By: Paul Petersen
In the car I heard Alanis Morissette singing "Hand in My Pocket." It is a text with apparent contradictions, where things can simply go together well. You can find different people's interpretations online. Most of all, it reminded me of the opportunity to tackle current challenges with a combination of principles.
Take grid congestion. The various technical experts I speak to emphasize that we would not have this problem now if long-term policy had been drawn up for the energy grid in the early 2000s. A lack of policy causes short-term problems that you can't seem to get out of. Then you can stay stuck in it, or just change it once.
As far as I'm concerned, that requires a consistent line and learning from the snapshots.
What do I mean by such a sentence? As a country or as the European Union, you follow a strong policy to tackle the energy transition comprehensively, with the aim of ensuring that the whole has a green, efficient and stable energy supply. We should therefore not glorify a single solution (think of biomass) and burn it down a few years later. From the general policy, it is desirable to look at the big picture, which continues to move towards the goal. The important condition is that everyone benefits.
In my student days I called it 'Democratic Dictatorship'. All housemates were allowed to discuss a board game costing ten guilders in an apartment meeting, but it was still purchased. Now I refer to it as 'being able to combine the free market with communism'. Or like China combines communism with the free market and enterprising America has many monopolies.
This solution also applies to cybersecurity. Some things should not be invented by one large company, but should apply to all organizations (in the world). If you want to offer something, you first have to jump through hoops. This also applies to all things that are dumped in Europe and that we regard as a free market. What we are allowing to happen now can be brought to a 'level playing field' with a long-term decision.
Or as Alanis sings: 'Everything is going to be fine, fine, fine.'
Nederlands