3 ms·

Is anyone surprised that examples of this power being used currently and in the past includes an oil company complaining that environmental regulations hamper i

Is anyone surprised that examples of this power being used currently and in the past includes an oil company complaining that environmental regulations hamper its profits and a tobacco company trying to prevent plain packaging? Most democracies do not create laws which scare away multinationals. There really is absolutely no incentive for it. Even corrupt politicians don't want to scare away multinationals because the bribes from those companies are their largest source of income. This law effectively neutralizes democracy. It's also hilarious in a macabre way to see supposedly nationalist Americans railing against Agenda 21 which is non-binding, while treaties such as TPP which allow an international tribunal which override national laws to be pushed forward by their govt.

fsloth 12y ago
I wouldn't way it neutralizes democracy, just makes it less effective. To me the core mechanic of modern democracies is control of society through legislative power and the democratic procedure to rotate those that have it. Taxation, even if just nominal, is one of the most powerful proven mechanisms to control human behavior. This is effectively a tax on changing legislation, thus impeding the democratic process. Effectively this says that the rights of the stock holders to profits are more valuable than the rights of the citizens. Which is a rule that has been historically enforced in various countries time and again. No wonder this is secret. Everyone who gets most of their livelihood through labor and not capital investment are the unwilling benefactors.