The TPP - What You're Not Being Told
There's a reason this is
being hidden from the public.
What is the
TPP? The average person has never heard of it, and most of those who have
couldn't tell you what it is. That's no accident.
The TPP, or
the Trans-Pacific Partnership, is a trade deal that has been negotiated in
secret for years now. The deal encompasses the United States, Australia,
Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore,
and Vietnam. A lot of people are going to be affected by this, but for some
reason the public is not allowed to see
what's in it. In fact many of the
lawmakers which are about to vote on this deal haven't even read it themselves.
Those who have, are forbidden to expose what it contains. If that strikes you
as fishy, you're not
alone.http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/2013/06/for-once-we-have-some-good-news-after-years-of-calling-for-release-of-the-secretive-draft-text-of-the-trans-pacific-partner.html
We the
people don't get a word to say about the TPP, but multinational corporations
do. There are 600 corporate representatives participating in these closed door
negotiations. Obviously these representatives are looking after their
employers' interests not ours.
Though the
public doesn't have access to the full text of this agreement, the contents of leaked drafts make it pretty obvious why this is being pushed
through in such a sneaky way.
Now you
might have heard some people focus on the probability that the TPP will cause the U.S. economy
to loose jobs, much like NAFTA did, only
worse. Though this concern may be valid, it's hardly the most dangerous part of
the agreement.
The real
danger lies in the way that this agreement subverts the sovereignty of nations.
The TPP would create a system of shadowy trade tribunals which would allow
companies to to override and nullify laws in any member
country.http://www.citizen.org/tppinvestment
These
tribunals are extrajudicial. Their authority is outside above national justice
systems. The arbitrators are unelected, and completely unaccountable to
the people.
The laws
which will be subject to this new agreement include (but are not limited to)
intellectual property rights, food and product safety, environmental standards,
and just about any regulation that may affect the way companies do business.
Under the
TPP, if a country passes a law to protect
its citizens or reduce pollution in a particular sector, a multinational corporation which is affected by
that law can take that country to a tribunal. The ruling will be legally
binding. It doesn't matter what people voted for.
An example
of what this will look can be found in Uruguay, which has been sued by the
Philip Morris tobacco company. You see,
Uruguay passed a law requiring particularly aggressive warning labels on
cigarettes. These warning labels have been very effective. Smoking in Uruguay
has declined by about 4 percent annually. Obviously that's bad for business.
The fact
that intellectual property rights are covered by the TPP has grave implications for the
future of the internet. Under
this agreement companies claiming to be harmed by lenient copyright enforcement
would have a backdoor means to push new draconian
regulations on every
participating country. This would bypass normal legislative processes
completely.
Remember
SOPA? Under the TPP they wouldn't even have to pass a new law. Unpopular
measures like this could be imposed through a ruling. Politicians wouldn't have
to risk anything.
Don't live
in one of the countries implicated in the TPP? Have no fear, chances are
they're cooking something up for you as well. The TPP is only one of several
alphabet soup trade agreements currently in the works. The TTIP (aka the
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) would extend this system of
extrajudicial trade tribunals to the entire European Union.
If they get
away with phase one of this power grab you can rest assured that there will be more to
come.
This isn't
about trade. This isn't about jobs. This is about power, power that is being
covertly shifted farther and farther away from the people.
Isn't it
beautiful, this rare show of Bipartisanship we're seeing. It's enough to give you the warm
and fuzzies. Who would have guessed that the same Republicans who shut down the
government over Obamacare would rally so enthusiastically to ram Obamatrade
down our throats? It appears that those who line their pockets are in agreement
on this one.
It isn't
enough for the corporate ruling class to have the politicians in their pocket.
Now they want the ability to bypass elections and constitutions completely. How
does that make you feel?
Well, don't
waste your time telling me. The politicians who are pushing this bill have
names and addresses. Look them up. Give them a ring. Rattle their cages. There
is a time and a place for politeness. This isn't one of them.
If you're a
resident of any of the countries involved in the TTP or TTIP now is the time to
put pressure on the walking haircuts presiding over your particular region. Let
them know that you know what they are up to. Make it clear that you will hold them personally
responsible if they don't back out.
These trade
agreements are just the beginning. They'll take this as far as you let them.
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