How the fossil fuel industry ‘captured’ Australia https://www.byteseu.com/2453087/ #Australia #CarbonCaptureAndStorage(CCS) #ClubsNSW #DemocracyForSale #donations #gambling #GreenhouseMafia #GuyPearse #PeabodyEnergy #PokerMachines #PoliticalDonations #PoliticalLobbying #RevolvingDoor
#revolving-door — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #revolving-door, aggregated by home.social.
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https://www.europesays.com/ie/706753/ How 63 former politicians and civil servants lobbied their one-time colleagues dozens of times #BreakingNews #BreakingNews #Éire #FeaturedNews #FeaturedNews #Headlines #IE #Ireland #LatestNews #LatestNews #Lobbying #LobbyingRegister #MainNews #MainNews #News #politics #RevolvingDoor #SIPO #StandardsInPublicOfficeCommission #TheMorningLead #TopStories #TopStories
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#Palantir #corruption : " #TheNerve has discovered a #revolvingdoor that has led to dozens of highly experienced #UK #government officials, former ministers, intelligence service chiefs and members of the #HouseofLords taking up key roles in the controversial Silicon Valley surveillance tech company co-founded by Peter #Thiel, the libertarian friend and ally of Donald #Trump."
https://www.thenerve.news/p/palantir-revolving-doors-peter-thiel-transparency-corruption-risk
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Mercedes Stephenson exits Global to join The Globe and Mail as Ottawa Bureau Chief
Mercedes Stephenson has announced that she’s now Ottawa Bureau Chief at The Globe and Mail, exiting Global News…
#Canada #Ottawa #Globalnews #RevolvingDoor #TheGlobeandMail
https://www.europesays.com/canada/213336/ -
https://www.europesays.com/people/229648/ Revolving Door Project | AI Villains and the Trump Administration: Lisa Su #ArtificialIntelligence #LisaSu #Lobbying #RevolvingDoor #tech #TrumpWatch
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https://www.europesays.com/people/224835/ Revolving Door Project | AI Villains and the Trump Administration: Sergey Brin #ArtificialIntelligence #Lobbying #RevolvingDoor #SergeyBrin #tech #TrumpWatch
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https://www.europesays.com/ch/125476/ Maria Bartiromo No Longer With Fox News Media #FoxBiz #FoxNews #people #RevolvingDoor #Switzerland
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Dozens of government insiders lobbying for defence industry, analysis shows
Dozens of former defence officials, including ministers, high-ranking officers and senior staffers, have jumped from government roles into…
#Australia #AU #AustralianDefenceForce #Austrlia #canberra'srevolvingdoor #ChristopherPyne #davidshoebridge #DefenceIndustry #jeremyking #JoelFitzgibbon #kimbeazley #lobbying #LockheedMartin #MoniqueRyan #parliament #pyne&partners #revolvingdoor
https://www.europesays.com/australia/78536/ -
Democrat Acton vows to take on political corruption & dark money spending | Government & Politics
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton takes questions from the media during an Aug. 19, 2026 campaign stop in…
#Politics #AmyActon #corruption #darkmoney #ohio #revolvingdoor #VivekRamaswamy
https://www.europesays.com/3204003/ -
https://www.europesays.com/3204003/ Democrat Acton vows to take on political corruption & dark money spending | Government & Politics #AmyActon #corruption #DarkMoney #ohio #Politics #RevolvingDoor #VivekRamaswamy
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“[UK Prime Minister Andy] Burnham’s AI head secretly briefed tech giants at No 10 adviser’s investment firm”
by Ethan Stone in OpenDemocracy.net
@uk_politics
@UKLabour
@medialens“The chair of Andy Burnham’s new AI Taskforce gave a secret private briefing to the Big Tech clients of an advisory firm linked to No 10’s top business adviser [..].
Ollie Ilott was the speaker at a breakfast roundtable hosted by Hakluyt & Company in April last year, when he was head of the UK’s AI Security Institute [..].
The government failed to declare that the meeting took place and says it holds no records from it whatsoever, leaving the public with no way of knowing what attendees – including tech giants Microsoft and the Ellison Institute of Technology – were told about AI policy”
#Press #SocialMedia #Journalism #UK #Britain #Burnham #Labour #AI #AITaskforce #Meeting #Secret #Hakluyt #Ilot #Ellison #Microsoft #Policy #MI6 #RevolvingDoor #CivilService #Elite #Access
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Activists have long been concerned about the 'revolving door' between public office and corporate management. A new revolving door has appeared over the last decade, between journalism and reputation laundering, and I think we need to just as concerned, for similar reasons.
