A Corporate Power Grab is Underway, So Where’s the Media?

[RiverLover]

A Corporate Power Grab is Underway, So Where’s the Media?
1/12/15

...Most people never heard of the TPP, but everyone who cares about good American jobs, an unpolluted environment, food safety, and other fundamentals – especially including our basic right to be a sovereign, self-governing people – should take a peek at this big nasty of a global trade scam. You'd find that the so-called 12-nation "partnership" actually has little to do with trade and everything to do with enthroning a plutocracy of global corporations over us. Rep. Keith Ellison has warned that TPP is the "largest corporate power grab you never heard of."

One reason we commoners don't know about it is that the corporate and governmental elites of the 12 nations have been negotiating this momentous deal in strict secrecy, not only keeping us in the dark, but also Congress. Another reason, however, is that the mass media has been shockingly silent, apparently even incurious about what clearly is a huge story with historic consequences.

FAIR, the excellent watchdog group that tracks media coverage, found that ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC have offered the American public practically zero news stories about TPP. ...

http://www.whav.net/cms/?p=5930

[RiverLover]

1. Meanwhile, Vietnam's media is covering it...& LOVIN' IT

..."When the Vietnam-EU FTA is signed, the tariff rate will fall from 12 percent to 0 percent. Similarly, the TPP agreement will abolish U.S. tariff rates of 17-18 percent."

http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/Economy/2015/1/112283/

[ND-Dem]

18. +100

[djean111]

36. Plus - I don't think that nasty shrimp from Vietnam will be labeled as such any more.

http://www.exposethetpp.org/TPPImpacts_FoodSafety.html

The TPP would require us to import meat and poultry that do not meet U.S. food safety standards.
The TPP would require us to allow food imports if the exporting country claims that their safety regime is "equivalent" to our own, even if it violates the key principles of our food safety laws. These rules would effectively outsource domestic food inspection to other countries.

Under TPP, any U.S. food safety rule on pesticides, labeling or additives that is higher than international standards would be subject to challenge as "illegal trade barriers." The U.S. would be required to eliminate these rules and allow in the unsafe food, or we would face trade sanctions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration already inspects less than 1% of all seafood imports for health hazards. Entering into the TPP with Malaysia and Vietnam, both TPP negotiating parties and major seafood exporters, would increase seafood imports and further overwhelm inspectors' limited ability to ensure the safety of our food. Some TPP countries have serious shrimp and fish safety issues. For example, even with the minimal inspections, high levels of contaminants have been found in Vietnam's seafood.

Under the TPP, food labels could also be challenged as "trade barriers." The TPP would impose limits on labels providing information on where a food product comes from. The TPP also would endanger labels identifying genetically modified foods and labels identifying how food was produced. TPP would expand the limits on consumer labels already included in existing "trade" agreements, like the World Trade Organization (WTO). But already under the WTO, the U.S. dolphin-safe tuna fish label and our country-of-origin meat and poultry labels have been successfully attacked by other countries. And, under TPP, a foreign meat processing or food corporation operating within the United States could directly challenge our policies that they claim undermine their expected future profits - meaning a barrage of new attacks.

How anyone can say this is good for PEOPLE, much less for Americans, is beyond me.
Or, as Nelly says - Must be the money!

[fredamae]

2. The "Media" IS Corporate Also

They have zero reason and incentive to "Inform the People". You are remembering the Fourth Estate...which no longer exists...and hasn't really for decades now.
"We" just haven't been willing to accept what MSM has become and shut "Corp Propaganda" Off because we still "hope" "it's" there.
Maybe that's why we call it "Main Stream Media" now and Not "The News" anymore?
All, just my opinion, of course.

[RiverLover]

5. Sad that Freedom of the Press no longer truly exists. I remember learning that was one of the

reasons the US was so superior to the then USSR, the Soviets were without Freedom of the Press & were kept in the dark but in the US, the public was kept informed with unbiased reporting. But we don't have that anymore, & citizens largely aren't aware...because it isn't making the news.

We call it MSM here. Most people out there still believe.

[fredamae]

12. Well, the good news is

More folks are becoming aware....fewer folks are tuning in....but we have a long way to go.

[ND-Dem]

19. we were 'superior' to the ussr until the ussr disappeared, then we became them

the existence of the ussr was the only reason to give us any freedom at all

[Dustlawyer]

17. They have already grabbed the power from

the media, courts, state & local politicians, Congress, and the White House. Many people still believe that electing more Democrats will fix this, it won't!
We have to demand Publicly Funded Elections, ending campaign contributions and Super PACS, the Revolving Door, and bust up the Wall Street and media oligopolies. This is the only way to fix this country and it is the mother of all battles that would require millions of dedicated citizens. Bernie Sanders has agreed to fight in these areas if we would get behind him.
Sadly, most just want to remain in denial and just bitch!

[Cosmic Kitten]

30. The "Media" IS Corporate Also

"Corp-aganda"?

[fredamae]

34. Reality-It works for me n/t

[corkhead]

3. they've been already grabbed

[RiverLover]

7. That's very illuminating as to why we're kept in the dark.Thanks Reagan for weakening monopoly laws!

Thanks to you too, ch, for a great graphic.

