"Vladimir Putin Hates the TTIP" Says Retired 4-Star Navy Admiral who thinks TTIP "Vital for Defense"

[KoKo]

This is an incredibly ridiculous Military Might/War Mongering article in support of the TTIP. But, I give it to Stavridis for his brutal honesty in laying out what the TTIP Supporters are really concerned with achieving and not what is being floated out there as a "Fair Trade" Agreement to bring jobs and bounty to the partners who sign on. That he urges passage because "Putin Hates It" makes me shudder to think what propaganda the students at Fletcher School of Law at Tufts are being subjected to.

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Voice
Vladimir Putin Hates the TTIP
Which is exactly why Europe and America need to get it done.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/11/19/vladimir_putin_hates_the_ttip_europe_united_states_free_trade

by James Stavridis

James Stavridis is a retired 4-star Navy admiral who serves today as the 12th Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Flying under the international radar is one of the most potentially important agreements ever negotiated across the broad Atlantic: the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), also known as the Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA). It is a big basket of agreed-upon rules and regulations that would make the United States and much of Europe a free trade zone, perhaps increasing overall trade by as much as 50 percent, according to the European Commission and the White House.

Guess what? Putin hates it.

It's not hard to figure out why: it would more tightly bind Europe to the United States, thus hurting Russian leverage. The TTIP is a sensible agreement on economic grounds, broadly speaking. But it also holds enormous real value in the geopolitical sphere. The increased linkages between the United States and our European allies and partners will stand in direct opposition to Putin's key strategy of driving a wedge between the United States and the EU as the central members of the transatlantic community.

But let's back up: what are the key elements in the transatlantic relationship?

First are values and demographics. The ideas we cherish -- democracy, liberty, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, the right to peaceful protest, gender and racial equality -- came largely from Europe. The Enlightenment provided much of the basic DNA of our nation's intellectual heritage, not to mention many waves of immigrants. To this day, numerous fundamental connections between the United States and Europe persist in our approaches to the civil rights, our judicial bodies, and the structures of our basic political systems. And by the way, it is worth remembering that Russia stood largely outside the process of the Enlightenment, with notable cultural distinctions resulting between Western European and Russian traditions.

Second is geography. For the United States, one of Europe's key values is its strategic position on the edge of the Eurasian landmass. In my time as the NATO Supreme Allied Commander for global operations, people in the United States would occasionally chide me for supporting bases in Europe that were, in their view, "the outmoded bastions of the Cold War." But as we have seen over the past decade, these bases are anything but obsolete. Again and again, we have used bases in Europe for operations in Africa, the Levant, and Central Asia. Europe's geographic position between the United States and many of our security interests and allies to the south and west of Europe remains critical.

More of this ridiculous/war mongering...but important read at....

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/11/19/vladimir_putin_hates_the_ttip_europe_united_states_free_trade

[djean111]

1. The TTIP is bad for people. The TTP is bad for people.

It does not matter how Putin feels about it, but I really do believe there are some who will say if Putin is against it, we need to be for it. Pathetic.

I wonder if the Big Sell for the "trade agreements" has begun.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. My thoughts exactly

I think the two big trade agreements are linked in strange ways.

And also agree - both are bad for people.

[KoKo]

3. Peter Lavelle had an interesting show last night

about the TTIP and it's counter partnership that was a real eye-opener that we don't see discussed in our Western or BBC media. Which might explain why this article in "Foreign Policy" is titled the way it is. Look for his November 19th Show on You Tube.

[bemildred]

4. Yeah, I'll bet Charlie Manson hates it too, so what? nt

[Jefferson23]

5. Highly recommend..it's bad no matter what. n/t

[magical thyme]

6. I don't give a flying fuck that Putin hates it. I hate it on it's own "merits." nt

Tiny Maine villages spent years in court fighting Nestle Corp. (water isn't a human right. it should be privately owned and sold) re: the water under OUR aquifers, on which WE depend.

The last fucking thing we need is some fucking ELITE TRIBUNAL from somewhere else violating OUR rights and letting Nestle force us to let them drill and steal OUR WATER so we can buy it back in plastic bottles.