Day 24'939

Make a Green Deal with yourself!
A case for self-regulation.

The EU is a neat idea when it's limited to the function of an enabler of free markets and peace. EU-imposed regulation beyond this enabling function is destined to create turmoil.

That's what is happening with the Green Deal. It's a well-meaning piece of legislation at the supranational level concerning essential topics that should be dealt with on a national, or better, regional or even individual level.

The "nearer" to the affected people an act of regulation happens, the more support it will get.

Every good leader knows that people accept what they co-create.

(Direct) National democracy is a proxy for co-creation. Even better is individual self-regulation (choice!) - as this reflects 100% buy-in into an idea. Good ideas win over time. See the rise of veganism in the last few decades, for example.

The EU Green Deal disregards this leadership principle and imposes well-meaning rules from above. Naturally, there is a backlash.

Also, Supranational legislation is often in direct contradiction with the goals of national legislation. In the example of the Green Deal, for instance, there are national subsidies for animal-based dairy production.

In other words, we don't take the time and effort to convince people nationally; we leverage supranational bureaucracy. It's the equivalent of a President of a Board directly telling a Head of Marketing to shift the entire advertising budget from offline to digital when the CEO told to do the exact opposite. Naturally, that's going to be a dysfunctional organisation.

Ultimately, it comes down to one fundamental question: Should politics reflect the will of the people or should politics (try to) change the will of the people?

The Sprezzatura Way is to "regulate" on the most individualistic level possible. The answer to bad national regulation can't be "good" supranational regulation. A well-functioning society needs the buy-in of the people. The Sprezzatura Company is about getting this buy-in and defending the system that requires such a buy-in (free market capitalism).

If we follow this approach to regulation, we will never again see farmers or other special interest groups setting Brussels on fire. They will be busy competing in a free market with their products (and political ideas). And the bureaucrats will have to do the same.
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