WHAT IS THE TPP?
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, more commonly known as the TPP, is a proposed trade agreement. It has been negotiated for about 7 years in nearly total secrecy by twelve different governments and a number of enormous corporations along the Pacific Rim about the economy.
It’s also been widely considered as a VERY BAD IDEA.
Remember NAFTA? (For those who don’t know, it was basically a huge disaster for the economy.) This is NAFTA on steroids.
***
Now that it’s full text has been revealed, we see that letting it be passed will result in:
THE DEATH OF THE INTERNET – or at least, consider your free speech on the internet revoked, and your privacy gone. No more personal information.
WEAKENED AMERICAN ECONOMY – as it favors foreign imports over ones in-nation.
INCREASED CORPORATE POWER – It turns the global economy in favor of big, multinational corporations and leaves at-home businesses to suffer. If you’re super-rich, you’ll benefit from this.
NO MEDICINE – nothing you could afford, since it takes away restrictions forcing big pharmacy companies to price their medicine fairly.
UNSAFE FOOD – food and safety measures, like labeling, are virtually eliminated. Unsafe food will move about between nations.
UNFAIR COPYRIGHT CHANGES – extends copyright terms from 50 years after an author’s death to 70 years without expanding fair use; the limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission.
DESTROYED ENVIRONMENT – say goodbye to clean air, plants, for your children and a nice, not-destroyed world, since the agreement gives corporations the right to sue anyone that tries to protect the environment, including communities and the government itself.
***
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
If it passes through Congress, we know for sure President Obama will give the okay, since he supports it.
Instead, we have to take this to Congress. Congress wants to Fast-Track it, or give it immediate consideration. The vote will likely happen in a few months.
Call your representatives and senators, send them e-mails, rally outside government buildings, sign online petitions, and bombard them with this:
”If you don’t oppose and vote against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, I will oppose and vote against you in every future primary and general election in which you are a candidate.”
I know it sounds scary. That’s because it is. And yeah, it’s terrifying, but not doing anything about this is worse. If you just let this happen, you’re basically just laying down and waiting for death. This is something that will affect BILLIONS of people, and people for countless future generations.
DO SOMETHING.
***

http://theantimedia.org/our-worst-nightmares-confirmed-full-text-of-tpp-finally-revealed/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/trans-pacific-partnership-details-1.3308248

https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/trans-pacific-partnership/tpp-full-text