(2/2)
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https://www.europesays.com/ie/564368/ Record number of former officials asked to have lobbying cooling-off period waived last year #Business #CoolingOffPeriod #Éire #FormerMinisters #GovernmentOfficials #IE #Ireland #Lobbying #RevolvingDoor #SIPO
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One D.C. firm has lobbyists each repping 200+ corporate clients at once — former chiefs of staff to both parties, side by side. Fully legal. Fully disclosed. That's the actual problem, not a side effect of it.
https://v64otd.com/dispatch/the-lobbyist-with-200-clients/
#Corporatocracy #RevolvingDoor #RegulatoryCapture #LobbyingReform -
https://www.europesays.com/britain/68163/ Britain’s Revolving Door Spins Again as Starmer Steps Aside #AndyBurnham #Britain #InternalPressure #KeirStarmer #NationalExecutiveCommittee #PoliticalInstability #RachelReeves #RevolvingDoor #WesStreeting
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The UK Just Lost Its Sixth Prime Minister of the Decade
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/story/uk-loses-its-sixth-prime-minister-keir-starmer/
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The UK Just Lost Its Sixth Prime Minister of the Decade
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/story/uk-loses-its-sixth-prime-minister-keir-starmer/
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Is Peter Thiel’s Palantir the most evil company in the world …. along with all the other “tech-bro” $billionaire outfits?
Quite possibly!
*** Recommended read & please boost! ***
“The Palantir pipeline: how Peter Thiel's surveillance firm hired more than 30 senior UK officials”
by Charlie Young, Ian Tucker & Carole Cadwalladr in The Nerve
@uk_politics
@UKLabour
@NHSrCommunity
@nhsactivistrn
@NoPalantirInSouthYorkshire
@ZackPolanski
@kein_palantir_bw
@palantirwatch“The AI company holds £670m in UK government contracts. It has also hired dozens of senior officials from the departments awarding them – raising what transparency experts call an 'acute' corruption risk”
https://www.thenerve.news/p/palantir-revolving-doors-peter-thiel-transparency-corruption-risk
#Press #SocialMedia #UK #Government #Labour #Starmer #MOD #NHS #Thiel #Karp #Israel #IDF #PalestinianGenocide #Gaza #Genocide #AI #Lavender #Corruption #Sovereignty #DataSovereignty #RevolvingDoor #ICE #Trump #Mandelson #Epstein #Watson
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#RevolvingDoor : New #ICETerrorism Chief = Former #GEOGroup #privateprisons thug
#ToddLYIN' Resigns
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BlackRock is embedded in every government:
🇩🇪 Merz: BlackRock supervisory board chair 2016–2020, lobbied Scholz & Gabriel — now Chancellor
🇬🇧 Osborne: ex-Chancellor, $850K/year for one day's work
🇺🇸 Biden Treasury, Harris adviser — both sides
Since 2004: 84 former officials & regulators hired.Party colour is irrelevant.
https://www.abgeordnetenwatch.de/recherchen/lobbyismus/die-lobby-akte-der-regierung-merz
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@GeofCox @RejoinEU Thanks for that. I made a mental note to research his board memberships yesterday but didn't get around to it.
#warmongering #RevolvingDoor -
Not Reporting A War Part 2
Pete Hegseth is the Peter Principle applied to the largest weapons arsenal in human history. Pine Gap guides the missiles. Australian-made F-35 parts are in the payload. And our media calls it a partnership. Part Two of Urban Wronski’s investigation into what Australia’s press is not reporting, and what our silence is costing.https://urbanwronski.com/2026/04/12/not-reporting-a-war-part-2/
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https://www.europesays.com/2887989/ ‘Revolving door’ of insiders, lobbyists behind government scandal a click away with new AI tool #FederalEthicsCommissioner #Government #GovernmentContracts #PaySystem #PhoenixPaySystem #RevolvingDoor #Scandal #ScandalNews
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https://www.europesays.com/2785661/ Kevin Warsh’s Nomination Solidifies Wall Street’s Grip on the Federal Reserve #Economy #FederalReserve #FederalReserveSystem #KevinWarsh #RegulatoryCapture #RevolvingDoor #WallStreet
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What Happens to the Appeal in Twin Metals v. US if the Senate Passes HJR 140?
Forbes Magazine has excerpted and posted the same moment from the Rules Committee hearing on House Joint Resolution 140 that I did the other day: Pete Stauber’s embarrassing concession that he brings HJR 140 on behalf of a Chilean conglomerate, a foreign company that will ship Minnesota’s ore to China for processing. This was just minutes after the congressman gravely warned that “China, our adversary,” has a “stranglehold” over critical and rare earth minerals.
A publication like Forbes has a lot more reach than I could ever hope to have, so it’s too bad they didn’t offer a little context and commentary to help people understand some of what’s at stake in this exchange, the anti-scientific posture Stauber’s resolution takes, and the abuse of legislative process it represents. I don’t believe that’s well or widely understood.