It reminds me of the graph showing the food monopolies~

[bvf]

8. Thanks for that.

The OP title made it sound like this was somehow news.

[fredamae]

35. There it Is

What would happen if everybody stopped tuning in? Curious and Serious question....(No, I doubt that could ever happen) I just wonder with all that power/ownership/control in so few hands...what would happen if no one tuned in?

[FormerOstrich]

43. Gannett Company

must have most of the remaining 10%....

I'm trying to understand the differences between this image and the other one posted down thread.

Thanks to both for posting these!

[Octafish]

4. Who will benefit from TPP?

Not the People -- the owners.

So...it's rig TPP for Silent Running.

So what if Democracy gets torpedoed?

It's all good.

Did you catch "The Apprentice?"

Great show.

Lots of drama.

Nice wig on the billionaire.

Did he get his teeth re-capped?

Great commercials, too.

What were we talking about?

The what?

[Enthusiast]

6. The media is complicit.

The Telecommunications Act and the loss of the Fairness Doctrine. This was a long term plan.

[Ccarmona]

9. This Is On Bill

Clinton. He pushed for the Telecommunications Act; does anyone really think Hillary will try and undo it?

[RiverLover]

13. +1 nt

[lark]

21. Thought Raygun ended the Fairness Doctrine

not Clinton.

[Ccarmona]

29. You're right

Ronnie ended the Fairness Doctrine which allowed news and editorial comments within the various electronic media to go on without forced rebuttal, but the Telecommunications Act ended the restrictions on ownership. So we are left with only five or six corporations owning the vast majority of radio and television outlets throughout the Country.

[Triana]

10. Media IS corporate. All of it corprat owned & controlled.

They're not going to ADMIT to their coup. Until AFTER it's complete of course.

[malaise]

11. Are you freaking serious?

[RiverLover]

15. Thanks for another graph. I think Hightower is just trying to get the word out to people

and included in the article is a link to~

http://www.cwa-union.org/issues/entry/c/trans-pacific_free_trade_agreement

Maybe we can shame them into reporting on it, but if they do it would be just lies.

Either way, we're screwed.

[JEB]

14. K&R for the original post and subsequent informative posts and links.

Freedom of the press was not wrestled away from the people and stomped into submission. It was sold willingly. I don't see any way through this bullshit storm.

[kydo]

16. bought and now are appart of the corporate power grab

that's where the media is in all this.

[Omaha Steve]

20. Even a lot of DUers don't read anything that says TPP, so go give this LBN an R

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1014

[Fred Sanders]

22. The monolithic American free press is doing this lying and distraction for a reason..what could it ever be?

I have seen no recent and obvious examples of free speech being abused by the free press lately...well, there is this minor thing:


:large

[snappyturtle]

24. Thank you.

I had heard on an alternative news site, not M$M obviously,

about this photo op hoax but not seen the pic....until now. Sad.

[Fred Sanders]

26. That photo and no mention in the MSM at all should tell you all you need to know about the MSM.

[snappyturtle]

28. I cannot stomach news channels. I now have Dish, thanks to my landlord, but I

seldom turn on the tv. I like it for entertainment...Masterpiece Theater, etc. But that's it.

Of course, if the American people learned what is really going on I can't imagine the uproar.
So it's 'best' just not to tell them....for their sakes.

[RKP5637]

23. MSM today is just a stream of propaganda mixed with tabloid journalism. n/t

[Cosmic Kitten]

31. +1

[charliea]

25. A rhetorical question right?

Because we know where the media (with ownership consolidated in a handful of companies) is; attempting to promulgate it by not telling people that it really is designed to abrogate national sovereignty as a means of protecting people from the ravages of Capitalism

[geardaddy]

27. I'm glad Keith is my rep

Go Keith!

[sabrina 1]

32. The Corporate Media is doing its job. They are owned by Corporations. Don't expect them to

report honestly on the TPP.

The real question is 'Where are Democrats'?

They now hold the powerful MINORITY position which, we were told, can stop ANY legislation from getting anywhere in Congress.

I expect them to use that power now that THEY have it.

[raouldukelives]

39. Hell yes to that. Of course, it is all just excuses. It will be bipartisan hugging & spooning. nt

[onecaliberal]

33. 4th Estate is DEAD.

It exists to lul the sheep into voting against themselves and their countrymen.

[Initech]

37. TPP isn't a mere trade deal - it's a corporate coup.

Where's Smedley Butler when you need him?

[Faryn Balyncd]

38. K and R

[stupidicus]

40. the toothless lapdogs are doing what they are supposed to do

gumming up the works with silence

[Ferd Berfel]

41. Interesting - NO one (to this point) has mentioned that Obama Is PUSHING TPP

Media black-out true, but let's not start ignoring reality here kids. We are not republicans.

Obama needs to be called out for his support for this turd. Secret support?

[SammyWinstonJack]

45. +a million!

[Johnny Rash]

42. I tuned out, after NAFTA! But this TPP is sucking me back in!

I always thought NAFTA killed "Self-Governing People", across the North-America landscapes.

[BubbaFett]

44. The media is complicit

our media is a propaganda organ/PR newswire for the 1% and their corporate interests.