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Trade agreements are about even greater corporate influence over our lives - local commentary
Peace Train: Continuing the corporate coup
We should move our money out of big banks
1/1/15
A tiny special-interest group, one with obscene amounts of money, has captured control of much of the U.S. government through the use of a minuscule bit of its money in political campaigns and lobbying.
This group's investment in politicians overwhelms contributions from ordinary citizens. As a result of these investments (legalized bribes?), many politicians and judges place the interests of the too-big-to-fail financial sector and other trans-national corporations ahead of the public interest.
The ongoing and little reported on negotiations of the so-called trade agreements provide an example of this control. During the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, roughly 600 representatives of the financial and other corporate sectors are advising the U.S. trade representative. There is little representation of the public interest.
These agreements are seemingly about establishing even greater corporate power over our lives. Traditional trade issues, such as tariffs, constitute only a small part of the discussions.
The Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (also called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) is the other so-called trade pact under discussion. According to Public Citizen, this problematic deal "will not primarily target trade, but 'behind-the-border' policies such as health, environmental and financial protections. U.S. and European corporations call these safeguards on which we all rely 'trade irritants,' and have asked that they be eliminated via TAFTA."
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The recently enacted omnibus budget deal provides yet another horrific example of corporate influence. One key amendment to the budget bill was added at the last minute by Republicans with support from many Democrats....
http://www.coloradodaily.com/your-take/ci_27241981/peace-train-continuing-corporate-coup
We should move our money out of big banks
1/1/15
A tiny special-interest group, one with obscene amounts of money, has captured control of much of the U.S. government through the use of a minuscule bit of its money in political campaigns and lobbying.
This group's investment in politicians overwhelms contributions from ordinary citizens. As a result of these investments (legalized bribes?), many politicians and judges place the interests of the too-big-to-fail financial sector and other trans-national corporations ahead of the public interest.
The ongoing and little reported on negotiations of the so-called trade agreements provide an example of this control. During the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, roughly 600 representatives of the financial and other corporate sectors are advising the U.S. trade representative. There is little representation of the public interest.
These agreements are seemingly about establishing even greater corporate power over our lives. Traditional trade issues, such as tariffs, constitute only a small part of the discussions.
The Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (also called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) is the other so-called trade pact under discussion. According to Public Citizen, this problematic deal "will not primarily target trade, but 'behind-the-border' policies such as health, environmental and financial protections. U.S. and European corporations call these safeguards on which we all rely 'trade irritants,' and have asked that they be eliminated via TAFTA."
Advertisement
The recently enacted omnibus budget deal provides yet another horrific example of corporate influence. One key amendment to the budget bill was added at the last minute by Republicans with support from many Democrats....
http://www.coloradodaily.com/your-take/ci_27241981/peace-train-continuing-corporate-coup
Since this isn't making a splash in the evening news, and we know it won't be on FoxFiction, wouldn't it be great if many of us across the country wrote letters like this to our local paper editors?
The above excerpt is a regular blog in a local CO paper, it rocks, and we can't copy it, but if we wrote similar letters to the editors it could make an impact on getting the word out. Maybe. Just a little.
