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The move away from globalization has had an unfortunate side effect: greater political corruption, where local politicians enact laws for the benefit of their l
by tomComb 3y ago
The move away from globalization has had an unfortunate side effect: greater political corruption, where local politicians enact laws for the benefit of their local corporate buddies, and pretend (usually successfully) that it is an act of nationalism and standing up to big tech.
That’s what happened here in Canada with Bill c-18, as mentioned in the article. It’s been rather sickening to watch the government defend this bizarre law that is little more then a shake down for their buddies at bell and Rogers.
- lifeisstillgood 3y agoWho are bell and rogers? Some sort of newspaper firm? Plus while corruption is possible, protectionism is the less greasy term, and equally likely to be driving things
- grzm 3y agoI assume Bell Telephone (and its descendants) and Rogers Communications (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Communications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Communications)
- tomComb 3y agoThey are the dominant telecom companies, but they are much more than that here and have had the politicians in their pockets, protecting them from competition and funneling tax-payers money to them, for years. You might be puzzled that I mention them in relation to a bill that is supposed to be for journalism - but the official analysis of this bill confirms that the majority of the money actually goes to them. That is normal here.
- Apocryphon 3y agoThis has always followed protectionism, I'd guess. Really the solution would have been to socialize the domestic losses caused by globalization (retraining workers, etc.), but there seems to be no interest or political will towards doing that.
- verve_rat 3y agoThe problem is that for a lot of places, globalisation seems to mean, paying money to US companies and harming the local tax base. If the money is shipped overseas, how to you pay for the socialised losses?