Sorry, Duplicate Secretive Deal Isn’t about Trade, but Corporate Control

[polly7]

Last edited Wed Oct 28, 2015, 03:23 AM - Edit history (3)

But I'll leave it because it has comments.

Please see yesterday's with transcript here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017268677


Julian Assange on the TPP

by Democracy Now! / May 27th, 2015

As negotiations continue, WikiLeaks has published leaked chapters of the secret Trans-Pacific Partnership — a global trade deal between the United States and 11 other countries. The TPP would cover 40 percent of the global economy, but details have been concealed from the public.

Published on May 27, 2015


http://democracynow.org

A recently disclosed "Investment Chapter" highlights the intent of U.S.-led negotiators to create a tribunal where corporations can sue governments if their laws interfere with a company’s claimed future profits.

BBM

[cantbeserious]

1. Thank You For Sharing

eom

[polly7]

3. You're welcome.

Being able to sue governments for loss of 'future profits' when a private hospital is denied in favour of gov't facilities, for example, is scary and horrifying to me in all of these agreements. We've fought too long and hard to lose what we've got. Water, safety nets, environment ... it's all up for grabs. The poorest nations will have no ammunition against it and their citizens/taxpayers will of course be the ones to suffer even more than they already are.

I hate them all.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. It's a buy-out on Democracy .

[RufusTFirefly]

4. Oh, and by the way, the PATRIOT ACT is about the same thing n/t

[Jack Rabbit]

5. We will not obey

I don't care if it passes. If we refuse to abide by it, no army will stop us.

Give me a good reason why we are obligated to obey laws passed by a Congress bought-and-paid-for by the criminal corporations who wrote this piece of shit.

[KoKo]

6. Recommend!

[midnight]

7. I agree-TPP is not about trade...

[JDPriestly]

9. Another problem with the TPP that Assange mentions and that I have not yet discussed much

is the issue of "speculative damages." Generally, in US courts, a party claimdamages has to prove the damages.

Some of the NAFTA court cases suggest to me that the plaintiff is requesting speculative damages that could never be proven in a court with a jury.

If you have some tomfool scheme to invest in, say the XL pipeline through the farmlands of Nebraska and the US does not permit you to do it because of the danger to the environment, why in the world would you be able to go to an international court and claim that you were damaged? Your tomfool scheme was precisely that, a tomfool scheme. You are an idiot and you made a big mistake in planning to put your pipeline through a major aquifer and fertile farmland. You are a corporation. You are supposed to figure your risks before you set out and invest in a project.

You don't get to plan some tomfool scheme and then go to an international arbitration court with no jury to review your damages claim and get a big verdict.

It's just a crazy idea, these speculative damages caused by regulations and laws and decisions of democratically elected government.

The idea of the TPP is just infuriating from one end to the other. Have these corporate lawyers and trade commission negotiators forgotten that they too are human, that they have children and grandchildren? What kind of world do they think they are going to leave to their children and grandchildren? One in which corporate bullies rule? I know the pay is great, but please!!!!!

[polly7]

10. +1,000,000 nt.