Nancy Burch: Trade agreement will give multi-national firms control over us
The Trans-Pacific partnership (TPP) is a secretive trade agreement among nations bordering the Pacific controling as much as 40 percent of global trade. Yet, only five of its 29 chapters concern trade. Credible leaks have shown that other chapters enable multi-national corporations (big oil, pharma, tobacco, chemical companies, etc.) to sue anyone who impedes or interferes with their profits.
This means if a state, city or even a nation passed a clean-air or clean-water act, they could be sued to the extent the multinational felt their future profits had been affected. If a local, state or national business advertised as GMO-free or organic, they could be sued to the extent that they interfered with the multi-national’s profits.
They will control what we eat, drink and breathe. Yes, senators can review the TPP, but they cannot take notes and their aides are not allowed in the room. That means it is likely they will not get a good understanding of this huge agreement. It seems apparent that those who promote this agreement either have not read it, have not understood it, or are resting comfortably in the pocket of one or more of these predatory and short-sighted multinationals.
Nancy Burch, Ceres
This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Nancy Burch: Trade agreement will give multi-national firms control over us."