(I also think there could be a lot more reporting on the various ways that the play for the mineral resources of the Duluth Complex intersect with what’s happening in Minneapolis right now, but that’s a another story, one I started to grapple with here.)
The House passed HJR 140 on Wednesday. Should the resolution of disapproval pass in the Senate, HJR 140 will improve Twin Metals’ North American prospects. By how much is hard to say. This resolution does not permit the mine. As Stauber reminded everyone at the hearing, Antofagasta will still have to take its Twin Metals project through the normal channels of review. (In the hearing, Democrats rightly balked at this suggestion, noting that those channels and the agencies that run them are now captured or seriously compromised.) Advocacy groups, too, have tried to assure supporters that this doesn’t mean that Twin Metals can start building its mine on the edge of the Boundary Waters. It doesn’t. But the legislation will knock down some formidable barriers, most immediately at the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.
A little refresher. In September of 2023, Judge Christoper Cooper dismissed Twin Metals v. US on two grounds: the mining company had come to the wrong court, and it had no claim. HJR 140 could solve one of these issues for Antofagasta — the lack of a claim — and it might just render the case moot.
It seemed pretty clear that the mining company was going to lose its appeal of Cooper’s decision. They tried to delay oral argument, to no avail. Argument at the DC Circuit was held in January of 2025, and the outlook did not change. But what the mining company could not accomplish at law they could now accomplish by other means. Trump was inaugurated just one week after oral argument. Then the federal government did an about-face, took the mining company’s side in the dispute, and won a motion for abeyance. That put the case on hold until October. In October, the Chilean conglomerate and the US government went back to the court and asked for more time. Now the whole matter is on hold until April of this year.
So Stauber’s resolution comes at an incredibly opportune moment, just months before the mining company has to go back to court. How its passage will play into Twin Metals v. US is clear. In the 2023 case that is now on appeal, Judge Cooper ruled that the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to deny Antofagasta’s Preference Right Lease Applications and to reject its Mine Plan of Operations was lawful because the Biden administration had withdrawn the lands in question. If the Senate now joins the House to disapprove the Public Land Order authorizing the 20-year mineral withdrawal, voila: the agencies’ hands are now untied. The Bureau of Land Management will have new legal basis, or at least legal cover, for reviewing and approving the Lease Applications and the Mine Plan of Operations.
This is not just serendipity. It looks like a fairly well-coordinated scheme, one that I suspect was put together by the Bernhardt Group, but I don’t have the records to make that case persuasively. Watch for Antofagasta’s motion to dismiss their appeal at the DC Circuit once the agencies start to deliver.
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#ANTO #antiScience #corruption #HJR140 #HouseJointResolution140 #revolvingDoor #Water -
House GOP Bill Would Roll Back Key Protections in US Chemical Safety Law
“This bill is a chemical lobby wish list,” said one critic. -
Bulls rumors: Coby White trade buzz has Timberwolves leading the way among many https://www.rawchili.com/nba/506660/ #AnthonyEdwards #AtlantaHawks #Basketball #ChicagoBulls #CobyWhite #MinnesotaTimberwolves #NBA #OrlandoMagic #RevolvingDoor #RobDillingham
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Brendan Carr Says Destroying Consumer Protection, Media Consolidation Rules, And Corporate Oversight Will Be Great For Everyone
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Injury Update: Emil Lilleberg placed on injured reserve https://www.rawchili.com/nhl/359734/ #AndreiVasilevskiy #EmilLilleberg #ErikCernak #ForeseeableFuture #Hockey #InjuredReserve #JonasJohansson #KyleMacLean #Lightning #NHL #RevolvingDoor #RyanMcDonagh #StevenSantini #TampaBay #TampaBayLightning #TampaBay #TampaBayLightning #TheLightning #VictorHedman
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"A 2024 analysis by climate watchdog Floodlight identified a “generational resurgence of fraud and corruption in the utility sector” costing electricity consumers at least $6.6 billion over the past five years.
Over that same time period, utilities’ shareholders have claimed losses of over $12 billion after alleging corruption or fraud, and electric companies have paid out half a billion in related settlements. Since 2019, seven power industry executives have been federally indicted or pleaded guilty to crimes
A standout example is the FirstEnergy nuclear bailout scandal. In 2020, Ohio’s House speaker and Public Utilities Commission chairman were indicted on federal racketeering charges after accepting $61 million in bribes from grid operator FirstEnergy in exchange for $1.3 billion in taxpayer-funded nuclear power subsidies.
The cause of all this graft? Deregulation. In 2005, Congress repealed the 1935 Public Utility Holding Company Act, which barred electric utilities from donating treasury funds to political campaigns. Since then, public utilities commissions, by approving rate hikes, have delivered roughly $4 million in additional annual profits to the industry.
