Spread the Word: TPP is Toxic Political Poison that Politicians should Avoid

[polly7]

by Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers / October 24th, 2015

At its root, the TPP is about modern colonialism. It is the way that Western governments and their transnational corporations, including Wall Street banks, can dominate the economies of developing nations. And it’s not too late to stop it.

The TPP is a bad deal. Just like every other similar agreement, it is going to outsource jobs, lower wages globally, increase the wealth divide, increase the U.S. trade deficit, undermine democracy, weaken the federal court system, degrade the environment and undermine sovereignty at every level of government. The more people who learn about this deal, the worse it will look, and if we resist it, the likelihood of passage in Congress will shrink.

And, similar to the TPP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is having troubles in Europe. Europeans see TTIP either not advancing or going in the wrong direction because of the heavy handedness of the U.S. The French negotiator said: “France is considering all options including an outright termination of negotiations.” More than 3 million people across Europe signed a petition calling on the European Commission to scrap the agreement and hundreds of thousands marched in Berlin on October 10 opposing the TTIP. People realize that rather than opening up new markets, since the U.S. and EU countries already trade a great deal, it will privatize public services for corporate profits.

At its root, the TPP is about modern colonialism. It is the way that Western governments and their transnational corporations, including Wall Street banks, can dominate the economies of developing nations. To be part of the TPP, governments are required to allow foreign ownership of property, including buying land in signatory countries. The TPP allows corporate trade tribunals to overrule their laws, acquire resources cheaply and provide slave wages to workers. And, if all else fails, the U.S. and allied militaries will be there to enforce agreements.

The TPP gives incredible power to foreign banks to move money in and out of countries without restrictions. It minimizes regulation of big finance to allow risk-tasking that endangers the world economy. Countries that need money will be enslaved by loans from big finance like Citigroup, and once they are in debt, they will be unable to stand up to the demands of banksters who threaten them as we witnessed recently in Greece.

The reality is that without trade justice there cannot be climate justice, food justice; there cannot be health justice or wage justice. Injustice in trade undermines all the issues the social movement is working to correct.

Full article: http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/10/spread-the-word-tpp-is-toxic-political-poison-that-politicians-should-avoid/#more-60210

With these trade agreements we will first see the poorest of the poor around the world suffer the most ... then us.

[Fred Sanders]

1. Which makes the support of Canadians polled and Canada's new leader seem strange.

[OrwellwasRight]

2. Remember that "liberal" has a different meaning everywhere else in the world outside the US

it means "market liberalization."

[polly7]

3. Why is that, Fred?

I hate these 'free' trade agreements with a passion, no matter who says they support them. The article points out the damage they will do, especially to those poorer nations with govt's without the power and clout to 'negotiate' or defend themselves from the ISDS clause that can, and will, destroy not only human beings, but whole economies - just as they are meant to, imo.

[Fred Sanders]

4. I have read the summary of the TPP on the government website related to it and it seems to have good

things and bad things....what we can not have is protectionism.

I know I can speak with you rationally, Polly, so this is my attempt.

On one issue of many. I am not convinced the poorer nations or workers will suffer, on the contrary the liberalization of trade and commerce will help millions just as it has done for the last 20 years for India.

This is the site I was referring to:

https://ustr.gov/tpp/Summary-of-US-objectives

[polly7]

6. I haven't read many good things about it.

Canada has been the most sued nation under NAFTA already ......... and we, the taxpayers are those who suffer for it. If Canada can't fight off these unfair trade practices, what chance will poorer nations have? We see what already being under the thumb of the predatory World Bank and IMF has done to some with the horrendous increase in suicide rates, infant mortality, loss of safety nets, pensions, employment, health-care - I worry they will be increasingly harmed with these horrific deals meant only to enrich those already with all the power. Will Europe stave off Monsanto's crap seeds, or will they be sued and forced to accept them? Will life-saving drugs currently offered world-wide to those who need them most be out of reach? Anything could be taken from 'the people' if their gov'ts are not able to fight off billionare multi-national corporations who want what they have. I like you a lot, Fred, but I disagree about seeing anything at all good about them.

[Fred Sanders]

7. There is also Japan in the TPP, a huge market being opened, and Vietnam is an emerging

economic powerhouse whose workers could not be more underpaid than they are now....they are also on board and no one is accusing Vietnman of being a capitalist hotspot.

There are many good things related to trade in general, Canada's economy is dominated by trade, but I suppose in the end it boils down to myself not being a trade expert, I trust Obama and Trudeau and their experts to know what they are doing.

TPP may not be the boon it is being made out to be but I doubt it will be a bust.

The opposition in N.A. is predominately by unions, who historically have always been protectionist, and I understand the fears of reduced wages due to competition, but that has always been the fear that has never materialized with all internstional trade agreements.

There HAS to be free trade, within regulation, it is a smaller and smaller world every day.

I take the viewpoint of a rising tide floating all ships kind of thing.

Thanks for the discussion.

[polly7]

8. I don't trust them, just as I didn't trust Mulroney after hearing my dad talk about

him (paraphrasing) giving away Canada for NAFTA, and how much he hated him. There has to be 'FAIR' trade - 'free trade' is a euphemism for more welfare to the oligarchs who absolutely do see a smaller and smaller world every day and are doing what they have to to scoop up what's left, all at the expense of millions suffering for it - who are either completely invisible to them or useful tools as free/cheap labour, farmers forced to use freak seeds and the chemicals required for them and dying for it, poor villagers forced to go without water as huge corporations buy it up and dole it out at a price ........ and on and on and on.

'Free trade' is bullshit.

[Hoyt]

5. Yep, all those countries clamoring to sign TPP/TTIP -- even Denmark -- don't realize how bad it is.

They are all stupid, corrupt, or like Obama attempting to sell their citizenry down the river.

Do I need the sarcasm thingy?