European Citizens’ Initiative against TTIP and CETA

Re:European Citizens’ Initiative against TTIP and CETA by bayesianhorse on Wednesday July 16, 2014 @09:02AM (#8041768)

You seem to lack a basic understanding of the EU, or democracy in general. Volcker can't "push TTIP through without ratification by any kind of elected body". The elected government, eu parliament, in many cases national parliaments will have a strong voice in ratification.

This process isn't undemocratic in the least. It's just that the decisions are complex. I'm not strongly in favour of TTIP in its current form, but the more I know about it, the less I believe all the fear mongering.

There seems to be a gut reflex of "I don't understand it, so it must be undemocratic!!"

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Re:European Citizens’ Initiative against TTIP and CETA by gpvos on Wednesday July 16, 2014 @09:19AM (#8041830)

Then a democratic entity has the duty to explain and clarify it to its voters. I am seeing next to nothing of that.

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Re:European Citizens’ Initiative against TTIP and CETA by bayesianhorse on Thursday July 17, 2014 @02:46PM (#8049380)

Actually it doesn't. With negotiations that's especially murky, because they are extremely complex and can contain proposals which don't have a chance to go into the agreement.

Explanation/Clarification is not something a voter is entitled to. He can demand it, and usually the media is giving it to him, if at all.

There is also a very good disincentives for politicians to explain "too much". Essentially, when talking to an audience of millions of people, everything you say can be used against you in a court of public opinion. Everything can and will be understood wrongly. That is also partly why effective politicians aren't particularly eager to "tell the truth".

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