Now let’s be clear on this – The multi-national American giant Intel is funding a major campaign for a Yes vote in the upcoming Lisbon II referendum but it is not a political campaign.
According to Intel’s general manager, Jim O’Hara, the company is simply putting forward the business case. We don’t want to get into the political debate said Mr. O’Hara as his PR personnel blocked any awkward questions from the media (Irish Independent).
I wonder will the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO), on behalf of its political masters, be launching an aggressive investigation into the funding of this political campaign by Intel similar to its investigation into Declan Ganley and Libertas?
Apparently not; SIPO has assured Mr. O’Hara that they have absolutely no issue with foreign multi-nationals flexing their considerable financial muscle to influence domestic politics.
This assurance, we can assume, is strictly reserved for those who support the government point of view.
i don’t understand? will they not have to register as campaigning group?
a more interesting question , with regards to Intel is
Cui Bono?
Once we have established that, the next question is
Why Intel? why are they getting involved?
who asked them to?
Sounds like the US corporations are trying to fully take over Eire.
The Intel Ireland Campus located at Collinstown Industrial Park, Leixlip, County Kildare, is one of Intel’s largest manufacturing sites overall, and the largest outside the United States.
Intel announced in January 2009, at the European Parliament, the creation of Intel® Labs Europe, with the goal of expanding the scope of its European R&D activities.
Intel® Labs Europe will coordinate innovation activity and future investments against an Innovation Agenda focused on enabling a Digital Europe which is aligned with the renewed EU Lisbon Strategy and the EU i2010 strategic initiative.
A focused research agenda will include areas such as advanced microprocessor research, high performance computing, enterprise solutions and green computing.