Leaked documents on TPPA

More about the TPPA – this time from the US

TPP secrets: Obama covertly granting more power to multinational corporations

Despite the White House’s efforts to keep a proposed free trade agreement concealed from the public — and even Congress — an excerpt from the TPP leaked Wednesday reveals that President Obama is prepared to bow to multinational corporations

RT,

13 April, 2012

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The United States has been engaged in discussion with eight Pacific nations to come to agreement on the terms of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free trade contract that would allow for a more open system of exchange between the US and less developed nations. Critics have been concerned, however, over how provisions of the project could drive up the price of medications and other goods across the world. The White House’s reluctance to provide details to even leading lawmakers responsible for America’s trade plans has caused a rift within the president’s own political party as his administration remains adamant about protecting the items being heard.

A section of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership was leaked to the Web early Wednesday, and its contents suggest that US President Barack Obama was perhaps not so genuine with promises made while campaigning in 2008 and even offers some insight into why his administration has been eerily secretive about the TPP.

Details about negotiations determined during meetings between White House officials and leaders from the eight Pacific nations involved in the TPP have been so hidden from the public that even some members of the US Congress have called on the president to come forth with information. In a leak published this week by the advocacy website Public Citizen, though, it’s made clear that the Obama administration has every intention of backpedaling on previous promises that could largely impact regulations that will directly affect the safety and financial security of millions of Americans and international citizens.

According to the leaked excerpt, the Obama administration has been considering TPP provisions that would allow foreign corporations operating within the United States to appeal regulations on the environment and banking that would be forced on American-owned businesses with no chance of reprieve. While the United States could be sanctioned for failing to impose regulations on American-run businesses, multinational corporations are practically encouraged to do as much because the TPP outlines a clear avenue to file an appeal. If one of the eight Pacific nations chooses to do as much, their plea would be heard by an international tribunal that could overrule US law.

Such key components of the leaked TPP document conflict directly with campaign promises harped by then-candidate President Obama while vying for the White House. Huffington Post reports that during the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama was clear in emphasizing, "We will not negotiate bilateral trade agreements that stop the government from protecting the environment, food safety or the health of its citizens; give greater rights to foreign investors than to US investors; require the privatization of our vital public services; or prevent developing country governments from adopting humanitarian licensing policies to improve access to life-saving medications.”

On the contrary, President Obama is reportedly not so concerned today. Condemning the president over how the TPP could alter intellectual property standards are many critics who fear that the agreement would lead to the monopolization of life-saving drugs and thus propel the prices to an unaffordable amount.

"Bush was better than Obama on this," Judit Rius of Doctors Without Borders Access to Medicines Campaign tells HuffPo. "It's pathetic, but it is what it is. The world's upside-down."

Last month, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) introduced legislation that specifically targets the Obama administration by demanding that the White House open up on details about the proposed TPP. Despite serving as chair of the United States Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, Sen. Wyden has been largely left uninformed about the details of the TPP all while the White House has opened up to the multinational corporations expected to profit through the proposal.

“The majority of Congress is being kept in the dark as to the substance of the TPP negotiations, while representatives of U.S. corporations – like Halliburton, Chevron, PHRMA, Comcast, and the Motion Picture Association of America – are being consulted and made privy to details of the agreement,” said Wyden. The senator’s legislation would require the United States Trade Representative office “to provide documents related to trade negotiations to members of Congress and their staff upon request.”

The leaked document is available HERE


From Aotearoa; a Wider Perspective

Obama Trade Document Leaked, Revealing New Corporate Powers And Broken Campaign Promises.

WASHINGTON -- A critical document from President Barack Obama's free trade negotiations with eight Pacific nations was leaked online early Wednesday morning, revealing that the administration intends to bestow radical new political powers upon multinational corporations, contradicting prior promises.

The leaked document has been posted on the website of Public Citizen, a long-time critic of the administration's trade objectives. The new leak follows substantial controversy surrounding the secrecy of the talks, in which some members of Congress have complained they are not being given the same access to trade documents that corporate officials receive.

"The outrageous stuff in this leaked text may well be why U.S. trade officials have been so extremely secretive about these past two years of [trade] negotiations," said Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch in a written statement.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has been so incensed by the lack of access as to introduce legislation requiring further disclosure. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has gone so far as to leak a separate document from the talks on his website. Other Senators are considering writing a letter to Ron Kirk, the top trade negotiator under Obama, demanding more disclosure.

Comments from CollapseNet:

So here it is, leaked (of course) confirmation of exactly whose interests Bloody Barack is working to achieve - and they ain't yours or mine. Obama has revealed himself as the ultimate corporate Manchurian Candidate, the wolf in sheep's clothing here to finish the destruction of the American middle class while suckering those same people to vote for him and against their own interests. Again. He has revealed himself as a pillager of the U.S. citizenry and U.S. law, another one-world government builder for the corporations

The fraudster in the White House is approaching treason with this, IMHO. He took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and faithfully execute our laws, NOT defend mega-corporations' interests against the will of the people and by-pass our federal, state and local laws with the facade of an international treaty. I voted for this guy, now I would be cheering his impeachment for this, as well as his other international crimes and acts of murder against innocents.

Barack the Insidious. Fool me once, shame on you. I don't give second chances to get screwed over, so I wouldn't vote for that deceitful arrogant liar if he were running against the Devil himself (at least the Devil is has been known to keep his word on occasion).

Maybe the abbreviation "POTUS" should be shortened a bit more to just read "POS". – Wesley Miller

IMHO, the fleecing of America/The World will only accelerate. The TPTB are formulating laws and institutions to acquire assets while they are still worth acquiring. In economics terms, TPTB are shorting the Earth and it is an easy bet... there is no way they can lose. We are only 50 years (give or take) away from total ecological collapse and in even less time we will be out of our infinite growth inducing steroid: oil. We are in the end game of a 500+ year long game of chess... (1492 - present) and the major players on the board are jockeying their positions for the final push. Once the jig is up and economies start collapsing in true form... we go to war. And don't be naive to think we built thousands of nukes (as a species) and don't intend to use them while they are still good and while there is something left to fight for.I too would be building nukes if I were Iranian.

They are sitting on one of the last big piles of oil left and bullies (US, Germany, Israel, etc...) only understand strength and the ability to fight back. Only the strong, those who see the big picture, and the lucky will prevail. This can be said about countries as a whole, and as people individually. Everyday I work to be strong and see the big picture. I can only hope to be lucky but I definitely would take it. - 

CollapseNet Staff Comment