Permanent Government's fight back can restore status quo

THE chief executive officer of an energy company is trying to convince you that the main interest driving his business is ensuring that every citizen would have access to energy supplies and in making the world prosperous. But after watching the television commercials produced by ExxonMobil, the cynic in you rebels. "Give me a break, guys. You are a profit-making entity and your main interest is making money."

And then you attend an election campaign event where two politicians try to persuade you that the policies they are advancing are in line with the public interest. Society would be better off if we imposed more regulations on ExxonMobil. No! Getting rid of those regulations is in the national interest. You judge these proposals by measuring them against your assessment of what kind of energy policies would help promote the public interest, which is supposedly the main concern of politicians.

Or is it? Perhaps the politicians aren't the idealist public servants we imagine them to be. Note that the politician who wants to get rid of those regulations on ExxonMobil receives campaign contributions from, well, ExxonMobil. And that the one who wants to increase regulations on the company, benefits from the backing of Greenpeace and other environmental organisations.