An informed call to protest the Transpacific Pact (TPP)

OB Everyone everyone at lists.people-link.net
Thu Nov 14 20:23:18 EST 2013


If you aren’t yet aware (and the effort has been made to keep you
unaware), the Transpacific Pact (TPP), which would be devastating to
virtually every element of the 99%, may soon be fast tracked (which
would mean a quick up or down vote, with no amendments, and virtually
no discussion as was the case with NAFTA and the WTO) and passed by
Congress if large corporations, the Obama administration and their
political allies have their way.

Accurately described as NAFTA on steroids, the TPP has secretly been
being negotiated renegotiated for nearly 3 years by the office of the
US Trade Representative in consultation with other Pacific Rim
governments and some 600 corporate representatives. Speaking of the
corporate 1%, the contents of the pact are being kept secret from not
only the press, but also from Congress.

Under the TPP, corporations would be able to sue national and local
governments if they perceived local laws threatening their potential
profits, that is, for example, if cigarette packaging required
horrific pictures of cancer victims, tobacco companies could sue for
potential lost profits. And the suits would not take place in public
courts, but in arbitration councils in which the judges will be chosen
from corporate experts.  And the verdicts could not be
appealed. According to leaked information, TPP also includes large
elements of SOPA, the so-called Internet Piracy Act, which was
defeated by mass opposition.  The TPP would further undermine unions,
financial industry regulations, food safety and environmental policy
and on and on (and on).

There is a short (12 minute) super clear video on this by Amy Goodman
and Lori Wallach at
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/10/4/a_corporate_trojan_horse_obama_pushes
a much longer one with somewhat more detail at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj_Wiq9J0LM

There are significant numbers of groups and coalitions working against
the TPP and the associated fast track at a wide range of levels and
with various strategies and tactics both in the US and around the
world.

This is the same set of issues that united so many people and
organizations in the Seattle anti-WTO protests, so the potential is
there for both similar unity within the 99% and opposition to the 1%.

So, if there are any actions, demos protest, marches or the
like where you are, please join them. If
not, organize them!

Rich Levy


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