Bag's Rants

The law is the law. Or is it?

I'd forgotten about this tiff we were having with the US over flight data.

The history is that under the data protection act personal data can't go out of the EU to the US because of their lax data protection laws. Fair enough. Only the US wanted the data on flights so they could process the data while the plane was in the air so they could get a comfy cell ready for those they wanted to take for a dip. They threatened to stop flights to the US unless the data was supplied. The EU backed down and set up a temporary data transfer while they investigated options. This temporary agreement has now expired.

Clearly because it is the EU, who can't do anything right, and the US, who don't have compromise in their dictionary, they still have not resolved the issue. So the US is threatening flights from the EU but because the UK gives them everything they want regardless of legality our flights are OK. Whoopie Do Dah. Read here.

Personally, I think we should tell them to go stuff themselves. We should enforce our data protection laws. They are there for a reason. The US is excluded for a reason. Planes will still come from the US so our people can get home. Why should we compromise our laws to fit in with these bullies? What will they do invade? We should put our foot down and enforce our laws and the UK should be brought in line as well.

This of course puts the airlines in a bit of a situation. The US will remove their rights to flights to the US if they do not supply the data and fine them. Just to be even we should remove the rights to flight from the EU and fine those companies that do supply the data. This is a two way thing it's not controlled by the US nor is the US in charge of the world, yet.

As usual, there are other ways just not the ones the US have decided on. They can do all their checks in the US on arrival or they can make everybody get a visa before they go. We can compromise on things that don't break our laws. I'm sure there are other options.

In addition with fewer flights we can make a start on our global warming work. This is our best and cheapest opportunity. Perhaps investment in infrastructure to reduce travel will benefit from this. Oh, we will make a fortune from all the American tourists stuck in the EU who can't get home.

I'm getting really fed up of all the compromises we have to make to fit in everywhere else. Some of them we need to because it is for our benefit, some we shouldn't do on principle and others we have no choice. Where we do have a choice we need to stick to our existing laws and whatever principles we have left. It's all about control and flexing of muscles. I think we still have some and because it's not the UK on it's own we may even flex them. Although I doubt it.

posted by Bag @ 10:26 am