Winning the Race to the Bottom': Obama Moves to Fast-Track the TPP

[ellenrr]

"As Obama moves to fast-track the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), critics are blasting the highly-secretive trade deal as "NAFTA on steroids" and a tool for advancing U.S. and corporate power.

"If impoverishing working people around the world is the goal, then the trade policies like this are working quite effectively," Chris Townsend, political director for United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), told Common Dreams. "This is the grand-daddy of trade deals, a very destructive project, and it is happening completely under the radar."


https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/09/19-9#.UjvBfLnj8FE.facebook

[FreakinDJ]

1. impoverishing working people around the world is the goal

[djean111]

2. Yes, someone suggested this will lift poor countries out of poverty. Bullshit.

This is intended to flatten out the whole world into a corporate fiefdom. it is meant to push the workers in richer nations down to the poor countries' level.
In fact, this is not about countries at all - it is about corporations eliminating any restrictions a country might have as far as regulations go.
When a corporation can sue a country and win taxpayer money because a regulation restricts its profits, then countries themselves no longer matter, except for labor and paying taxes.
Oh wait. I believe that is already happening with some other treaties. Kudoes to the corporations - don't mess around with individual governments, subvert them all with the help of the biggest and most corrupt.

[dotymed]

4. While growing-up

the propaganda was that 3rd world countries would rise to 1st world standards (ours aren't very high, no health care for all, etc..).

Now the corporatists are striving to make America less than a 3rd world nation.

Only WE, UNITED can stop this.

[FiveGoodMen]

23. The comfort of the rich

depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.

-- Voltaire

[Egalitarian Thug]

19. Very accurate, straight to the point. +1

Governments are the only entities with the capacity to rein in the corporate plantation, or no-feudal model.

[99Forever]

3. We know them by their deeds.

Put this through and reap the whirlwind.

Let the revolution begin.

[Supersedeas]

30. will it be a revolution that we can trust

[99Forever]

34. Perhaps, perhaps not.

But things have to change...

I just hope

"We don't get fooled again."

[MannyGoldstein]

5. "Make No Mistake™... only by obliterating jobs can we grow our economy."

"Yes Jamie.. yes Lloyd... I got this... yes, I'm prepared for Elizabeth Warren this time..."

[xchrom]

6. du rec.

[WillyT]

7. K & R !!!

[obxhead]

8. Earning that 1%er pay that starts 2016.

The disappointment expands.

[Dustlawyer]

9. Let this be the spark to bring on OWS II, on steroids! This time focus on Publicly Funded Elections

and let's put a whole new group of politicians in that will actually vote for meaningful campaign finance reform!

[dreamnightwind]

21. + a trillion

That is exactly the place to focus.

[liberal_at_heart]

24. Yes!!!

[ellenrr]

35. you miss the point of Occupy

the point of Occupy is to change the consciousness of a nation, and as a start, they did that fairly well...
the point of Occupy never was, and never will be, to replace one set of politicians with another set of politicians.
that's what representative government is for....

[Dustlawyer]

38. I do not believe we have Representative government any longer, that is my point!

The corporations have purchased our Representatives, so we would have to apply pressure to get them to vote as they should.

[ellenrr]

43. I was being sarcastic. I don't think we have true representation either.

I agree the corps have purchased our reps.

[tblue]

10. Mr. President, how could you???

This is the final nail in the coffin. Call me a hater. I don't care.

[leftyohiolib]

11. obama to his voting base : "fuck you and what you peons want regarding tpp im ramming it up ur ass

[FiveGoodMen]

25. Yup!

[kelliekat44]

12. If it is highly "secretive" how can we say it is so bad?

[Buns_of_Fire]

13. "If people knew what was going on..."

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/19/warren-on-trans-pacific-partnership-if-people-knew-what-was-going-on-they-would-stop-it/

There are other links there. It's been my experience that the more someone insists on secrecy, the less likely I am to be pleased by the result.

[sabrina 1]

15. We KNOW who is writing this POS piece of legislation and we know that it WRONG

in fact, anti-Constitutional, to deny our Congressional Representatives, you know, the ones the AMERICAN PEOPLE elected to keep an eye on their interests, ACCESS to the contents of legislation that will so adversely affect the interests of the people.

How do we know how bad it is? We don't. We DO know what SOME OF IT contains and that is bad enough. We are correct to assume that if what we DO know is so catastrophic, what they are HIDING has to be even worse.

How about making it 'not secret' if they are not worried about the reactions of the people. Until then, they are hiding it because they know how bad it is for the people and they don't care.

[whathehell]

31. Just listened to Trade Attorney Lori Wallach of Global Trade Watch, Public Citizen

She was on the Ed Schultz radio show and she will be on The Ed Show on MSNBC.

I first heard of her while listening in on a conference call with Progressive Democrats of America.

