White House hopes for final deal in days on Asia-Pacific free-trade accord

[nationalize the fed]

Source: The Washington Post

The Obama administration is aiming to wrap up talks this week on an expansive Asia-Pacific free-trade accord between the United States and 11 other nations, starting the clock toward a vote in Congress by early next year.

The prospect of the pact coming up on Capitol Hill in the midst of the U.S. presidential campaign has created fresh uncertainty about the prospects of success for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would represent the largest U.S. trade deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993. President Obama has called it central to his economic and foreign policy agendas.

Negotiators from the 12 nations are gathering in Atlanta with the goal of reaching a final agreement among countries that account for 40 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. Among them are Japan, Australia, Mexico and Canada. The pact would lower tariffs on beef, dairy products and automobiles, while setting up new regulatory provisions on pharmaceuticals, financial services and online commerce...

...“We can promote growth through trade that meets a higher standard,” Obama said. “And that’s what we’re doing through the Trans-Pacific Partnership — a trade agreement that encompasses nearly 40 percent of the global economy; an agreement that will open markets while protecting the rights of workers and protecting the environment that enables development to be sustained.”...

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-hopes-talks-lead-to-final-deal-on-asia-pacific-free-trade-accord/2015/09/29/1b5508aa-65f4-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html

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USTR Releases Detailed Summary of TPP Objectives
https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2015/september/ustr-releases-detailed-summary

To view USTR’s most recent Detailed Summary of U.S Objectives in TPP, please click here (PDF)
https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/TPP-Detailed-Summary-of-US-Objectives.pdf

[forest444]

1. That should read: Corporate pimps hope for final deal in days on Asia-Pacific "free-trade" accord.

The best government money can buy, folks.

[Populist_Prole]

3. Bingo

I'll bet the usually obstructionist GOP is all buddy-buddy with this administration when it comes to this turkey of a deal.

[PSPS]

10. No need to wait. This is already the underpinning of Obama and Bohner's bromance.

[nationalize the fed]

13. From the article-

"The issue is a rare one on which the White House is aligned with the Republican leadership in Congress. Obama won the fast-track powers on a bipartisan vote, with broad support from the GOP and the backing of only a fraction of Democrats."

We don't know how the present R candidates feel regarding the TPP because neither Fox or CNN asked a single question about it in either debate so far. Maybe they forgot. They wouldn't deliberately leave the whole topic out- that would be a conspiracy theory. The TPP was discussed in a Canadian debate last night, so everyone all knows they know about it.

[RufusTFirefly]

2. White House poised to drive one more nail in American democracy coffin n/t

[msongs]

4. perhaps the astroturfers will show up with a public copy of this document n enlighten us nt

[brentspeak]

6. With the passage of this USA-crushing deal

Their paid assignment will be over. We won't be seeing some of them on this site for a long time. They got their 30 pieces of silver.

[Hydra]

8. Ya, a lot of the paid posting and disruption will simply vanish when the job is done

And funny enough, many of them will join us in the ranks of the unemployed. Fancy that?

[Psephos]

5. Bought and sold, pure racketeering. Actual fascism.

When government and corporations act together to advance their mutual interests, they do it at your expense, in both money and freedom. Any student of the 20th Century knows where that leads.

A deep stain on Obama's legacy.

[CharlotteVale]

7. The grand finale betrayal.

[SoapBox]

9. This will be THE black market on Obama's Presidency.

Too bad he is so determined to sell us out.

[Demeter]

11. Obama blowing smoke, as usual

he can't buy enough support for this turkey, and the corporations surely won't pay bribes...

[Trajan]

12. A new sponsored FB page appeared in my feed today ...

Oregon Job's Through Trade ...

I say - Fuck you Oregon Jobs Through Trade ... It's a bunch of bullshit ...

And fuck you too Senator Ron Wyden, Rep Earl Blumenour, and my very own Rep Susan Bonamici ...

ALL have sold out their supporters ...

[davidpdx]

16. I haven't seen it yet

But I am very disappointed in Wyden, Blumenauer, Bonamici, and Schrader. I happen to be in Schrader's district and did not vote for him (or anyone else) in both the primary and GE because I'm so disgusted with him. Hopefully someone will challenge him next year.

[nationalize the fed]

14. Here's a new tasty tidbit from the TPP

WikiLeaks reveals CBC and Canada Post may be sold under TPP agreement

27 Sunday Sep 2015

A secret letter leaked by WikiLeaks on Wednesday reveals that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Canada Post could be sold under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, being negotiated by Canada and 11 other countries this week in Maui, Hawaii.

The confidential letter, titled, (PDF)“State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Issues for Ministerial Guidance” , reveals the perils Canada’s key Crown Corporations now face under the Harper government’s burgeoning privatization and trade agenda.

The leaked document was prepared for a TPP Ministerial Meeting held in Singapore in December, 2013. According to the whistle-blowing website, the document “indicates a wide-ranging privatisation and globalisation strategy” whose main aim is to undermine state-owned enterprises (SOEs) – publicly owned corporations whose mandate is to deliver the public good with no or minimal commercial considerations. That will change under the TPP.

“Even an SOE that exists to fulfill a public function neglected by the market or which is a natural monopoly would nevertheless be forced to act ‘on the basis of commercial considerations’,” said WikiLeaks in a press release introducing the leak. “Foreign companies would be given standing to sue SOEs in domestic courts for perceived departures from the strictures of the TPP, and countries could even be sued by other TPP countries, or by private companies from those countries.”...

...Professor Jane Kelsey of the University of Auckland, whoanalyzed the leaked TPP document, found that the rules being pursued under the TPP “go beyond anything in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).” She suggested that the document set out a number of obligations, including the requirement by state-owned enterprises to act on the basis of “commercial considerations”, while abandoning their role of providing the public good...
More: https://anonyyc.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/55-wikileaks-reveals-cbc-and-canada-post-may-be-sold-under-tpp-agreement/

“State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Issues for Ministerial Guidance” (PDF)
https://wikileaks.org/tpp-soe-minister/WikiLeaks-TPP-SOE-Ministerial-Guidance.pdf

[djean111]

15. Since I can't really stop this thing, myself, I look forward, in a way, to NEVER voting for or

supporting anyone who votes yes on or shilled for this and the other trade agreements. These things, like wars and cluster bombs and fracking, will hurt women and children and men all over the world. No excuse for it. Nothing can override it.
This is not a "single issue" thing, either. What is in those agreements is a myriad of hurts on people and countries, inflicted by corporations. That is not a "single issue".

[jwirr]

17. Exactly. Wonder if the Unions are going to act with us again?

They seem to be lining up behind Hillary and her corporations so far.

[wolfie001]

18. So where are the far east slaves coming from next?

China seems to be tapped out. Heavens to Betsy why pay Americans a living wage to make stuff, right?

[peacebird]

19. Bernie Opposes TPP, Hillary spoke in favor of as SS and tepidly opposes parts if it as candidate

Choice is pretty clear.

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/sep/02/viral-image/how-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-differ-trans-pa/