The Closed-Door Media Talks That Could End the Open Internet (TPP)

[Catherina]

The Closed-Door Media Talks That Could End the Open Internet
Posted: 07/20/2013 7:52 am

Big Media lobbyists and unelected bureaucrats are holding closed-door meetings in Malaysia this week, as they continue secret talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is a highly secretive and extreme trade deal being negotiated by Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Peru, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Reports from Malaysia indicate that the TPP talks are stalled over five key issues -- including a key chapter on copyright and Intellectual Property rights that would censor and criminalize Internet use. This is not good news for Big Media lobbyists, who are demanding the TPP include extreme new copyright rules that could end the open Internet as we know it. Big Media is spending a fortune on lobbying as they try to shore up an old-fashioned, high-cost command and control media business model that no longer makes sense in the Internet age.

TPP organizers are going to incredible lengths to lock citizens out of these negotiations -- when talks recently took place in Vancouver, Canada's trade ministry instituted what amounted to a media blackout, even refusing to tell journalists in which part of town the talks were taking place. TPP documents are top secret -- unless you're one of just 600 big industry lobbyists invited to take part.

Why all this secrecy? Well, because what's on the negotiating table is so unpopular that it would never pass with the whole world watching. We know from leaked documents that the TPP contains extreme proposals on copyright that would never pass muster with the public. According to the drafts Big Media's extreme proposals would criminalize your online activity, invade your privacy, and cost you money.

...

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is also sounding the alarm, noting that Big Media's proposals mean that: "normal online activities could lead you to be cut off from the Internet, have your computer seized, be fined up to $150,000, or even land you in prison."

...

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-christopher-/tpp-negotiations_b_3625078.html

http://ourfairdeal.org/ (Mostly internet related issues)

https://www.eff.org/issues/tpp (Mostly Intellectual Property)

For Labor-issues:
Teamsters
Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO

Secret TPP Deal Would Void Democracy
July 08, 2013 / Jane Slaughter

...

Congress will soon debate whether to “fast-track” a trade deal that would make job-killers like NAFTA look puny. The Trans-Pacific Partnership would give corporations the right to sue national governments if they passed any law, regulation, or court ruling interfering with a corporation’s “expected future profits.”

They could also sue over local or state laws they didn’t like. The TPP would cover 40 percent of the world’s economy.

Existing laws and regulations on food safety, environmental protection, drug prices, local contracting, and internet freedom would all be up for challenge. And the decision-makers on such suits would not be local judges and juries; they’d be affiliated with the World Bank, an institution dedicated to corporate interests.

...

Most unions, however, have been slow to get on board—even though the TPP would jeopardize, according to the AFL-CIO, millions of jobs. The Teamsters and Communications Workers have been the most active.

...

http://www.labornotes.org/2013/07/secret-tpp-deal-would-void-democracy

[hr]

For general, well-rounded information:
http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/trade-policies/tpp-potential-trade-policy-problems/
http://www.tpp2012.com/
TPP THREATS

Corporations Grab Taxpayer $$ Attacking U.S. Laws in Foreign Tribunals

Read how foreign corporations would be empowered to attack U.S. health, land use, environmental, and other laws before tribunals of three corporate lawyers operating under World Bank or UN rules to demand taxpayer compensation for policies they think undermine their expected future profits. (Already $350 million has been paid to corporations under NAFTA’s version of this crazy system.)

Bye Bye American Jobs & Buy America

Special investor protections take away the risk of offshoring jobs to low-wage countries and in fact incentivize offshoring by providing special benefits for companies that leave. Plus, TPP would impose limits on how our elected officials can use tax dollars – banning Buy America or Buy Local preferences when government buy goods and services.

Undermining Food Safety

TPP would require us to import food that does not meet U.S. safety standards. It would limit food labeling.

Son of SOPA: Curtailing Internet Freedom

Thought SOPA was bad? Read how TPP would require internet service providers to "police" user-activity and treat individual violators as large-scale for-profit violators. Plus, TPP would stifle innovation.

Financial Deregulation: Banksters' Delight

TPP would rollback reregulation of Wall Street. It would prohibit bans on risky financial services and undermine "too big to fail" regulations.