Meanwhile, watchdogs describe a “revolving door” in which executives hop between utility commissions and the private-sector firms they regulate with few restrictions or oversight. One study of 473 public utility commissions found that 50 percent of commissioners went on to take a job within or adjacent to an industry they oversaw."
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"Niamh Sweeney was announced in September as the pick for third commissioner for Ireland's already highly-controversial Data Protection Commission (DPC), rounding out its three-person leadership team.
However her work at Meta from 2015 to 2021 raises concerns from civil society.
In an open letter to the Irish government on Thursday (23 October), signed by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, noyb, ARTICLE 19, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, plus 40 others, highlights the conflict of interest Sweeney brings to a position that is supposed to police the same firms in which she used to work.
This appointment “raises serious questions about the DPC’s independence at a time when its impartiality is of critical importance for the entire Union, and when public trust is already fragile,” the letter states."
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Kent Dybvig dares to redefine "brevity" by cramming a Scheme machine into 400 lines of C, presumably to make programmers feel inadequate. 🤯 Meanwhile, #GitHub practices its impression of a revolving door—sign in, sign out, repeat ad nauseam. 🔄💻
https://gist.github.com/swatson555/8cc36d8d022d7e5cc44a5edb2c4f7d0b #KentDybvig #Brevity #Challenge #RevolvingDoor #Programming #Humor #HackerNews #ngated -
Igor Shesterkin Admires Mike Sullivan’s Blunt Attitude https://www.rawchili.com/nhl/200526/ #Hockey #MikeSullivan #NHL #penguins #Pittsburgh #PittsburghPenguins #PittsburghPenguins #RevolvingDoor
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Fox has been named Head of the Hen House in #Ireland.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2025/09/17/ex-tech-lobbyist-named-to-data-protection-commission/
#DataProtection #privacy #GDPR #Meta #lobbying #facebook #RevolvingDoor cc @lobbyctrl_tech @corporateeurope
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Trump looks to buy stakes in military corps raising concerns about private contractors and war conflicts | The Independent
With a semi-nationalized military-industrial complex, the revolving door won't be needed.
#defenseContractors #nationalization #revolvingDoor #TrumpRegime
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While I was remembering #FDotM scribblings from last November, Primus Canis himself was making new ones:
Key line: "Did you know that since 2001 almost every federal resources minister has gone to work for the fossil fuel industry shortly after leaving parliament?"
#RegulativeCapture #DirtyEnergyDirtyPolitics #RevolvingDoor #corruption #auspol #ALP #Coalition #NetZero #FossilFuelExports #CarbonAccounting #ClimateDisruption -
The Dialectic of Institutional Asymmetry and the Crisis of Representation: The Rise of Lobbying and the Decline of NGO-Union Resistance @SSRN https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5324411
#Lobbying #CivilSociety #TradeUnions #Hegemony #DemocraticRepresentation #BlackMoney #RevolvingDoor #Neoliberalism #PowerElite #ManufacturingConsent #GlobalSouth #DiscourseAnalysis #ComparativePolitics -
Arms trade news
Grim reading in Campaign Against the Arms Trade’s latest newsletter
May 2025
The CAAT Newsletter (Spring 2025, Issue 272) has details of what’s happening in the world of arms sales a world in which the UK is a big player. Our previous post discussed the continuing sale of arms to Israel which is subject to an Appeal Court hearing starting on 13th. Also we mentioned the role of the RAF in carrying out hundreds of flights over Gaza and quite what is being done with the information gleaned is not revealed.
Arms sales are important for several reasons. Weapons have an enormous capacity to do great harm in the wrong hands. Governments need to exert great control over licensing to ensure that arms do not fall into such hands. British governments are frequently to be heard claiming it exercises ‘robust’ controls. It is doubtful that this is the case and CAAT have often noted the considerable use of open licences which means little effective control exists.
The current Labour government has a policy of growth which seems to dominate thinking. As the court case will reveal, and papers have already revealed, this seems to trump considerations of human rights. CAAT News has the following examples:
- The Defence Secretary has held meetings with counterparts in Saudi Arabia and Turkey to discuss opportunities for expanding military cooperation which is likely to involve arms sales. Both countries have woeful human rights records. Saudi has a full array of violations including public executions, use of torture, restrictions on women’s rights and repression of any opposition or free speech. Turkey has carried out baseless prosecutions against journalists, human rights defenders and opposition leaders, thousands of whom are in gaol.
- Eurofighter sales – which the UK co-produces – are planned for Qatar and Turkey. The latter is involved in bombing Kurdish groups in its own country and Iraq. Qatar is another repressive Gulf state and is highly corrupt.
