Mitch Cronin Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Can anyone offer any somewhat informed comment about this?:Stephen Harper's trade minister is about to sign a secret, global pact to allow corporations to sue the Canadian government for billions -- just for passing laws to protect our health or the environment.Harper wants us to believe the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is all about getting a better deal for Canada. But the truth is that it could end up being one of the biggest corporate power grabs in a generation.This deal is like the disastrous Canada-China FIPA trade pact on steroids. Harper and his trade minister are refusing to make the deal public (although corporate lobbyists seem to be getting the inside track) -- making it hard to know just what's in the TPP. But leaks so far indicate this is bad news. That’s why Harper wants it to stay confidential -- he’d prefer to quietly sign away our rights without a big fuss.This deal is too important to leave to the politicians: it could affect the lives of Canadians for generations to come. It came to my attention via Facebook? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo32a Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Well if it's on facebook it has to be true.I think Harper also signed a pact with the devil, it came to me via twitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cp fa Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Well that was sarcastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon The Loon Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Another case to be struck down by the SCoC if not the UN itself. The PM cannot make international law unilaterally by way of a trading agreement. Maybe one of our in=house legal-beagles can weigh in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest longtimer Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 http://action.sumofus.org/a/canada-freetrade-tpp/?sub=tw Is the web site of origin of this position. You may want to review who they are: http://sumofus.org/about/who-we-are/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 Another case to be struck down by the SCoC if not the UN itself. The PM cannot make international law unilaterally by way of a trading agreement. Maybe one of our in=house legal-beagles can weigh in... Sarcastic cracks or snotty remarks about the source, from folks who've cemented their faith in Harper, regardless of his actions, don't seem to ease my concern for some reason... Being that plain truth is ever sooooooo hard to find nowadays... I'd sure appreciate some sort of insight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 This wiki on the subject is well worth reading. The secrecy aspects should be of concern to all. Hiding the details from those who elected you is wildly undemocratic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Strategic_Economic_Partnership#Investor.E2.80.93state_arbitration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Hudson Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Thanks J.O. This Wiki on "neoliberalism" is always interesting.It puzzles me why folks would follow up with off-topic responses that are . Why not just help someone find out more? I didn't know a thing about this work being done in our name. Now I know a tiny bit more. Thanks, Mitch.Link to the gc.ca TPP site:http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp/index.aspx?lang=engAhem, Longtimer, are we supposed to "find out who they are" so we're wary of their message? ;-)Come on now... Finding out "who they are" applies to Fox Radio as well as MSNBC, it applies to Chomsky as it does to Friedman, and all those websites we personally favour because they agree with our view of the world. Rush Limbaugh is hugely popular; so is Rachel Maddow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 Thanks Jeff! I had no idea there'd be a Wiki page on it... and you're right. It is well worth the read.Thanks also, Don.... That gc.ca page I had seen, but it's worth less than a chat with Pinocchio, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 It's difficult to do a Google search these days without finding a Wikipedia link. There seems to be a page for almost everything and everyone. Hmmmm - I wonder if there's a Mitch Cronin page??? Thanks Don, that wiki is also well worth reading. A much better use of one's time than shooting messengers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 It's difficult to do a Google search these days without finding a Wikipedia link. There seems to be a page for almost everything and everyone. Hmmmm - I wonder if there's a Mitch Cronin page??? Thanks Don, that wiki is also well worth reading. A much better use of one's time than shooting messengers.You can find Mitch here........................ http://www.cronin.ca/mitch.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest longtimer Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Thanks J.O. This Wiki on "neoliberalism" is always interesting. It puzzles me why folks would follow up with off-topic responses that are . Why not just help someone find out more? I didn't know a thing about this work being done in our name. Now I know a tiny bit more. Thanks, Mitch. Link to the gc.ca TPP site: http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/tpp-ptp/index.aspx?lang=eng Ahem, Longtimer, are we supposed to "find out who they are" so we're wary of their message? ;-) Come on now... Finding out "who they are" applies to Fox Radio as well as MSNBC, it applies to Chomsky as it does to Friedman, and all those websites we personally favour because they agree with our view of the world. Rush Limbaugh is hugely popular; so is Rachel Maddow.Don, not sure where you are coming from with your crack but no , it is always important to consider the source and the credentials of those making the comments. So I posted the original site of the comments along with a goto so folks could make up their minds on the credibility of the comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 And in doing so you attack the messenger instead of challenging their message. Read the wikipedia page, it's a fairly balanced account of what the TPP is all about. And seriously, do you not find the fact that the GOC is sharing nothing substantive about our country's involvement in this agreement a little concerning? I well remember the coverage that NAFTA received and for good reason too. I don't understand how this should be any different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boestar Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 You can also have a look at openmedia.ca who are involved in the fight against the TPP and have petitions for the same. This is NOT a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Hudson Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Mitch, re the gc.ca page on their TPP involvement, "but it's worth less than a chat with Pinocchio, I think.", yes, agree. Of course this is standard procedure when one wants to smoke something past people that may not be in their best economic or political interests but which is in best private interests.J.O. I recall the wide and vigourous public discussions on both NAFTA and the MAI, (mid-eighties). Around 1986 I attended a number of "presentations" from the GoC at the time including the newly-Conservative Mr Crosbie's speech at SFU, (remember "Just quiet down, baby..."?) and it was not received well at the time. The failed OECD initiative known as the MAI (Multi-lateral Agreement on Investment) followed and was the subject of widespread protest in Canada, the US, Australia and other country's populations to the point where it could not be enacted.Such widespread protest drives government cross-border economic "arrangements" like these underground and we get the kind of government pablum seen on the GoCs TPP website.One fine benefit of social media is, today it is the about the only democratizing force that ordinary plebes like us have, now that many western governments have vacated their traditional responsibilities of ensuring a democratic state in the face of the loss of labour unions and the rapid increase in private economic interests and priorities, all of which are not in the best interests of most of the people.We should not conflate two quite different issues, economic isolationism and a refusal to entertain all notions concerning trade between nations including the notion of tariffs.This is different than being an isolationist, which the US was prior to its reluctant entry into WWII. This is not a protest against trade agreements between countries.The protests against such private economic arrangements are about "who benefits most". That's what Seattle was about, and government's solution was water-cannons; Toronto's solution was police-violence, arrest and jail. Nothing's changed since the 60's and Vietnam.These things are not kept secret from the voting public for no reason.Mr Reagan's newspeak defence using the notion of "trickle-down" to describe the wonderful benefits to ordinary people has long since been proven for what it is - false, and another hollowing-out of the middle class - us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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