Historic Pacific trade deal faces skeptics in U.S. Congress

Reuters ^ | October 6th, 2015 | By Krista Hughes and Kevin Krolicki

[Mariner]

welve Pacific Rim countries on Monday reached the most ambitious trade pact in a generation, aiming to liberalize commerce in 40 percent of the world's economy in a deal that faces skepticism from U.S. lawmakers.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact struck in Atlanta after marathon talks could reshape industries, change the cost of products from cheese to cancer treatments and have repercussions for drug companies and automakers.

Tired negotiators worked round the clock over the weekend to settle tough issues such as monopoly rights for new biotech drugs. New Zealand's demand for greater access for its dairy exports was only settled at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) on Monday.

If approved, the pact would cut trade barriers and set common standards from Vietnam to Canada. It would also furnish a legacy-shaping victory for U.S. President Barack Obama, who will promote the agreement on Tuesday in remarks to business leaders in Washington.

[Mariner]

After the show trial, the US Congress will pass this.

After all, they had their mind made up when they passed TPA, which ascertains TPP passage unless blocked by 60 votes in the US Senate.

Yes, China will join later:"Trade ministers said the TPP would in future be open to other countries, including potentially China."

Good job there GOPe (inclusive of EVERY Senator who voted for TPA).

[ColdOne]

Kabuki theater. Is this the one Cruz voted for?

[Mariner]

yep

[Nervous Tick]

>> Kabuki theater. Is this the one Cruz voted for?

Cruz voted for TPA. He’ll vote against TPP (probably), but so what. Because of TPA, his ‘no’ vote will be meaningless because the Senate already threw away any leverage they had.

I am a Cruz backer but I’m hugely disappointed in him for this vote, as well as for going all in on Corker’s POS.

[ColdOne]

Same here. Very disappointed in him.

[MarchonDC09122009]

Incredible announcement coincidence that Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (secret) terms are finalized, and EU Safe Harbor is voided, all within 24 hours.
Both very much affect establishment of data transfer, and Internet rules.
Also TTIP is in negotiation between individual EU countries and Japan.
Exciting to see the creation of a New World Order which will overide our US Constitution, and create a new framework to govern the future of labor, intellectual property, freedom of speech, privacy, and more surprises whenever TPP elites share their secret agreement terms with us subjects.
A whole new world

[expat2]

So what do you see as problems with TPP

[Lucy Hamilton]

This TPP I think isn’t a good thing. The majority of those countries won’t get anything positive from it, it’s especially bad for small businesses.

Massive corporations and lawyers this is for.

Say Country X puts in a new piece of legislation, Big Corporation Y from Country Z then says “this is hurting our profits” so the big lawyers then sue Country X for billions.

It’s worse than NAFTA, many people are going to lose their jobs in many countries.

[MarchonDC09122009]

Here’s just a bit of what’s wrong with NWO Trade agreement -

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/tpp-signed-the-biggest-global-threat-to-the-internet-agreed-as-campaigners-warn-that-secret-pact-a6680321.html

TPP signed: the ‘biggest global threat to the internet’ agreed, as campaigners warn that secret pact could bring huge new restrictions to the internet
The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement covers 40 per cent of the world’s economy, and sets huge new rules for online businesses as well as traditional ones

    Andrew Griffin
    @_andrew_griffin
    Monday 5 October 2015 15:13 BST

An agreement that some campaigners have called the “biggest global threat to the internet” has just been signed, potentially bringing huge new restrictions on what people can do with their computers.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is the conclusion of five years of negotiations, and will cover 40 per cent of the world’s economy. Its claimed purpose is to create a unified economic bloc so that companies and businesses can trade more easily — but it also puts many of the central principle of the internet in doubt, according to campaigners.
Landmark TPP deal announced in Atlanta

One particularly controversial part of the provisions make it a crime to reveal corporate wrongdoing “through a computer system”. Experts have pointed out that the wording is very vague, and could lead to whistleblowers being penalised for sharing important information, and lead to journalists stopping reporting on them.

