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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTPP Protesters Take Over US Trade Rep Building to Expose Secret Negotiations
photo by Bill Hughes:
Taking Over US Trade Rep Building
Protesters Expose Secret Negotiations
by KEVIN ZEESE
CounterPunch, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013
This afternoon, September 23rd, protesters concerned about the looming Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) covered the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative with banners calling for a democratic process and a release of the treatys text. The group, which included members of FlushTheTPP.org, Backbone Campaign, Veterans for Peace, CODEPINK, and Earth First!, say that the TPP will have vast consequences for U.S. laws, workers rights, the environment and many other aspects of life.
We decided to expose these secret negotiations by going right to their national office and plastering the Office of the US Trade Representative with messages that let them and the public know what they are doing. We took over their office building today, and plan to continue to escalate tactics in Congress and wherever we see opportunities to expose the TPP, stop the undermining of democracy through Fast Track and have a real debate over whether the US wants rigged trade for big transnational corporations or fair trade that puts people and the planet before profits.
So far, the TPP has been drafted with an unprecedented degree of secrecy. While information has been kept from the public more than 600 corporate advisers have access to the treatys text including companies such as Halliburton, Monsanto, Walmart, and Chevron. The Obama administration has kept the TPP classified, making it the first-ever classification of a trade agreement. In addition to denying public access to its text, the president has urged Congress to use Fast Track to pass the treaty. Fast Track would limit congressional consideration of the text to a quick up or down vote and give President Obama the power to sign and negotiate the treaty. This turns the Constitution on its head as the Commerce Clause authorizes Congress to regulate commerce among nations not the president.
SNIP...
Resistance is not limited to the U.S. alone. Other members of the treaty, including Japan and Malaysia, have seen significant public demonstrations in opposition to the agreement, while the lead negotiator from Chile, Rodrigo Contreras, resigned earlier this year citing concerns that the treaty would restrict Chiles ability to shape public policies, control financial institutions and address issues of health, education, and development.
One protester fromFlushTheTPP.org, who locked himself to Margaret Flowers on top of the buildings scaffolding, has firsthand experience with how transnational corporations control and design free trade agreements like these. Steven Bray decided to quit his job after his former employer, Caterpillar, sent the entire company a link to an automated message in support of the U.S.-Colombian Free Trade Agreement. When I learned how many of my coworkers responded without actually considering the text and its potential consequences, I couldnt stand it. This made the voice of one CEO sound like the voice of 10,000. The Colombia trade agreement has had a serious negative effect on farmers and workers in Colombia and has resulted in massive nationwide protests.
CONTINUED...
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/09/24/protesters-expose-secret-negotiations/
jsr
(7,712 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)...and wealth. It's why the government went ape when Wikileaks happened. It made visible what was supposed to be known only to insiders.
Wikileaks: Poverty and wealth in Mexico
The cable cites semi-independent analysis based on official 2008 figures to show that poverty increased from 42.6 percent of the total population in 2006, the year Calderón assumed the presidency, to 47.4 percent in 2008. Not mentioned is what happened in 2009, when the economy fell into recession.
Have you noticed how the rich keep getting richer in the USA, jsr?
jsr
(7,712 posts)which is why they don't like to be exposed.
Fuddnik
(8,846 posts)We need a lot more actions like this.
Drag this shit out in the daylight! And disinfect our political process.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Guess who's got a place at the trough? Cough. I mean, "Table"?
Monsanto and Walmart Influence Secret TPP Negotiations
Although the American people (and the people of all nations involved in the pact) are prevented from participating or even watching the various rounds of meetings, global multi-nationals Monsanto and Walmart are helping draft the agreement.
Hill-a-ry!
antigop
(12,778 posts)According to Business Week:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1016&pid=67554
Octafish
(55,745 posts)antigop
(12,778 posts)Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)More Power to Corporations to Attack Nations
Read how foreign corporations would be empowered to attack our health, environmental and other laws before foreign tribunals to demand taxpayer compensation for policies they think undermine their expected future profits.
Threats to Public Health
U.S. negotiators are pushing the agenda of Big PhaRMA longer monopoly control on drugs for the big firms. This would mean millions in developing countries are cut off from life-saving medicines & higher prices for the rest of us.
Bye Buy America & Jobs
Read how special investor protections incentivize offshoring by providing special benefits for companies that leave. Plus, TPP would impose limits on how our elected officials can use tax dollars banning Buy America or Buy Local preferences.
Undermining Food Safety
TPP would require us to import food that does not meet U.S. safety standards. It would limit food labeling.
Son of SOPA: Curtailing Internet Freedom
Thought SOPA was bad? Read how TPP would require internet service providers to "police" user-activity and treat individual violators as large-scale for-profit violators. Plus, TPP would stifle innovation.
Financial Deregulation: Banksters' Delight
TPP would rollback reregulation of Wall Street. It would prohibit bans on risky financial services and undermine "too big to fail" regulations.
SOURCE w LINKS: http://www.citizen.org/TPP
Banksters Delight.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)running things all over the world went Global long ago. But the people were still separated. Since their policies so adversely affect people both here and in many other countries, it would be a good idea to have the people join forces also.
The very idea that even US Congressmembers are not allowed to see what is in this 'deal' is an outrage.
Berlum
(7,044 posts)Make these negotiations open and transparent. Freaking profit-mad corporate OCCULTISM is fascist.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)And yes, there are a couple dozen here that maintain that unless it is that obvious, it isn't fascism.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)from the Transparency Department
Senator Wyden has been at the forefront of raising concerns about the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement (as with many other issues we follow), specifically over the total lack of transparency from the USTR on the issue. While USTR Ron Kirk has pretended that "listening" to a few people is transparency, it's not. Actually sharing what you're doing is transparency.
