2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Well with TPP released...Bernie wins this one hands down! [View all]Akamai
(1,779 posts)I was getting steamed up listening to my podcast of the Thom Hartmann show from yesterday, listening to his criticisms of the TPP.
This is truly a disastrous agreement and benefits no one but the corporations and the rich. It will lead to a worsening of the race to the bottom, higher medication costs, a roll-back of environmental protection, etc.
In the past, I have argued about this with progressives and they say, "It has to be good -- Obama is for it!" My question always was, "If this is so good, why is it secret?" Well, we find out that the critics of this pile of crud were correct and if it is turned into law, multinational corporations are the winners.
Thom noted that under this agreement, the only one able to sue others about threats to their profits are investors. Labor unions cannot sue, governments cannot sue, etc., and the decisions are to be made by business-friendly attorneys, and there is no appeal for their decisions. (Jeez -- I wonder how they are going to decide?) Thom also points out that that in this agreement, forced labor and slavery aren't outlawed -- they are "discouraged." Same with overfishing by large groups of people -- not outlawed, just "discouraged." Patents will last a lot longer and, therefore, many more people will die than otehrwise would.
I sure echo Teddy Kennedy's plaintive question in the Senate: "When is enough enough? When does the greed stop?"
On the Thom Hartmann show yesterday, someone called up and said that those who brought about the TPP are like a group of people ruining their area, and looking for other areas to ruin. The proponents of the TPP sure have no interest at all in helping bring about peaceful and livable communities.
Go, Bernie!