We Don’t Know, Exactly, What the Trans-Pacific Partnership Is, But I’m Against It

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/10/30




he Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is probably the most important trade agreement you’ve never heard of. Sometimes described as our “21st Century trade agreement,” its terms are being negotiated in secret by 11 countries, big and small, arranged around the Pacific Ocean.

As the TPP takes shape, we see that it’s really the old NAFTA model, built from the ground up to shield global businesses from public debate, public policy, and public regulation. The 14th round of talks took place in September, in Leesburg VA.

At the meeting, Pat Ranald, a researcher from the University of Sydney in Australia, told a remarkable story about cigarette packaging. Smoking causes about 15,000 excess deaths, and costs Australia over $30 billion per year. In response, Parliament passed a “plain-packaging” policy, requiring all cigarette packages in Australia to have plain brown designs, with no advertising. We’ve had similar rules for decades that prohibit cigarette smoking, cigarette advertising, and liquor advertising on television.

Global tobacco companies challenged the plain packaging policy in Australian courts. The Australian High Court decided that the regulations were a legitimate policy in response to a significant harm to public health. The tobacco companies are reframing their challenge, taking the issue to an international trade tribunal. The basis of the trade complaint is simple. National courts may believe that governments have a duty and authority to promote public health. Trade tribunals have a different priority – maximum possible trade.

[denverbill]

1. I don't know why the idiot John Birchers and freepers don't get their panties in a wad over this.

They are all freaked out about the US losing it's sovereignty to the UN and having the UN grab their guns, but the biggest threat to our sovereignty is these damned treaties, and the damned treaties are real, not imaginary.