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EU About To Grant US Unlimited Access To Banking Data
An anonymous reader points out a blog post reporting that on Monday The EU Council is set to give US intelligence services full access to SWIFT banking data, despite a unanimous call by the European Parliament not to do so. "The move of SWIFT the data server to Switzerland would be an excellent opportunity to stop the nearly unlimited access of US authorities on EU bank transactions. But EU justice and interior ministers are apparently keen [on agreeing to] a deal as soon as possible, on 30 November. Why 30 November? Because one day later, on 1 December 2009, the EU’s Lisbon Treaty will be in force and would allow the European Parliament to play a major role in the negotiations of the deal with the US. A deal one day before will be a slap in the face to democracy in the EU. ... [W]hile the US will be able to access EU banking data, no access to US banking data by EU [authorities] is being foreseen."
If that's not a coup from above, I don't know what is.
Wired money to Turkey? Terrorist.
Unexplainable transfers of cash into your account from $MUSLIM_STATE? Terrorist operative.
Bought floor tile from a man with the same surname as a well-known Taliban leader? Suspected terrorist.
etc.
I mean, I'm all for national security and sharing information but what is so lacking about the EU's ability to make and investigate the above claims?
My work here is dung.
Theres none good sides on it. Or why do you think US wont open their banking data back to EU?
It's just another case of USA forcing their laws, ideas and politics to other countries. Only taking, and not giving back. Fuck yeah!
... does the 30th of November sound like a great day to pull pranks like false fire-alarms and what-not to interfere with the deal? For once I my life I would condone civil disobedience, and for once it might even have an impact.
She: Hey, are you a traitor? Me: No, I'm atheist.
The tax cheats are going to have a much harder time when the want to park their money offshore. This is really good news.
They'll give access to all inter-bank transactions. The whole issue started with the revelation that US intelligence had access to SWIFT data through SWIFT's US data center. SWIFT then shifted its operation to its other data centers and will cease channeling EU transaction data through the US data center by the end of the year. So the loss of access for the US spies is the SWIFT data, but the treaty will give them access to all inter-bank transactions, even those which are not processed by SWIFT. This is a classic rebound technique: The EU cannot spy on its own citizens like that, but they do get information back from US spies.
Who's to blame? The US, for shamelessly exploiting the people they often call their friends? The EU council, for betraying their people? Why choose...
If this goes through on Monday, there will be calls to punish the EU Council for treason, but of course nothing will come of it.
This proves once again what a weak and undemocratic government the EU commission (not "council" btw.) really is.
Why should we HAVE to worry about The Authorities overseeing our each and every transaction, as if we're all criminals until proven otherwise??
As someone here put it, "If I've done nothing wrong, WHY ARE YOU WATCHING ME??"
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
Yes, gunpoint is a good description.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Service-Members'_Protection_Act
Because it's not about doing wrong : it's about using fear as a means to control people.
Slipping shoelaces ?
wouldn't it be only fair ("all men are equal...")
to give citizens of the colonies (= world - China) a vote in the
US presidential election?
What good would that do? Corporations bought and paid for the US government long ago. It's all a big kabuki theater. They'll continue to get away with it too, because Americans continue to get shiny new gadgets and gizmos to keep them occupied and stupid.
Hey, *we* did have our say! We said no. And then it happened anyway.
As all of the EU can use IBAN for European transfers, I don't see the issue. The only reason we're still stuck with SWIFT is when making a transfer to/from outside the EU anyway, which invariably means US / Canada, in which case they already have access to the data.
I love how Iraq and Afghanistan are the same place whenever talk about not having EU support comes up.
Americans are nice. Generally very open, sociable people who will be happy to strike up a conversation with you if they notice you're from a country they've been to or some such. The United States of America (and, by extension, the people making up the American government) is a sociopathic asshole of a country that constantly betrays the principle it was founded on and follows international law only when it feels like it (and tries to get the law amended so it can do whatever it wants).
Huge difference. I'd be happy to come over to the place where the Americans live and spend some time there - if only that place didn't happen to be America.
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
The United States is so clearly the new Roman Empire that it makes it almost cute that they keep denying it.
US politicians have clearly been arguing for a unipolar world, with the US as the only superpower. So, I don't see why you think Americans are denying hegemony over the rest of the world.
However, there are two major differences between the US and the Roman Empire. First, the Europeans and Japanese aren't paying taxes to the US; in fact, the US is actually still effectively financing part of the European and Japanese economies. Second, Europeans and Japanese can rid themselves of US hegemony any time they choose by building up their own militaries and taking care of their own defense. The US not only won't object, US politicians have been asking for this repeatedly, as US tax payers and US soldiers are getting tired of paying for Europe's defense.
If the US wants to have jurisdiction over the populations of the world though, wouldn't it be only fair ("all men are equal...") to give citizens of the colonies
You'd first need to start paying US taxes and use the US Constitution as your basic law. Until you do, you don't get to vote.
But as I was saying: once Europe spends $500-1000bn of its annual budget on defense, creates a nuclear arsenal, and greatly increases its troop strength, it can rid itself of any kind of US influence. As long as Europe is spending its money on cushy social programs and letting the US handle its defense, it has to accept that the US uses its power to get its way on some issues.
Your choice.
Because they form the unholy alliance refusing full democratic power to the elected parliament and instead further the power of the commission (of governments).
But when the British tabloids are once again blasting 'Brussels' and it's 'unelected' bureaucrats they always forget about this little detail.
But then the rest of Europe knows who's behind these rags...
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
The EU Council doesn't give a shit about European Parliament. Seriously, Iran is probably a better democracy than the EU. Most if not all democratic elements of the EU organization do not have any real power.
People keep repeating this, but it's like saying NAFTA isn't a democracy. The EU is not a country, it's a group of independent countries that have agreed to stop protecting their internal market from each other. The EC is chosen by governments of the member countries, all of which are democracies. Ambassadors and diplomats are not elected representatives either.
Giving the European Parliament actual power and making the EU Council an actual government would amount to turning the EU into a federation, a single country. This is a concept that doesn't have popular support anywhere. It won't happen, it's ridiculous.
Of course they won't. It's just that our spineless politicians take the "good relationship" with the US a bit *too* serious.
Want to hear the voice of GOD? cat
Yes, that's a big problem with them, the thinking that their way is the only one that can be. I travel a lot and also hang out on travel forums. The funniest I ever read there was from a fellow German living in Nicaragua. He said that the coast is overrun with American expats, who have been living there for ten or twenty years, don't know one word of Spanish and still demand that the locals speak their language. What a fucked up life that must be.
Want to hear the voice of GOD? cat
I assume you are a European citizen.
Meaning you voted the wrong people into your own national and by consequence our European government.
The problem is , you only get the wrong ones , no matter what you choose for , because of the party system : you choose someone , but the party ultimately decides who gets to rule.
And because the worst people are best at fighting for their place (because they only care for themselves , not the people ) , they are the ones who get the office.
Slipping shoelaces ?
The EU ceased being simply about an internal market the moment they gained the power to legislate. Giving the EU parliament actual power is a hell of alot better than allowing government (not parliamentary) representatives to legislate and having unanimous control over international treaties. But that is of course not nearly enough, the central EU "government" has far too much power. IMO, any decision made by the EU should be subject to veto by any national parliament along with a (required) referendum in all countries.