- We have noted before the question of the Revolving Door where politicians, ministers, senior civil servants and military personnel leave their posts and head off for lucrative appointments/directorships/consultancies with arms firms. It is an open invitation for corruption and the ACOBA system seems powerless to stop it. The Aerospace, Defence and Security Group, (ADS) the trade body for the defence industry representing all of the major arms makers, holds an annual dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel in which, in the words of CAAT ‘The dinner’s purpose is to introduce them to one another and allow them to schmooze and entertain their powerful friends from Parliament and the Civil Service‘ … These kinds of dinners are where relationships are formed and built and where the next round of arms deals are made, over fine food and wines.’
- And it doesn’t end there. The Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) resumes in September at the ExCel Centre in London. This may be the largest such exhibition in the world. It is popular because the UK government invites representatives from a wide range of countries including those with appalling human rights records, some even on its own watch list. The thousands of attendees will be met by ‘a cast of compliant senior civil servants and politicians on hand to make sure things run smoothly’ (CAAT).
- … or even there because the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre is to host Security and Policing run by the Home Office. Again, a range of countries with dreadful human rights are cordially invited to view the latest in surveillance, tear gas and ammunition. Journalists are banned. Britain seems happy to be host to regimes who use this equipment to repress and intimidate oppositions, journalists or human rights people.
Growth or rights?
The government seems keen to actively support these activities and to do all it can to promote arms and surveillance equipment to repressive regimes. It does this while piously claiming that:
This Government is fully committed to the protection of human rights both at home and abroad. We are committed to the international human rights framework and the important role that multilateral organisations like the Council of Europe play in upholding it. (Ministry of Justice, November 2024, ref: CP 1192)
It is hard to square the multi-level activities to promote arms sales and in the process currying favour with some of the world’s worst regimes, with their stated desire to be upholders of human rights and the wellbeing of those at the end of it all. While politicians, civil servants, military brass and ministers ‘schmooze’ with the arms manufacturers in expensive London hotels, it may be hard for them to empathise with those who have been bombed, starved, driven from their homes or incarcerated, tortured or executed for no reason. All facilitated by the weapons and equipment they so admire whilst quaffing the Bollinger. Is it growth above all else?
Sources include: CAAT, The Canary, Amnesty
#armsFair #armsSales #CAAT #DSEI #Farnborough #government #PoliceAndSecurity #revolvingDoor
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“Trump’s corruption machine strikes again. Three prosecutors resign over the dismissal of Eric Adams’ fraud case—another reminder of how the revolving door between politics and justice leaves everyday Americans paying the price. #Corruption #RevolvingDoor therevolvingdoorproject.org/corruption-c...
Corruption Calendar Week 14 -
"From North Africa to the Gulf, the UAE has aggressively expanded its counter-revolutionary strategy in the wake of the Arab Spring"
by Andreas Krieg: https://www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/abu-dhabi-built-axis-secessionists-across-region-how 🧵#geography #CivilWar #Africa #Emirates #oilAndGas #internationalTrade #interference #allies #Houthis #MiddleEast #RedSea #Dubai #AbuDhabi #UAE #Yemen #MuslimBrothers #terrorism #counterTerrorism #salafists #mercenaries #stateViolence #imperialism #fossilFuels #civilWar #PersianGulf #Gulf #geopolitics #hegemony #MAE #Sudan #Egypt #MENA #geoStrategy #sanctions #LNG #military #nuclear #power #longRead #lobbying #foreignPolicy #USA #Libya #influence #development #revolvingDoor #revolvingDoors #Clinton #Trump #Harvard #Wimbledon #ManchesterCity #foreignInfluence #arms #armsTrade #normalisation #SaudiArabia
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#AbrahamLincoln: "#democracy is #government of the #people - by the #people - for the #people"
but #democracy is not perfect per default, it needs constant #reform to become better and better (not worse and worse how it was made by (#financial #taxavoiding #lobbyists and other #lobbyists = #corruption)
how to reform democracy? a #conversationwithai: #deepseek
<think>
Alright, I'm trying to figure out how to reform #democracy so that decisions are made faster and are more competent, while also reducing incompetence and corruption. This is a big question because democracy as it stands has a lot of #issues, but it's still considered one of the better systems out there <- read this?First off, I know that one of the main problems with democracies is that #decisionmaking can be #slow, especially in #large #countries.
There are so many #checks and #balances that sometimes it feels like nothing gets done.
So maybe making decisions faster requires #streamlining some processes.
But how? Maybe reducing #bureaucracy or changing how legislation is passed?
Another issue is #incompetence. I've seen elected officials who don't seem to have the right skills or knowledge for their roles. <- this #AI has seen things!
How can we ensure that #leaders are actually #competent?
