Margaret Flowers shared her views Wedesday in front of Penn Station in Baltimore on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement. She labeled it, “NAFTA on steroids.”
Flowers underscored that the treaty has been “negotiated in secret,” and its terms, “classified.”
She said that President Barack Obama has asked to “Fast Track” the treaty. This would allow him to sign it into law before the U.S. Congress is given an “up or down vote on it.” In other words, the measure would not go through the usual legislative democratic process, with hearings, transparency, the calling of witnesses, etc.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co6b9R3DU_E[/youtube]
Dave Johnson, writing in the “Campaign for America’s Future” pointed out that “Human Rights, consumer, labor, environment groups are not at the table. But more than 600 corporate representatives are participating.”
Try this for an example of what may be in our future. A U.S. law required food companies to disclose whether tuna is “dolphin-safe” or not. A Mexican company, however, under NAFTA, complained that it “restricted trade.” It won the case!
Whatever is in the final version of the “Trans-Pacific Partnership,” will become the Law of our Land. It will supersede all of our laws and regulations dealing with food, public health and safety, workers rights, the internet, the environment, etc. The AFL-CIO has passed a Resolution opposing the TPP.
Finally, Dr. Flowers said that Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), who was privy to some of the items in the TPP called it a “threat to our national sovereignty.” To learn more about this important issue and what you can do about it, check out the website.