More Expansive Medicines, Threats to Public Health

Disgustingly, U.S. negotiators at TPP are pushing the agenda of Big PhaRMA – longer monopoly control on drugs for the big firms and higher prices for us. These proposals would mean millions in developing countries are cut off from life-saving medicines and higher prices for those of us in rich countries.

http://www.tpp2012.com/

[Fawke Em]

1. Sadly, I believe, we could march in the streets in the millions and

the PTB would still pass this shit.

The only thing that will stop it is the guillotine.

[Catherina]

5. We're past marching at this point. Labor Notes

To stop fast track and the TPP, Citizens Trade Campaign suggests three actions: Contact your Congressperson and urge a “no” vote. Spread the word widely about the TPP, through all channels. And if TPP negotiations are held in North America, mobilize to greet the bargainers—à la Seattle 1999.

See Expose the TPP. The Citizens Trade Campaign site has fact sheets, monthly briefings, and more. See a video interview on “Democracy Now!”

http://www.labornotes.org/2013/07/secret-tpp-deal-would-void-democracy

My highlight is "mobilize to greet the bargainers—à la Seattle 1999". Getting permits from them to march around in free speech zones is useless. Labor will be mobilizing when it can. We need to join them. And if things get rough, oh well, it's better having a single more worker go homeless, jobless and hungry.

A great first step would be for workers in labor unions who have complicit leadership hobnobbing with the 1% to get rid of them and start organizing, fast. We are the majority. It's time we acted like it.

[WCGreen]

10. The problem is the main stream media will NOT cover left leaning voices no matter

how loud we yell...

Because the media depends on commercial activity, the relationship between conservative economic interest and the mass media is a sure fit.

All you have to do is look how many people hit the streets in 2010 and 2011 with occupy Wall Street and the coverage was non-existent. The tea party jag-offs were protesting to keep the status quo. It was a fit made in heaven or more precisely, in GOP marketing companies.

[CrispyQ]

7. We need to guillotine the corporate monsters, too.

It's time to rein in the multinational corporate behemoths. They are too powerful tools, for the 1% to behave without consequence.

[Catherina]

8. This is where having workers control the means of production comes in. It's time for sure n/t

[xchrom]

2. du rec.

[Puzzledtraveller]

3. k&r

[byeya]

4. Where's the transparency? This(if approved) will negatively impact almost every American.

Who is looking out for Main Street Jane & Joe.
Copyrights already last too long - the last extension was to keep Mickey Mouse undercopyright and make $$$ for the owners of copyright.
The artist can be long dead but the parasites will still be sucking on the copyright for decades. As far as history and science are concerned, go suck an egg because we're headed for the eternal copyright.
It seems the RW is full of extreme nationalists: Don't they realize that TPP will undernine the laws of the USA and other signatories to this money grab?
I think this is an area where left and right can come together and defeat Big Money and there stooges in Congress and the administration.
So, again, what's the deal that even members of Congress can't be in on the negotiations?

[Catherina]

6. "what's the deal that even members of Congress can't be in on the negotiations?"

That's the Million dollar question with the multi-Trillion dollar answer.

As far as our dead Congress that seems ready to give the President Fast-Track authority to ram this through, they need to "Lead, follow, or get out of the way". Under our Constitution, Congress writes the laws and sets trade policy, NOT the President.

I agree with you that this is an area where the left and right can come together. We've gone beyond the democrat vs republican paradigm. This is between those who fight with the 99% against the 1% and its lackeys.

[byeya]

13. Congressional leaders - I'm looking at you "Man Mountain" Reid - seem to be happy not to do the jobs

for which they were elected and, yes, I expect this assault on our nationhood to be fast tracked with no pesky filibuster allowed.

The main hope I have is that enough Democrats from the Democratic wing of the party will filibuster the resolution to fast track this abomination.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. You know I concluded a while ago that the TTP is not about copyright

and all that (even if overtly it is)

The TTP is about creating a post nation order, and suppressing the rights of most of the population under a new form of fascism.

I know, I can be cheery and all

[woo me with science]

11. They have to come after the internet sooner or later.

They know it is our last hope for a real opposition.

[snooper2]

12. This too! --- Using the TPP to Renegotiate & Expand NAFTA

-

[Fawke Em]

14. You DO realize that a CT doesn't have to

be kooky to be real, right?