Perhaps through better #education #requirements, or maybe having #experts in certain fields advise them more #effectively.
#Corruption is another huge #Problem seems like #money plays a big role in #politics, which can lead to decisions that favor #donors over the people.
#Campaign #finance #reform might help here, but I'm not sure how feasible that is given current laws and court rulings, especially in places like the #US with #CitizensUnited.
#Voter #engagement is also a factor.
If more people participate, maybe there's more #accountability.
But getting people to vote when they feel their votes don't matter is tough.
Maybe changing voting systems, like ranked-choice voting, could make elections feel more representative and increase turnout.
I've heard about #sortition, where #random #citizens are #selected for #decisionmaking bodies.
That might bring in diverse perspectives and reduce corruption since the average person isn't as beholden to special interests.
But would people take it seriously? I'm not sure how effective that would be compared to elected officials.
#Technology could play a role too.
Maybe using #online #platforms for #participatory #budgeting or #policy #discussions.
It could make #government more #transparent and involve citizens more #directly.
However, there's the risk of #misinformation and #manipulation online.
#Term #limits are another idea.
They might prevent politicians from becoming too entrenched and corrupt, but they can also limit institutional knowledge and lead to a #revolvingdoor of #inexperienced #leaders.
#Anticorruption agencies seem necessary, but they need to be #independent and well #funded.
If they're controlled by the government, they won't be effective.
How do you ensure their independence?
#Media #literacy is important because if people are #better #informed, they can make #better #decisions at the #ballotbox.
But with so much #misinformation out there, improving media literacy is a big challenge.
I'm also thinking about proportional representation.
Maybe switching to a system where more parties have seats could lead to more diverse and representative governments, reducing gridlock.
But it might also make forming a government harder if no single party has a majority.
What about making voting mandatory?
It increases turnout but can also lead to people voting without being informed, which doesn't necessarily improve the quality of decisions.
Another thought is focusing on #local #governance.
If more decisions are made at the local level where people can be more involved and informed, it might lead to #better #outcomes #overall.
But not all issues can be handled locally; some require national or international coordination.
I'm also considering how #education plays into this.
Better #civic #education could make voters more informed and engaged.
It starts from a young age teaching about #government #structures, #roles, and the importance of #participation.
#Transparency is key too.
If governments are more open about their processes and decisions, trust might increase. Things like #FOIA requests in the U.S. help, but they can be slow and sometimes
incomplete.#Incentivizing #good #governance through awards or recognition might motivate leaders to perform better, but it's not a sure fix for deeper systemic issues.
Encouraging #whistleblowers is important because they can expose #corruption before it becomes entrenched.
Protecting them legally would make others more willing to come forward.
Public-private partnerships could bring in expertise from the private sector, but there's a risk of corporate influence if not managed properly.
Inclusive decision-making ensures that all groups have a voice, which leads to more equitable policies.
It requires active efforts to involve marginalized communities.
Independent judiciaries are crucial because they can check the other branches and enforce laws against corruption.
But judicial appointments can be politicized, which undermines their independence.
Finally, cultural shifts towards valuing integrity over power might help reduce corruption. But changing a culture is slow and difficult, especially in large, diverse societies.
Putting all these thoughts together, it seems like reforming democracy requires a multi-faceted approach addressing both structural issues and cultural factors. It's not just about tweaking one part but making comprehensive changes that promote competence, transparency, and accountability while ensuring representation and reducing corruption.
