, and has nothing to do with ACTA. Not only that but humanism is decidedly in favour of individual rights, not corporate rights.
Kenneth Cassar
Feb 13th, 10:23
@ Gerry Cowie:
Would you dare say that secularists are all selfish people? I await your response which will perhaps show us the true "Christian spirit".
Franco Farrugia
Feb 11th, 14:49
Oblivious of what some silly people may tell you, Mr Casha, I think that if you have read ACTA properly, you will find that certain parts of it are not only not bad but sorely needed. The EU is trying to protect a circa 9 billion euro industry, consisting of thousands and thousands of jobs Europe-wide - but perhaps you are not interested in that since you are not part of it - allura tigi taqa' w tqum. Admittedly, however, there are other parts of ACTA that need changing, particularly those parts that touch up on the ISPs, just to mention one article.
Robert Callus
Feb 11th, 16:23
From where did you get the 9 billion? Even Simon Busuttil was talking about 8 billion, has it increased in a week?
Statistics are very easy to manipulate. Probably the industry is calculating (deliberately of course) that every downloaded song, video etc would have otherwise been bought. We all know that is very far from the truth.
And as far as I know with or without ACTA, most of these industries are still thriving. (Though most of them are also misers with those who came up with the material, the musicians, artists etc)
Ramon Casha
Feb 11th, 18:20
I have read ACTA in its entirety and analysed it in detail. I have also carefully read the arguments on both sides. Have you ever wondered why Germany, which is by far the European country with the greatest IP industry, has not signed it? As it so happens, I am a part of the IP industry, since by profession I am a software developer and have been for over two decades now, so I believe I know a thing or two about that area. People who are against this treaty include musicians, composers, actors and directors - in fact one of the speakers at the protest march was a representative of the European Council of Artists. ACTA threatens them, as well as our modest pharmaceutical industry and our Freeport. I believe that ACTA threatens far more jobs throughout Europe than it protects.
Gerry Cowie
Feb 11th, 13:23
That's secularism for you, Ramon! You insist upon it so you have to accept the consequences of it!
Ramon Casha
Feb 11th, 13:57
What does secularism have to do with any of this? You'll have to point it out I'm afraid, you see my life does not revolve around one topic only.
R. Caruana
Feb 11th, 14:04
What does ACTA have to do with Secularism if I may ask? Is Anti-ACTA the devil now?