Others require that online content providers — such as YouTube and Facebook — must take down content if they receive just one complaint, as they are in the US. That will be harmful for startups looking to build such businesses since they’ll be required to have the resources to respond to every complaint, experts have pointed out.

In 2013, when the partnership was still being discussed, the Electronic Freedom Foundation called TPP “one of the worst global threats to the internet”. The changes are dangerous because to unify the various countries in the partnerships’ rules on intellectual property and other internet law, they are opting to take the US’s largely very restrictive rules.
Read more

    Trade agreements like TiSA, TPP and TTIP will sideline national laws,
    TTIP: France threatens to walk away from negotiations
    If you’re worried about TTIP, then you need to know about CETA

“The TPP is likely to export some of the worst features of U.S. copyright law to Pacific Rim countries: a broad ban on breaking digital locks on devices and creative works (even for legal purposes), a minimum copyright term of the lifetime of the creator plus seventy years (the current international norm is the lifetime plus fifty years), privatization of enforcement for copyright infringement, ruinous statutory damages with no proof of actual harm, and government seizures of computers and equipment involved in alleged infringement,” wrote Katitza Rodriguez and Maira Sutton.

The changes could also lead to huge new rules about surveillance.

“Under this TPP proposal, Internet Service Providers could be required to “police” user activity (i.e. police YOU), take down internet content, and cut people off from internet access for common user-generated content,” write Expose The TPP, a campaign group opposing the agreement.
Gadgets and tech news in pictures

    10 show all

As well as imposing strict rules on those on the internet, activists point out that some of the parts of the agreement could limit central parts of the internet and modern computers. A restriction on breaking “digital locks” for instance — which is meant to allow companies to control their products even after they have been bought by customers — could stop disabled people from making important changes to their computers or using different technology.

The agreement has been made in secret and will not be fully published publicly for years.

Tech experts wrote to the US Congress in May to demand more transparency about the agreement.

“Despite containing many provisions that go far beyond the scope of traditional trade policy, the public is kept in the dark as these deals continue to be negotiated behind closed doors with heavy influence from only a limited subset of stakeholders,” they wrote.

    More about:
    tpp
    Trans-Pacific Partnership
    Internet
    Electronic Freedom Foundation

[ColdOne]

Haven’t been able to read the whole thing. Had a link via wikileaks a bit ago. it gives up gun rights and goes over congress on our laws. What have you read about it?

[stephenjohnbanker]

TPP is a disaster for all.

[Lucy Hamilton]

Of course it is, that’s why the majority of it was kept secret, much of the stuff within, nobody was even allowed to know what it is.

[SharpRightTurn]

“The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) ... would also furnish a legacy-shaping victory for U.S. President Barack Obama”

And that’s all that really matters, right?

[expat_panama]

a bit of what’s wrong

We can all agree that there's a lot wrong w/ what the UKIndependant, says about TPP, but evidently you haven't found anything wrong with the TPP.  Please let us know if you ever find anything wrong w/ the TPP.

[expat2]

Thanks, that is useful.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Welcome to Obama’s America.

[Lucy Hamilton]

Well they’re trying to do one of these things with Europa also.

[MarchonDC09122009]

Must be good to work for Obola.
Your home page extols how great things are using data up to 2004.
Head in the sand denial can make things actually appear well.
Is ignorance truly bliss?

Is there dispute that real unemployment is over 23%, and real inflation exceeds 7% using previous gov’t Stat methodology?

The Presidential Trade website puff piece you sent was nothing more than a 2011 TPP press release outlining the start of trade deliberations.
As Many have said here, if TPP is so benign and possibly beneficial, why was it shrouded in complete secrecy to the point our representatives are refused to take negoitation notes, and details won’t be released until years After its passed into law?
Where have we seen that crap before?
Oh yeah, Obamacare, ie: “we have to pass it to learn what’s in it” - Nancy Pelosi.

Turning this table around:
You show us exactly how TPP will benefit our nation’s citizens and future standard of living, providing cited sources other than Obola’s Trade website, and global leftwing NWO think tank shills.

[MarchonDC09122009]

You’re welcome.
See tagline when enough is enough.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Of course.