Sunday 28 April 2013

Government e-petitions. Soma for the post democratic age ?

Commenter Barney alerted me to a petition that wants the government to "halt the use of neonicotinoids"

The petition reads..

The petition text:

"Dear Owen Paterson, Environment Secretary

It's time to take action to protect our dying bees!

Immediately halt the use of Nerve-agent pesticides (neonicotinoids) which are being blamed around the world for the sharp decline in bee numbers.

Take measures to reduce the use of all pesticides on bee pollinated crops".

In fairness the petition text should have read....

"Dear Owen...could you ask our MEPs' to vote in favour of a ban on neonicotinoids when you go to Brussels thanks.."

That would have been more open and honest about our impotence to ban deadly chemicals in the UK as they're an EU competence.

The government has no power to ban these deadly insecticides. It will be up to the unelected Commission in Brussels to decide on such matters.

I've looked through some other e-petitions and seen similar deluded petitions that have no chance of going anywhere as they're related to EU competences.

There have been numerous one's to bring back hanging. This can't happen unless we leave the EU and all major parties are pro EU.

If an e petition gets 10,000 signatures then the govt must respond and quite often it lets the cat out of the bag with the truth.

A petition to ban the live transport of animals abroad got this in the response...

"To ban the trade, either directly or by indirect means, would be illegal and would undermine the principle of the free-movement of goods enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union"

Translated that means there's nothing we can do as it's up to the EU and the animals can legally suffer

Or how about this pointless government e petition...

>"We call upon the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, Jim Paice MP, to introduce new legislation so that all meat and dairy products, for example chicken, cheese and bacon are clearly and honestly labelled to show the farm system used to rear the animal."

You know what's coming but I'll show you part of the response anyway...

"Defining a method of production for animals incorporating standard welfare criteria is extremely difficult and would need to be agreed across the EU"

The fact that millions of citizens continue to sign these pointless petitions ( over 300,000 signed the call to the government to ban the insecticide that kills bees ) highlights the power of the media to dupe most of us about our 'democracy'

Most parliamentary work in London is just rubber stamping EU directives. That's why the place is always empty. There's nothing to do. We can go through the motions of electing tweedle dum or tweedle dee every 5 years but nothing will ever change.

I remember reading Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' and loved the idea of taking 'soma'. The benevolent government gave out free soma to it's citizens and it gave them a feeling of well being and of being in control of their hopeless situation.

Are e-petitions our soma ?

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