Now, it's one thing for the USTR to refuse to share with the public what it's supposedly negotiating on their behalf -- but what if it is refusing to share with the very people in charge of overseeing its actions? As you hopefully know it's Congress, not the Executive branch, that has the authority to regulate foreign commerce. While the USTR is often granted the power to handle negotiations, it is only to be done with oversight from Congress.
So, you would think that the staff director on the Senate Finance Committee's Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness, would be able to "oversee" what the USTR is doing by getting a copy of the USTR's positions. That staffer, who works for Senator Wyden, got all the proper security clearances... and the USTR basically gave him the finger. According to Wyden:
As the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committees Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, my office is responsible for conducting oversight over the USTR and trade negotiations. To do that, I asked that my staff obtain the proper security credentials to view the information that USTR keeps confidential and secret. This is material that fully describes what the USTR is seeking in the TPP talks on behalf of the American people and on behalf of Congress. More than two months after receiving the proper security credentials, my staff is still barred from viewing the details of the proposals that USTR is advancing.
CONTINUED...
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120523/11415519051/wyden-to-obama-hollywood-shouldnt-know-more-about-tpp-than-congress.shtml
I like Hollywood as much as the next guy, but gee whiz...
zeemike
(18,998 posts)Cause they are terrorizing the corporation and it's power?
K&R.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Money trumps peace and anyone who objects is an enemy of the $tate.
ETA all that follows:
From the Bill of Rights' friends, the ACLU:
The Patriot Act, 10 Years Later
EXCERPT...
Since the Patriot Act was first enacted, lawmakers have authorized extension after extension, refusing to make any meaningful changes to the law. This is despite the fact that according to Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) there are two versions of the Patriot Act: one that the public sees, and a secret interpretation that the government keeps to itself. Senator Wyden has stated, When the American people find out how their government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they will be stunned and they will be angry. Furthermore, since its passage, the Department of Justices Office of the Inspector General has repeatedly found widespread blatant abuse of the statute. Yet, earlier this year, Congress passed a four-year extension of expiring Patriot Act provisions, which are now set to expire on June 1, 2015.
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)Just yesterday, Brazil's President told the UN that the USA's surveillance program is the biggest threat to the world's democracies that exists!
Guy Whitey Corngood
(26,482 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)If people knew what was going on, they would stop it
By Eric W. Dolan
RawStory.com, Wednesday, June 19, 2013 19:54 EDT
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on Wednesday voiced her opposition to President Barack Obamas top international trade nominee because of a secretive free trade agreement.
I am deeply concerned about the transparency record of the U.S. Trade Representative and with one ongoing trade agreement in particular the Trans-Pacific Partnership, she said on the Senate floor.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has been negotiated behind closed-doors for years by trade representatives from Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. Though the free trade agreement could have wide ranging consequences on workers and consumers, the public only knows a few details of the treaty thanks to leaked documents.
[font color="green"]I have heard the argument that transparency would undermine the Trade Representatives policy to complete the trade agreement because public opposition would be significant, Warren explained. In other words, if people knew what was going on, they would stop it. This argument is exactly backwards. If transparency would lead to widespread public opposition to a trade agreement, then that trade agreement should not be the policy of the United States.[/font color]
The Senate confirmed Michael Froman as the new United States Trade Representative by a 93-4 vote. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Carl Levin (D-MI) joined Warren in voting no.
CONTINUED...
truedelphi
(32,324 posts)And if so, it would be great if either of them would step forward and let everyone else in the country understand what it is all about.
NCarolinawoman
(2,825 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)The Kiwis hit the nail on the head:
We want a say in our nation's future.
http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz/
starroute
(12,977 posts)Their name hasn't come up much in the recent debates, but a few years back they played a leading role in pushing for free trade agreements with Latin America. And a few months ago, I ran across a pdf which says, "Even though Donohues Chamber overwhelmingly backs conservative candidates for office and spends millions to defeat Democrats in targeted congressional districts, Donohue has exercised his influence over Democrats with campaign contributions, and is one of the leading voices working with the Obama administration to implement the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)." (http://shutthechamber.org/sites/default/files/documents/chamber%20report.pdf)
This is extremely important, partly because it helps answer the question of why the Obama administration is backing this terrible deal. But also, the Chamber is well known to use stealth methods, ranging from setting up websites targeting employees in specific companies and industries and encouraging them to show support for these agreements, to creating anonymous front groups to meddle in state and local elections, to being involved in serious efforts (eg, Team Themis) to spy on and discredit anybody who exposes its tactics.
So there's potentially a lot going on here, and the Chamber needs more scrutiny than it's been getting.
JEB
(4,748 posts)is so close the transnational corps can taste it.
Duval
(4,280 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,297 posts)progressoid
(49,825 posts)Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)I envy those who can do things like this. I'm limited to this keyboard.
dgibby
(9,474 posts)I'm posting it to FB and emailing to the friends and family. Who says posting on DU isn't activism. It's all some of us can do.
Great article.
leftstreet
(36,078 posts)Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)As in We, the People.
Get your pitchforks and torches ready. To the Bastille!
Joe Shlabotnik
(5,604 posts)socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)nm
johnnyreb
(915 posts)More pics linked at the bottom of OP article. Swoon!
http://www.popularresistance.org/protesters-take-over-us-trade-rep-building-expose-secret-negotiations/
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Tell everyone you know what this TPP really means.