She is an expert on this issue and she advises us all to go a to a site called

"Expose The TPP" http://www.exposethetpp.org/

[Romulox]

16. Good one. nt

[cali]

22. 1) the investment chapter draft was released: Bad.

2) We know who the lead negotiators for the USTR are. Bad

3) Other info about copyright, the internet, tobacco marketing regulations and pharmaceutical protections have been leaked. Bad.

and more.

I've posted lots of OPs with lots of links. All you have to do is a DU search with my name and TPP

[whathehell]

27. Lori Wallach of Global Tradewatch, Public Citizen, just spoke on it..There were "leaks" &

now it is (mainly) out in the public.

Go here and you'll see exactly WHY they wanted to keep it secret:

http://www.exposethetpp.org/

[raindaddy]

14. We really need to wake up.

When did backroom corporate friendly trade bills, pushed through congress with no scrutiny become acceptable??? And President Obama ran as a Democrat!!! I don't see how this kind of dishonest hypocrisy can continue to be supported by people who call themselves Democrats...

Shouldn't we at the very least expect that the Democrats we elected to represent us would want to look over this bill very carefully to see how it will affect the middle-class and poor? Remember the party that used to fight for the middle-class and poor?

Even five years of beautifully delivered promises of transparency and change from a man we all believed in can't mask the stench of this wagon of horse shit rolling out of the White House.

[leftstreet]

17. Thank God McCain lost n/t

[Romulox]

18. I fear this is a fait accompli. When Obama broke his promise to renegotiate NAFTA, there was nary a

peep from the constituents. Obama then went on to ink a "free trade" deal with South Korea. Again, no response from the voters.

I see no reason to believe this time will be any different.

[woo me with science]

20. K&R

[snagglepuss]

26. Of the 26 chapters currently being negotiated in the TPP, only TWO have to do with trade.

The other 24 deal with issues as diverse as how a government regulates corporate activity, what corporations can and cannot do, how long pharmaceutical patents or copyright terms should be, how the Internet is governed, the sharing of personal information across borders, banking and taxation rules, and when a company or investor should be compensated when environmental or public health policies interfere with profits.

[whathehell]

28. The rest is all about Corporate Control of the World. Check out "Expose The TPP".

http://www.exposethetpp.org/

.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

29. K&R

[jsr]

32. Quick, do it real fast, or people might see it

[Babel_17]

33. I say "No!" (nt)

[madokie]

36. Tell me what's in TTP please

Don't just parrot the talking points either.

[Art_from_Ark]

40. Here's one of many Japanese web sites opposed to TPP

I don't have the time to translate it, but the main idea is that it would take away a member's sovereignty over its food, medical care, even such things as banking services.

http://www.think-tpp.jp/what/index.html

[madokie]

41. Thank you

I'm against TTP, in fact I'm pretty much against any treaty that can't be enforced and I don't see how we can ensure these other countries abide by this treaty. I mean we're in a hell of a bind because of our other trade agreements that on paper sounded good but in reality are not.

I have a lot of confidence in Obama so I wonder what is in this that allows him to support it and so far I've not found anything concerning what actually is in this treaty. It being a secret deal throws up read flags for me all around though

Like you I'm busy this morning but I'll run this link through google translate after I get my chores done.

[Art_from_Ark]

42. Here's a Google search of anti-TPP sites in Japan:

http://www.google.co.jp/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=TPP+反対&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=MTpAUqzFIImCkQWXyoCwCw

[B Calm]

37. What we need is tariffs! If it costs $1.00 in labor

costs to make a product in the U.S. and 10 cents in China to make the same product, then there should be a 90 cent tariff to sell the product here. This would put a stop to all the companies off shoring our jobs!

[pampango]

39. Tariffs are not magic. That is why FDR opposed the high tariffs of the 1920's, lowered them

during his administration and set up the institutions that make it hard for countries to adopt high tariffs after the war. If FDR believed that tariffs were good for American workers, he would have kept them in the 1930's and made sure that the post-WWII world retained high tariffs.

[woo me with science]

44. Kick

[Faux pas]

45. Stop The Trap

http://stopthetrap.net/

[woo me with science]

46. kick

[ellenrr]

47. Protesters Take Over US Trade Rep Building Expose Secret Negotiations

Washington, DC – This afternoon, September 23rd, protesters concerned about the looming Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) covered the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative with banners calling for a democratic process and a release of the treaty’s text. The group, which included members of FlushTheTPP.org, Backbone Campaign, Veterans for Peace, CODEPINK, and Earth First!, say that the TPP will have vast consequences for U.S. laws, workers rights, the environment and many other aspects of life.

some great photos at the site
http://www.popularresistance.org/protesters-take-over-us-trade-rep-building-expose-secret-negotiations/