Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObama resorts to government by sucker punch
http://jimhightower.com/node/8577Once again, the American people are being victimized by a hush-hush blanket of official secrecy, rhetorical dodges, and outright lies. This time it's not about wholesale spying on us by our own government, but a wholesale assault on our jobs, environment, health, and even our people's sovereignty by a cabal of global corporations and the Obama administration.
Their weapon is a scheme hidden inside a scam called TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The scam is that the TPP is nothing but another free trade deal - albeit a whopper of a deal that ties our economy to Brunei, Vietnam, and 9 other nations around the Pacific Rim. But of the 29 chapters in this deal, only five are about tariffs.
The real deal is in the 24 other chapters that create a supranational scheme of exclusive, unelected, secretive tribunals that corporations from any TPP nation can use to challenge and overturn our local, state, and national laws. All a corporate power has to do to win in these closed tribunal proceedings is to show that one of our laws or regulations might reduce its future profits.
This is big stuff, amounting to the enthronement of a global corporate oligarchy over us. Yet, it's been negotiated among the trade officials of the 12 countries in strict secrecy. Even members of Congress have been shut out - but some 600 corporate executives have been allowed inside to shape the "partnership."
Their weapon is a scheme hidden inside a scam called TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The scam is that the TPP is nothing but another free trade deal - albeit a whopper of a deal that ties our economy to Brunei, Vietnam, and 9 other nations around the Pacific Rim. But of the 29 chapters in this deal, only five are about tariffs.
The real deal is in the 24 other chapters that create a supranational scheme of exclusive, unelected, secretive tribunals that corporations from any TPP nation can use to challenge and overturn our local, state, and national laws. All a corporate power has to do to win in these closed tribunal proceedings is to show that one of our laws or regulations might reduce its future profits.
This is big stuff, amounting to the enthronement of a global corporate oligarchy over us. Yet, it's been negotiated among the trade officials of the 12 countries in strict secrecy. Even members of Congress have been shut out - but some 600 corporate executives have been allowed inside to shape the "partnership."
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
5 replies, 1039 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (17)
ReplyReply to this post
5 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Obama resorts to government by sucker punch (Original Post)
KamaAina
Mar 2015
OP
djean111
(14,255 posts)1. I have noticed articles and OPs talking up the trade stuff, and ignoring all the other stuff.
Even the trade stuff - I feel we will be lowering standards and regulations, race to the bottom.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)2. "All a corporate power has to do to win . . .
is to show that one of our laws or regulations might reduce its future profits. "
THAT'S the central thing that we must make sure EVERYONE understands about this thing. Our National sovereignty means nothing to this oligarchic crew.
h2ebits
(649 posts)3. Contact the White House and every elected official that you can. . . .
Contact all of your friends and have them contact the White House and every elected official that they can. JUST SAY NO!!
blackspade
(10,056 posts)4. TPP is a total train wreck for working people.
seveneyes
(4,631 posts)5. I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was "dead"