‘Extreme behaviours’ to be banned uncannily like business lobbying
Addiction Economy Thought for Today - business lobbying of MP’s fits perfectly into Gove’s new definition of extremism - maybe we should go for it after all?
The proposed new definition of extremism says “core behaviours” that could constitute extremism include attempts to “overturn, exploit or undermine the UK’s system of liberal democracy to confer advantages or disadvantages on specific groups” or threatening individual rights or enabling the spread of extremism.
A core feature of the Addiction Economy is business lobbying by companies involved in cigarettes, vapes, gambling, ultra-processed foods, social media and others to prioritise their financial health over public physical and mental health. It certainly aims to ‘confer advantage’ on them as a group and their shareholders and to disadvantage UK citizens.
As the majority of citizens support policy action to restrict the influence of these predatory companies it also ‘undermines the UK’s system of liberal democracy’. It could also be argued breaches ‘individual rights’ to clean air, health and effective healthcare (the NHS is swamped by the treatment of the non-communicative diseases caused by these companies). It is also being forcefully argued by Nita Farahany and Dr. Susie Alegre that social media and tech companies are also breaching our individual right to freedom of thought and 'cognitive liberty' by 'undermining our ability to control our usage until it harms us' (our definition of addiction from the NHS).
Gove's proposal is that “Any organisations and individuals that breach a new official definition of extremism will be excluded from meetings or any engagement with ministers, senior civil servants, government advisory boards and funding.”
Seems an eminently sensible approach to business lobbying to me. Let's do it.
Grant Ennis Dr. Susie Alegre Nita Farahany you might agree?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/mar/09/revealed-legal-fears-over-michael-gove-definition-extremism