Marginalizing shit no longer works. Sorry, Goebbels.

[Catherina]

18. Naw, he takes that stuff seriously. Why else would he post it on DU? n/t

[Catherina]

17. It figures you're an Alex Jones fan. That explains a lot about your crackpot theories. n/t

[snooper2]

19. Did you see that!

A fucking drone just went right over your head!

[Catherina]

20. No. More like you keep droning yourself in your eagerness to confirm your confusion n/t

[snooper2]

21. The only confusion I have is figuring out why my test calls in the lab are not working

Well, when they go through one gateway we are good, but having issues with a=sendonly being converted to a=inactive in the SDP on the other one.



You send snowy any money yet?

[Catherina]

24. Here's hoping you figure it out soon so you can move on to the ones you're avoiding n/t

[snooper2]

27. LOL, you are funny, I give you that

What do you do for a living by the way? I always wonder what conspiracy theorists do for a day job.


Years ago we had a manager here who was over an Engineering group, he was at MCI for like 20 years working in their labs. The dude was pretty sharp, but was a fucking creationist. I mean, he literally thought the Earth was 6000 years old. I was dumbfounded. Like, how can you be able to get a server up and running with Solaris in your sleep, but can't follow basic science.

People are weird LOL

[Catherina]

28. The conspiracy theorist be the one who posted Alex Jones woo in this thread

Only you can know what your reasons were for doing that but none of the ones I come up with speak favorably of your motives. The kindest explanation is that you honestly believe that woo, otherwise you just do that to disrupt.

When the TPP kicks in and more family and friends of yours are out of work, or your town's water is poisoned and your kids get sick because a multinational with HQs in Japan got their international monkey court to over-rule the local ordinances that were protecting it, don't come crying to the rest of us m'kay? I'll send you back to your Alex Jones woo with a bitter, disgusted laugh. None of this is funny. The fact that you treat it as such instead of fighting for the jobs, health and economic security of your own brothers and sisters is beyond sad.

[snooper2]

29. Because when folks like you start posting about the .001% running the World

Corporations taking over the World and governments via trade agreements...

YOU are part of the Alex Jones wacky crowd. Folks that think they have some deep understanding of "The Powers That Be!" when in reality the World is a LOT more complex than that.
Alex Jones is known for being a fucking idiot, so when you post something that is right up his alley, I'll stick him right in the thread. This isn't for you or I, but for others who may be a little gullible and get sucked into the BS.


I'm trying to help the community here

What is your background again?

[Catherina]

30. Woo is you my dear as you have amply proved. Off to ignore so I don't have to see your CT crap n/t

[woo me with science]

15. kick

[Waiting For Everyman]

16. Sickening.

What was all that mouthing of platitudes yesterday about an economic agenda? WTF ever. Meanwhile, who do we find leading the assault against us? Wonderbama!!! Yay! Isn't that special?

Bookmarking, for when I'm less disgusted to read it again.

[marmar]

22. k/r

[Recursion]

23. How is this different from the last 10 treaties that would allegedly "kill the Internet"?

That's the problem with crying wolf...

[ProSense]

26. Well,

"How is this different from the last 10 treaties that would allegedly 'kill the Internet'?"

...it just is. I wanted to post here so that when this agreement goes before the Senate for ratification, I'll have a frame of reference.

[cali]

25. Great post with a wealth of information.

[Zorra]

31. Opposition grows to Occupy's port shutdown plan

OK. We recognize the problem. How do we solve it from within a thriving idiocracy?

We can't even inform over half the the public, because over half the public is so stupid that they don't have the skills to even understand that there is a problem, let alone engage in any unified action to attempt to solve the problem.

When we tried to instigate mass general strikes and shut down the ports, Occupy was denounced as too extreme by the Anti-Social Justice 1% Propagandists and the Homer Simpson woodchuck idiocrats who parroted the inane anti-social justice propaganda. Even here at DU, the anti-Occupy trolls were out in full force every day, jumping on every Occupy thread and derailing it as much as possible soon after it was posted.

Thank you so much, Catherina, for your work in assembling this material, I'm bookmarking this thread for later.