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Stealth Corporate Coup d'Etat
Trans-Pacific Partnership is a stealth corporate initiative to destroy freedom.
by Stephen Lendman
Obama and other Washington extremists support an alphabet soup of federal and international freedom-destroying measures.
SOPA, PIPA, CISPA, ACTA, and now TPP are stealth pro-corporate, anti-populist hellish schemes.
Two previous articles by this writer called TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) ACTA 2.0 and a trade deal from hell. Another one said ACTA is worse than SOPA and PIPA.
Public Citizen's Lori Wallach heads its Global Trade Watch division. It monitors destructive trade deals like TPP.
On June 27, she headlined her Nation magazine article "NAFTA on Steroids," saying:
TPP, like other destructive trade deals, is being secretly negotiated. Most people never heard of it. Media scoundrels ignore it. Whatever corporations want they support.
TPP was "cleverly misbranded," said Wallach. In 2008, Bush officials initiated discussions. They continue "under the radar." By late 2009, Obama picked up where Bush left off. He backs everything he supported and then some.
He wants virtual total corporate empowerment. "Think of the TPP as a stealthy delivery mechanism for policies that could not survive public scrutiny," said Wallach.
It provides Trojan horse cover for "grandiose new rights and privileges for corporations and permanent constraints on government regulation."
It favors investors at the expense of public health, food safety, clean air and water, sovereign control of resources, land use, energy, and virtually everything else that smells money, power and privileges afforded both.
"The stakes are extremely high because TPP may well be the last 'trade' agreement Washington negotiates." If enacted, other countries can join. If enough do, it'll be a global "NAFTA on steroids."
Member countries will sacrifice national sovereignty. Their laws, regulations and rights will be subordinated to TPP rules. Their use of tax revenues will also be restricted. Buy America and similar national priorities will end.
Rule-breakers will face TPP tribunal lawsuits and sanctions. Corporations will be empowered to sue countries outside their domestic courts. Private sector attorneys will become judges and juries.
