TPP Exposed: WikiLeaks Publishes Secret Trade Text to Rewrite Copyright Laws, Limit Internet Freedom

[marmar]

Published on Nov 14, 2013

http://www.democracynow.org - WikiLeaks has published the secret text to part of the biggest U.S. trade deal in history, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). For the past several years, the United States and 12 Pacific Rim nations have been negotiating behind closed doors on the sweeping agreement. A 95-page draft of a TPP chapter released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday details agreements relating to patents, copyright, trademarks and industrial design -- showing their wide-reaching implications for internet services, civil liberties, publishing rights,and medicine accessibility. Critics say the deal could rewrite U.S. laws on intellectual property rights, product safety and environmental regulations, while backers say it will help create jobs and boost the economy. President Obama and U.S. trade representative Michael Froman reportedly wish to finalize the TPP by the end of the year and are pushing Congress to expedite legislation that grants the president something called "fast-track authority." However, this week some 151 House Democrats and 23 Republicans wrote letters to the administration saying they are unwilling to give the president free reign to "diplomatically legislate." We host a debate on the TPP between Bill Watson, a trade policy analyst at the Cato Institute, and Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Whenever you hear "help create jobs and boost the economy", prepare to be screwn.

Usually it only boosts the economy of the 1% and creates jobs you'll never have for people you'll never meet.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, marmar.

[truedelphi]

3. But many folks here will protest that the TPP is very very good

[h2][font color=red]

"BECAUSE OBAMA!"

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[WillyT]

4. K & R !!!

[cali]

5. wow. weasel uses weasel words and has the gall to claim that the TPP

would curtail unfair advantages given to corporations.

[JEFF9K]

6. Wikileaks got in trouble only after threatening to expose corporate misdeeds. ...

No?

[madfloridian]

7. Recommended.

[Enthusiast]

8. K&R! Damn! What a bold faced liar!

Thank you for posting this.

[marmar]

10. I know. And he's not even a good liar.

[Octafish]

9. ''Limit Internet Freedom'' = ''Buh-Bye, Democracy!''

Thanks to Corporate McPravda, Mighty Wurlitzer of the Military-Industrial Complex, the Internet is about the last medium for the free expression and exchange of ideas.

Gee. What would the world be like if only corporations could communicate to the masses?

Why, crooked pols and banksters would walk free and there'd be wars without end that would profit the few.

What a nightmare! Oh, wait a minute...