</think>
Reforming democracy to enhance decision-making efficiency, competence, and reduce corruption involves a multifaceted approach that addresses both structural and cultural aspects of
governance. Here is an organized strategy based on the thought process:### Structural Reforms
1. **Streamline Decision-Making Processes:**
- Reduce bureaucratic layers and adopt more agile legislative processes to accelerate decision-making without compromising thorough consideration.2. **Campaign Finance Reform:**
- Implement strict regulations on campaign contributions and promote public financing of elections to diminish the influence of money in politics.3. **Proportional Representation:**
- Introduce proportional representation systems to ensure diverse representation, which can lead to more inclusive and efficient governance.4. **Term Limits:**
- Enact term limits for elected officials to prevent entrenchment, while ensuring mechanisms for knowledge retention and smooth transitions.5. **Independent Anti-Corruption Agencies:**
- Establish independent bodies with strong investigative and prosecutorial powers to combat corruption effectively.### Enhancing Competence
1. **Expert Advisory Bodies:**
- Integrate expert panels in decision-making processes to provide informed guidance on complex issues.2. **Civic Education:**
- Improve education systems to foster informed voters through civic engagement and critical thinking skills.3. **Sortition (Citizen Juries):**
- Experiment with sortition to involve diverse citizen perspectives, enhancing
representativeness and reducing corruption risks.### Reducing Corruption
1. **Transparency Measures:**
- Increase government transparency through open data initiatives, accessible meetings, and robust freedom of information laws.2. **Whistleblower Protection:**
- Strengthen legal protections for whistleblowers to encourage the exposure of corruption without fear of retribution.3. **Judicial Independence:**
- Ensure the judiciary is independent and impartial, free from political influence, to uphold rule of law and check executive power.### Voter Engagement and Participation
1. **Voting System Reforms:**
- Adopt ranked-choice voting and proportional representation to ensure votes count more meaningfully and increase voter satisfaction.2. **Compulsory Voting:**
- Consider mandatory voting with incentives for informed voting, potentially reducing apathy and increasing political engagement.3. **Participatory Budgeting:**
- Involve citizens in budget decisions through digital platforms to foster transparency and accountability.### Technological Integration
1. **Digital Platforms:**
- Utilize technology for participatory governance, enabling real-time public input on policies and fostering informed discussions.2. **Media Literacy Programs:**
- Launch initiatives to combat misinformation, promoting a better-informed electorate capable of discerning credible sources.### Cultural Shifts
1. **Incentivizing Good Governance:**
- Recognize and reward ethical leadership through awards or public acknowledgment to promote integrity in governance.2. **Cultural Values:**
- Foster societal norms that prioritize transparency, accountability, and integrity, encouraging leaders to adhere to high ethical standards.### Conclusion
Reforming democracy requires a comprehensive approach that combines structural changes with cultural shifts. By streamlining processes, enhancing
competence through education and expertise, reducing corruption through transparency and independent oversight, and engaging citizens more
effectively, democracies can become more responsive, efficient, and just. This multifaceted strategy aims to rebuild trust in governance and ensure
decisions truly reflect the will of the people. -
New YouTube video from Tate McRae:
✨ Hahah this was hard #tatemcrae #revolvingdoor
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Tate Rosner McRae (născută la 1 iulie 2003) este o cântăreață, compozitoare și dansatoare canadiană
Ea a lansat două piese extinse (EP), All the Things I Never Said (2020) și Too Young to Be Sad (2021). -
【#Vevo 】@TateMcRae “Revolving door” | Global Video of the Week
@TateMcRae "Revolving door" | Global Video of the Week #Revolvingdoor #GlobalVideoOfTheWeek #TateMcrae from Vevo 本記事のYouTube動画はこちらから💛 本記事のYouTube動画はこちらから💛
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@GottaLaff
Independent article from a week before January inauguration:
Trump gets the Fox News band back together for his second administration - Before he’s even entered office, Trump has already tapped 18 Fox Newsers
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-fox-news-second-administration-b2678911.html
Media Matters on previous administration / Fox News revolving door:
https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/comprehensive-review-revolving-door-between-fox-and-trump-administration
#FoxNews #trump #MAGA #DOGE #RevolvingDoor #kakistocracy -
Long read: How a peripheral state can leverage its wealth, strategic geography and alliances to exert outsized influence on regional and global affairs
"How the UAE can simultaneously be both a subject of imperialism and an agent of imperialist practices within its spheres of influence while challenging traditional imperialist actors": https://www.tni.org/en/article/the-emerging-sub-imperial-role-of-the-united-arab-emirates-in-africa
#geography #CivilWar #Africa #Emirates #oilAndGas #internationalTrade #interference #allies #Houthis #MiddleEast #RedSea #Dubai #AbuDhabi #UAE #Yemen #MuslimBrothers #terrorism #counterTerrorism #salafists #mercenaries #stateViolence #imperialism #fossilFuels #civilWar #PersianGulf #Gulf #geopolitics #hegemony #MAE #Sudan #Egypt #MENA #geoStrategy #sanctions #LNG #military #nuclear #power #longRead #lobbying #foreignPolicy #USA #Libya #influence #development #revolvingDoor #revolvingDoors #Clinton #Trump #Harvard #Wimbledon #ManchesterCity #foreignInfluence #arms #armsTrade #normalisation #SaudiArabia
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The Green Party of England and Wales has created a 'Green Business Group' where corporation can pay £500-1200 to become 'members' and get free conference passes and meetings with MPs/Councillors...
https://actionnetwork.org/user_files/user_files/000/119/452/original/Green_Business_Network_newsletter_jan_feb25.pdf
What will this mean for the party's internal democracy, governance, or how responsive its new MPs are to it's membership...?
