> It’s not “the EU” in general that is to blame – but those who put special interests above fundamental rights who currently hold considerable power.
While I agree with the author's point that the latter category--those who put special interests above fundamental rights--includes the far right as well as the far left, I have to disagree that "it's not the EU in general that is to blame". The problem is that the EU in general is set up to allow this sort of thing to take place. Yes, in this particular case it has bubbled up to visibility early enough to give people a chance to try to convince their representatives to say no. But how many other things are going on behind closed doors that don't get publicized? How many other special interests are being put above fundamental rights without public knowledge? If a government is so untrustworthy that citizens have to constantly micromanage what it does to avoid having their rights taken away, what's the point of having the government in the first place?
While I agree with the author's point that the latter category--those who put special interests above fundamental rights--includes the far right as well as the far left, I have to disagree that "it's not the EU in general that is to blame". The problem is that the EU in general is set up to allow this sort of thing to take place. Yes, in this particular case it has bubbled up to visibility early enough to give people a chance to try to convince their representatives to say no. But how many other things are going on behind closed doors that don't get publicized? How many other special interests are being put above fundamental rights without public knowledge? If a government is so untrustworthy that citizens have to constantly micromanage what it does to avoid having their rights taken away, what's the point of having the government in the first place?