EPTKinda. They seem to put in much more effort in liberalism in economy than in society, which has lead to them being perceived them as a party for wealthy people. And I agree with that, though my opinion may or may not up to date with their current status, given that I havent heard much from them over that last years.
European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread - Page 901
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Mafe
Germany5966 Posts
Kinda. They seem to put in much more effort in liberalism in economy than in society, which has lead to them being perceived them as a party for wealthy people. And I agree with that, though my opinion may or may not up to date with their current status, given that I havent heard much from them over that last years. | ||
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LegalLord
United States13779 Posts
Google lost its biggest regulatory battle yet, getting a record 2.4 billion-euro ($2.7 billion) fine from European Union enforcers who say the search-engine giant skewed results to thwart smaller shopping search services. Alphabet Inc.’s Google has 90 days to "stop its illegal conduct" and give equal treatment to rival price-comparison services, according to a binding order from the European Commission on Tuesday. It’s up to Google to choose how it does this and inform the EU of its plans within 60 days. Failure to comply brings a risk of fines of up to 5 percent of its daily revenue. "The more consumers click on comparison shopping results, the more money Google makes," said Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s antitrust chief. "This decision requires Google to change the way it operates and to face the consequence of its actions." Shares of Mountain View, California-based Google fell 1.5 percent in pre-market trading in New York. They’ve risen 23 percent so far this year. Vestager’s decision marks the end of a seven-year probe fueled by complaints from small shopping websites as well as bigger names, including News Corp., Axel Springer SE and Microsoft Corp. European politicians have called on the EU to sanction Google or even break it up while U.S. critics claim regulators are targeting successful American firms. www.bloomberg.com One of the few things the EU does right: sticking it to multinationals overstepping their boundaries in ways that the US is too spineless to do. | ||
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Big J
Austria16289 Posts
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TheNewEra
Germany3128 Posts
On June 27 2017 22:33 Big J wrote: Seems like Merkel is giving up resistance against homosexual marriages under the pressure of every other party declaring it a condition for a coalition. CDU probably wants to get it over with in the next days or weeks to keep the discussions about it of the table. What a surprise  The last chance before the Bundestagswahl to push homosexual marriage through the Bundestag and suddenly SPD and Merkel grow a spine. I'm interested what the CSU will get for supporting this. | ||
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
On June 27 2017 21:46 LegalLord wrote: www.bloomberg.com One of the few things the EU does right: sticking it to multinationals overstepping their boundaries in ways that the US is too spineless to do. Its nice to see the modern day robber barons get slapped around by governments that give a shit about regulations and anti-trust laws. | ||
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PoulsenB
Poland7729 Posts
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Big J
Austria16289 Posts
On June 27 2017 23:04 TheNewEra wrote: What a surprise The last chance before the Bundestagswahl to push homosexual marriage through the Bundestag and suddenly SPD and Merkel grow a spine. I'm interested what the CSU will get for supporting this.It looks like just another one of Merkel's verbal accidents to me. After everyone else except for AfD declaring that there would be no coalition without it, her answer to let the parliament decide was probably meant as "after the election" and to not piss of liberal voters. But she didn't say it, which the SPD and the media are using as an excuse to communicate that it's not going to be a betrayal against the coalition to push it through with the Greens and the Left. Once more the CDU is being taken hostage by the combination of strategical incompetence of Merkel, mixed with the massive media propaganda that is trying hard to paint the right-wing parties as the moderate/reasonable ones. | ||
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
On June 28 2017 00:30 PoulsenB wrote: EU is also very active on slapping around big banks for things like cartels (price-fixing), insufficient prevention of/active support of money laundering, and making business with sanctioned countries. Huge fines for banks like RBS, HSBC, Santander, Deutche Bank, and so on; also lots of regulations for financial institutions on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism. This prevents huge losses of capital and makes the market better (even if a tiny bit) for ordinary customers. Sadly most people know jack shit about this (as the media are more concerned with celebrities and political shitstorms) and see the EU as this boogie man who is out for their country's sovereignty or some other bullshit. My favorite part of the entire thing is tech fans from the US rushing to ask how google can have a monopoly on the internet, because “you can do to any website you want”. All I can think is how civics education has completely failed us in this modern era. | ||
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TheNewEra
Germany3128 Posts
On June 28 2017 00:30 Big J wrote: It looks like just another one of Merkel's verbal accidents to me. After everyone else except for AfD declaring that there would be no coalition without it, her answer to let the parliament decide was probably meant as "after the election" and to not piss of liberal voters. But she didn't say it, which the SPD and the media are using as an excuse to communicate that it's not going to be a betrayal against the coalition to push it through with the Greens and the Left. Once more the CDU is being taken hostage by the combination of strategical incompetence of Merkel, mixed with the massive media propaganda that is trying hard to paint the right-wing parties as the moderate/reasonable ones. Agreed. I still don't understand tho why the SPD didn't push for homosexual marriage this year, starting at the point of time when Schulz was announced. I mean after all people who are pro homosexual marriage are a majority in the Bundestag. | ||