#greenpartyofenglandandwales #GPEW #democracy #corporateinfluence #revolvingdoor -
“Royal Mail should cut second-class delivery days, says regulator Ofcom.” Aren’t these regulators supposed to stick up for customers. The water and power ones are no use either. #Ofcom #Ofwat #RevolvingDoor
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Arms trade news
Campaign Against the Arms Trade was established 50 years ago
January 2025
CAAT was formed 50 years ago, (the same year our local Amnesty group was formed). Their overriding vision is “A just, peaceful and sustainable world built on foundations of equity and solidarity“. Their latest News Letter is published, issue 271, and amongst other things contains a review of events with an arms perspective over the half century since they were formed. We feature their work from time to time on this site because arms are a key element in conflicts around the world. Looking at wars in Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza and other theatres, we see the destruction weapons cause to communities, women, children and other non-combatants. Buildings are destroyed and people are killed or injured by the weapons used. The UK is a major supplier of weapons and claims, somewhat dubiously, to have a ‘very robust regime’ of controls, while at the same time granting ‘open’ licences enabling arms dealers to circumvent them. Human rights are greatly damaged by the arms industry.
The review reminds us of the war in Nigeria and it is probable that younger readers may not be aware of the war there which focused on Biafra. It took place between 1976-70 and was around the desire by the region of Biafra to form its own state. Britain had been the colonial power and was a major arms supplier to the country. The effects were terrible and a blockade led to the death of millions of Biafrans. Between half a million and 2 million Biafrans died in the conflict. It was one of the first wars to be televised and images of the suffering were seen around the world. Apparently, the malnutrition disease Kwashiorkor, was called the ‘Harold Wilson syndrome’ after the then UK prime minister. Images of children with distended bellies, which is a symptom, shocked the world.
A lot has changed over the 50 years: or has it? The fall of the Soviet Union, the rise of China, the ‘global war on terror’ following the attack on the Twin Towers in New York are just some of the key events. Britain, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, SIPRI, has steadily slid down the ranks of arms sellers and now lies approximately seventh. However, taking into account components and military services not counted by SIPRI, the nation is around fourth and on a par with Russia. CAAT do not directly draw attention to the significant role of the City of London which facilitates the movement of money around the world.
Political factors
What has remained constant over the years is the role of the arms industry and its close links to government of all stripes. Arms sales are important for several reasons. Firstly because of the jobs it creates. CAAT for example has a feature on the county of Lancashire in England where BAE Systems is based at two sites in Warton and Samlesbury. The company has developed close links with Lancaster University. Secondly, exports and arms are one of the few areas which show a trade surplus.
The industry has a huge lobbying operation and previous CAAT newsletters have highlighted the revolving door – or open plan office as they are now terming it – through which a large number of senior military personnel, civil servants and some politicians pass through on their way to lucrative directorships or consultancies with the arms companies. This is an invitation to corruption. The arguments over arms supplies to Israel has revealed government ministers reluctant to call a spade a spade. Frightened of upsetting both the industry and the Americans, they continue to allow components for the F-35 despite its use to cause devastation to large parts of Gaza. The industry enjoys too much power and the interests, lives and rights of those who suffer from its wares are barely considered.
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The #revolvingdoor between government and 🏭 raises significant 💥 🤼 of interest concerns. High-level 🏢 ( often 🔄 between regulatory roles and private 🤑 sector jobs, using insider knowledge to influence policy. Critics argue this allows special interests to dominate, while proponents claim it brings valuable expertise to government. However, policies like cooling-off periods are frequently ineffective, failing to mitigate these conflicts. #Amakudari #Pantouflage #ConflictOfInterest #lobbyism
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In 2015, Ukrainian billionaire Victor Pinchuk's foundation donated $150,000 to not-yet President Donald #Trump's “charitable organization to book the then-presidential candidate to speak at a conference in Kyiv.”
Today @ABCNetwork reports former Trump official Kellyanne Conway is lobbying for the 2024 version of the same conference; payment, $50,000/month.
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“We know that carbon emissions are the root cause of environmental destabilisation. They are a key driver of increasingly extreme weather patterns, food price inflation, and water shortages.
So fossil fuel enablers should be made pariahs, not policymakers in the highest levels of government”
Clive Lewis, Labour MP
#FossilFuelLobby
#Tories
#BigOil
#RevolvingDoorhttps://theferret.scot/revolving-door-fossil-fuel-industry-uk-government/?
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Gen. Mark Milley’s Second Act: Multimillionaire
https://theintercept.com/2024/03/11/general-mark-milley-paid-speeches/
#NationalSecurity #speakerscircuit #hillaryclinton #revolvingdoor #Milley
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Going around and around and around... https://www.flickr.com/photos/woolamaloo_gazette/53565700866/in/photostream/
Revolving door at night, Haymarket Square
#Edinburgh #EdinburghByNight #Edimbourg #NightPhotography #photography #photographie #door #porte #RevolvingDoor #Haymarket #HaymarketSquare #architecture #BlackAndWhitePhotography