The Trans-Pacific Partnership looks like a giant step toward the end of sovereign nations. [View all]

[rhett o rick]

This trade agreement as those that went before it like NAFTA are agreements between nations and corporations. Corporations have become big enough that they can negotiate on a level field with countries. These trade agreements allow certain corporations to by-pass laws and regulations of countries in which they operate. They can by-pass labor laws, environmental laws, and health regulations. If the laws of a country negatively impact a major corporation, that corporation can sue the country. In fact, “Swedish energy company Vattenfall reportedly plans to sue the German government, seeking massive damages related to Germany's phase-out of nuclear power.” (http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/vattenfall-vs-germany-nuclear-phase-out-faces-billion-euro-lawsuit-a-795466.html)
Consider the meaning of this. A corporation is trying to flex it’s power to get Germany, no light-weight, to alter it’s plans to phase out nuclear power.

From: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/11/the-global-corporatocracy-is-almost-fully-operational.html#bT84Q6SPHHkwP1C0.99

“a recent leak of part of the TPP document has shown, the new rules would limit how governments regulate such public services as utilities, transportation, healthcare and education, including restricting policies meant to ensure broad or universal access to those essential needs.”

There’s more at the above link.