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Nyxisto
Germany6287 Posts
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TheNewEra
Germany3128 Posts
On June 28 2017 03:16 Nyxisto wrote: because they had a coalition agreement, and going back on that is not something you generally do. Probably a good time for Merkel to get this off the table , another topic the SPD can't campaign on any more. Yeah I know about the coalition agreement but on the other hand... I'm not sure if this wouldn't have benefitted the SPD massively if they would have done so. But even if they do not stab the CDU in the back why do they not push for it harder? Now they are once again just looking like a CDU lite. In the end this will go as always. SPD's social halfyear. Bundestagswahlen are coming. SPD starts to press social issues. Will get into a GroKo. Will do nothing about social issues. Rinse and repeat. | ||
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Ghostcom
Denmark4783 Posts
On June 28 2017 00:30 PoulsenB wrote: EU is also very active on slapping around big banks for things like cartels (price-fixing), insufficient prevention of/active support of money laundering, and making business with sanctioned countries. Huge fines for banks like RBS, HSBC, Santander, Deutche Bank, and so on; also lots of regulations for financial institutions on anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism. This prevents huge losses of capital and makes the market better (even if a tiny bit) for ordinary customers. Sadly most people know jack shit about this (as the media are more concerned with celebrities and political shitstorms) and see the EU as this boogie man who is out for their country's sovereignty or some other bullshit. One thing doesn't preclude the other and there has undeniably been a lot of mission creep from the EU. We should obviously acknowledge when EU does something good, but to act like everyone who disagrees with EU's mission creep are merely uninformed sheep is silly. | ||
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Big J
Austria16289 Posts
On June 28 2017 04:06 Ghostcom wrote: One thing doesn't preclude the other and there has undeniably been a lot of mission creep from the EU. We should obviously acknowledge when EU does something good, but to act like everyone who disagrees with EU's mission creep are merely uninformed sheep is silly. Dunno where you see mission creep. The "ever closer union" has been a founding pillar. You might disagree with it, but it's certainly not mission creep. Really, people who demand that the EU should concentrate on "its founding values" and stuff like that really have never read those founding values... | ||
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Ghostcom
Denmark4783 Posts
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Plansix
United States60190 Posts
Having worked for banks for a very long time, every time they get in trouble they build a system to address the issue within their company. Then when the issue comes up again, they say that the system failed and they fix it. And if it happens over and over, they need more compliance and better systems to catch errors. Because if you build a system and it fails to prevent the problem, no one is at fault. No decisions were made, the system is bad. It is the business equivalent of participation award, where trying is good enough. And it works wonders in the US. It does not seem to work very well in the EU from my observations. So I’m not shocked that Google got slapped hard. Its not like they didn’t know this investigation was happening. | ||
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Big J
Austria16289 Posts
On June 28 2017 04:59 Ghostcom wrote: You should probably read those founding values yourself - i.e. you aren't even quoting the full sentence in your feeble attempt to argue a point I'm not making in an attempt to make me look ignorant. Not only is that a terrible way to build an argument, but, coupled with your apparent ignorance, also ensures that I have no interest in engaging further with you. Treaty of Maastricht, i.e. the founding treaty of the European Union. Second Sentence: This Treaty marks a new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen. Put there precisely so that everyone knows what they are participating in. The contract then goes into details, most of which are in the progress of making, yet, although put very prominently into this foundation of the European Union, not (yet) desired by quite a few member states. Like the single currency, the end of all internal frontiers or the common European security and defense policy. Some people may not like these things for very acceptable reasons, yet, it is not "mission creep" of the EU. I am the last person to pretend contracts and property rights have to be accepted and defended forever, regardless of their implications, but people have to acknowledge what the facts first. | ||
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LegalLord
United States13779 Posts
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Artisreal
Germany9235 Posts
On June 28 2017 06:29 LegalLord wrote: The EU pretends to be the entire Europe project that has existed for many decades - but it is indeed just the most recent iteration. So I guess it's not precisely mission creep - but the transition into the organization that calls itself the European Union was a mistake. I disagree. | ||
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KlaCkoN
Sweden1661 Posts
Me too. Entirely aside from 'large' reasons which I would be happy to wax poetically about if I had more time, the EU has made my personal life tangibly better. | ||
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Nyxisto
Germany6287 Posts
On June 28 2017 06:29 LegalLord wrote: The EU pretends to be the entire Europe project that has existed for many decades - but it is indeed just the most recent iteration. So I guess it's not precisely mission creep - but the transition into the organization that calls itself the European Union was a mistake. The early introduction of the currency might arguably have been a mistake, but the the political union? What was the alternative in a world with an emerging China & India, a re-emerging Russia and so forth? Just some loose alliance of countries that, when push comes to shove, act myopically? In it's current form it generates 25% of the world's economic output, pays half of its social services and is unique with its 'supra-national' organisation. I don't really see what the better alternative is. | ||
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