TPP and TAFTA: On corporate control
One thing is clear: You and everyone you
know will be affected by the secret agreements
that are to be finalized in the very near
future.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement are two sides of a coin that gives multi-national corporations power above the rules of law. TAFTA was first proposed in the '90s and appeared again six years ago. It is currently between the U.S. and the European Union, but Canada and some other countries in Europe are likely to join. Negotiations began earlier this year and are set to be completed around 2015. The TPP appeared in 2010, and negotiations started this August. This partnership includes America, Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
There is absolutely no transparency for either of the two agreements. This isn't going through governments; this is being negotiated by corporate interests and work for their benefit alone. The people have no say and are being kept blind. The Obama Administration says it will reach an agreement before the end of the year. As I write this, they are beginning their last meeting: Chief Negotiations and Key Experts. They concluded on November 24. The TPP will be official in the coming weeks.
How does this affect you? Last week, Wikileaks released one of the 28 chapters of the TPP: Intellectual Property Rights. Remember SOPA? CISPA? This is both and then some. This will affect everyone who uses the Internet — everyone who is reading this.
If you are aware of genetically modified foods and care about your health, this agreement further reinforces continued poisoning of our population's food supply. This agreement will represent death sentences for small businesses. This is corporations having international control over the people.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement are two sides of a coin that gives multi-national corporations power above the rules of law. TAFTA was first proposed in the '90s and appeared again six years ago. It is currently between the U.S. and the European Union, but Canada and some other countries in Europe are likely to join. Negotiations began earlier this year and are set to be completed around 2015. The TPP appeared in 2010, and negotiations started this August. This partnership includes America, Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
There is absolutely no transparency for either of the two agreements. This isn't going through governments; this is being negotiated by corporate interests and work for their benefit alone. The people have no say and are being kept blind. The Obama Administration says it will reach an agreement before the end of the year. As I write this, they are beginning their last meeting: Chief Negotiations and Key Experts. They concluded on November 24. The TPP will be official in the coming weeks.
How does this affect you? Last week, Wikileaks released one of the 28 chapters of the TPP: Intellectual Property Rights. Remember SOPA? CISPA? This is both and then some. This will affect everyone who uses the Internet — everyone who is reading this.
If you are aware of genetically modified foods and care about your health, this agreement further reinforces continued poisoning of our population's food supply. This agreement will represent death sentences for small businesses. This is corporations having international control over the people.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
