In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for “new trade partnerships with Europe and the Asia-Pacific,” an apparent reference to a new trade proposal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Derided as “NAFTA on Steroids” by critics, TPP includes the U.S., Canada, and 10 Asia-Pacific countries. It would likely eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers.
Long negotiated out of public view, TPP is making inroads into public awareness. It will likely make local headlines Friday, when opponents hold a noon rally at Portland’s South Park Blocks, next to Portland State University. The progressive nonprofit advocacy group MoveOn Civic Action calls TPP a “massive corporate power grab” that will reduce international access to generic medicine, restrict Internet freedom, and weaken environmental and financial regulations.
President Obama and TPP supporters argue that 98 percent of U.S. exporters are small businesses that stand to gain from new trade partnerships.
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Despite the fact that I agree that the TPP, in fact, is NAFTA on steroids, an even bigger problem is the fact that all the negotiations are done in secret! The entire document is hidden from public view. Senators and Congressmen are allowed to see it, but they are forbidden from showing it to their aides and forbidden from even keeping notes on the document when they are given access to it. It will make corporations even more powerful than they already are and will prevent civil litigation and grant immunity to those corporations. It becomes “Big Brother Corporate Power” on steroids. The agreement will reign supreme over the courts and the citizenry. This is a big deal, and people need to pay attention to this issue. Fourth District Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio addressed this subject well on OPB radio in a debate with a TTP proponent this past week. If you don’t know what the TTP is, do some homework and see what is at stake for all of us…
Gary J. Sweet Home