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On Saturday 19 February 2011 08:25 PM, Avri Doria wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:A1B28A60-7951-4776-9EC5-4B7B94BFFD16@acm.org"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">In general I see most countries in their role as handmaidens of business and other powerful elites with a patina of public choice when it is not inconvenient to the elites. </pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
If your problem is that governments are mostly handmaidens of big
business (and other elite) then the only way out is to keep seeking
improvements in governments, by trying to make them more and more
democratic (surely, some government forms are more democratic than
others) as may be happening in the Arab world at present. Grearter
involvement of civil society and community based organizations is
one of the important ways of improving democracy.<br>
<br>
In any case, the problem of business/ elite domination can hardly be
solved by going toward governance forms where big business is even
more legitimately and formally a part of governance structures. And
that is what multistakeholderism in IG is largely turning out to be.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:A1B28A60-7951-4776-9EC5-4B7B94BFFD16@acm.org"
type="cite">
<pre wrap=""> I see big businesses as conglomerates of people wanting to be rich </pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
No, 'big business' are people already very rich, and having
resources and means to manipulate everything and everyone for
seeking ever greater power, unless there is some political check on
them. More and more, 'big business' is not even people, it is just
fast moving blind capital, much more so in a network society. There
is no way to correct/ improve the wrongful acts or inclinations of
big business other than through proper political checks. <br>
<br>
Therefore, the solution to both, the wrong kind of governments and
the wrong kind of business practices, is more democratic governance,
not a return to feudal systems where existing power (then of rank,
and now of money) itself secures seats in the political system. <br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:A1B28A60-7951-4776-9EC5-4B7B94BFFD16@acm.org"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">and being motivated by profit more than principle, though often they hold a principle (one i do not hold) that increase in profit is an increase in good. There are exceptions and variations in both generalities, since for the most part generalities are always partially false while being partially true. Yes, I know that is a generality.
In terms of their roles, I see them as equal stakeholders </pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
My problem with multistakeholderism (MSism) begins when it is raised
to this level. I can never see governments and big business are
'equal stakeholder'. That for me is the death of democracy. i can
accept MSism as a subservient part of democracy (which is the way
the term was always used till I heard new formulations in the global
IG discourse), but not as overriding democracy.<br>
<br>
parminder <br>
<blockquote cite="mid:A1B28A60-7951-4776-9EC5-4B7B94BFFD16@acm.org"
type="cite">
<pre wrap=""> among others each following their perspectives of what it means to achieve the good, even when i think their good is not so good. I see neither as representing the full will or interests of the people but only as representatives of some part of some people's will or interests at some point in time.
So I chose neither, but will work with either or both. And of course I know that it is a political choice.
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</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
PK</pre>
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