On Monday 21 March 2005, Barry O'Donovan wrote:
> Now, from another perspective, the large multinationals that support
> software patentability (or any other directive or law) usually have
> well paid professional lobbyists working in Ireland and in the E.U. (as
> well as the other member states). These people have the ear of the
> politicians because they bring big money into the country by way of
> capital investment, corporate tax, jobs etc. Fair enough. FOSS
> hobbyists and enthusiasts do not have equivalent lobbyists. Nor the ear
> of politicians without a lot of hard work. So, usually, the people we
> elect to represent us hear loudly and directly from the multinationals
> and whispers, if at all, from the rest of us. This may be the
> democratic society we live in but it doesn't seem very fair.
Politicians are driven purely by votes at the next election, and because of that, it is still democratic. What is worrying the relevant politicians is not the attitude of the multinationals as such, but rather the fact that if they are in power if / when the multinationals moved out, the voters would blame them and not vote for them.
Idealogical or fairness arguments will not cut it with politicians because that will not count for many votes, the only argument here so far that I have seen which is relevant to them is the economic one.
Ciaran
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