Expanding Int Prop law, Corp. Sovereignty, & Killing the Internet : NOT Fast Track appropriate

[Faryn Balyncd]

Voting up or down without amendments may have a place in certain foreign policy negotiations that involve the constitutional duties of the executive branch.

This has been expanded over the years to trade agreements. When "Trade Agreements" were actually about lowering protective tariffs and duties, applying the "up or down" Fast Track vote was within the realm of consideration.



Now, however, with the proliferation of so-called "Free Trade Agreements" who important components involve the stealth modification of issues that are clearly the providence of Congress and the judicial system (issues such as intellectual property law radically effecting drug pricing and threatening the internet, environmental, labor, consumer safety, and labeling law, and the setting up of a "investor-state dispute settlement" tribunals exempt from appeal to the courts are perverse attacks on the constitutional duties of Congress, and on the courts.


The founders did not intend for such issues to be rammed through Congress with Congressional input & amendments banned, or for corporate controlled tribunals to bypass the judicial system as corporations intimidate government entities into abandoning their duties too protect the general welfare or face bankruptcy.


Economists have clearly demonstrated that the optimal length for patent and copyright protection for stimulating innovation is a SHORTER period than we now have after the Sonny Bono Act. Overly pro-corporate current law does need to be reformed, but inthe OPPOSITE direction from where the TPP would take it.


Passing such an abomination under deceptive duress (calling measures that ENHANCE PROTECTIVE BARRIERS a "Free Trade Agreement" that lowers barriers) is bad enough.


But doing it a way that the fine print is not known until it has been passed, and unable to be amended without unanimous consent of all foreign states, is beyond the pale.

[djean111]

1. This cannot be stated enough! This is NOT about "supporting Obama's legacy" - whatever

the fuck that means. This is about a corporate takeover flimsily and sneeringly (IMO) papered over with lies about trade.

[Faryn Balyncd]

2. ...