Originally published July 23 2015
90% of world's GDP now dominated by corporate-created free trade agreements being pushed through Congress
by Daniel Barker
(NaturalNews) If you don't know much about the Trans-Pacific Partnership bill that is currently being negotiated in secret, don't feel too bad -- that's the way Barack Obama wants it. In fact, very few in Congress have any real idea what the bill actually contains because, true to form, the president has tried to sneak the bill past the House and Senate in much the same fashion as he did with Obamacare.
And as bad as Obamacare turned out to be, this bill has far more serious long-term implications for the American public. The fast-tracking of the TPP will affect Americans in ways that most of us would strongly oppose -- that's why it has been shrouded in secrecy as the administration attempts to ram it down our unsuspecting collective throats. Even much of the President's own party is against its passage, but there is still a good chance that it will survive and become law.
From a statement released by Republican Senator Jeff Sessions:
It is essential that there be no misunderstanding: fast-track preapproves the formation of not only the unprecedentedly large Trans-Pacific Partnership, but an unlimited number of such agreements over the next six years. Those pacts include three of the most ambitious ever contemplated. After TPP comes the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the United States and the European Union, followed by the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), seeking as one its goals labor mobility among more than 50 nations. Together, these three international compacts encompass three-fourths of the world's GDP. Including the nations whose membership is being courted for after enactment, the countries involved would encompass nearly 90 percent of global GDP.
The TPP will directly and negatively impact Americans on multiple levels. It's shocking that our government would even dream of selling out the public in such a fashion. The TPP and the bills to follow will affect us more than anything else that President Obama has done while in office -- this is his true legacy, and it ain't good.
The bills effectively take away the United States' status as a sovereign nation in terms of trade. We will become only one voice in an international tribunal, where even the smallest and poorest countries have an equal say in matters regarding trade, international copyrights, environmental regulations and more.
For one thing, it will mean even more off-shoring of American jobs due to incentives that will make it attractive for companies to relocate to poorer nations. This will lead to the loss of thousands of decent-paying jobs in the U.S.
Food safety is another huge concern. If the bill passes, you can forget about GMO labeling and a number of other food safety standards.
From The Huffington Post:
Currently, our laws mandate evaluating such things as pesticide levels, bacterial contamination, fecal exposure, toxic additives, and non-edible fillers. A company that proves our safety regulations to be a barrier to profits can sue our government, then only the tribunal has to decide between keeping our food safe or allowing the multinational company to sell tainted food.
Fracking, which poisons our water with cancer-causing chemicals, will no longer be subject to regulation by the Department of Energy.
The lack of banking regulations under the new trade agreements will leave the banks free to continue the types of practices that led to the crash of 2008. In fact, the agreements will "roll back" the new regulations put into place following the crisis that were purportedly designed to prevent similar events.
The TPP will extend patents on pharmaceuticals, delaying the introduction of cheap generic versions for up to 20 years.
Internet freedom will be threatened by the imposition of strict copyright laws, which could make actions as innocent as printing a recipe a violation subject to fines of up to $10,000.
The TPP needs to be stopped from passing, and there is still time to write to your representatives in Congress demanding that they oppose the bill. This is one of the most critical issues our nation has faced since we gained our independence, and our continued independence hangs in the balance.
Sources:
http://www.weeklystandard.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
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