The TPP lowers tariff rates to zero which is immediate for us and much longer for others giving other countries a clear advantage. Because of these lack of tariffs, along with new deals for foreign automakers and auto parts, this will lead to a $55 billion dollars defect and 330,000 jobs, according to the WSJ. How does that help anyone here other than corporations? Also, changing NATFA rules on labeling, a car could be made 55% in China and still be labeled, Made in America.
On the environment, this pact all but guarantees a massive increase in pollution and cover ups of environmental maleficence. Previous pacts had an adherence to seven core principles on standards. The TPP has one, which is protecting endangered species. It does nothing to combat plant theft, such as lumber and rare plants, which is far more serious than people think. It will allow for more fisheries to fudge their numbers, thus decimating already rapidly decreasing species in the oceans as well as doing nothing to stop shark and whale hunts. There is not one word about climate change in this at all.
Even if anyone decides to do anything against this pact, there is no enforcement rules for failure. A trade dispute involving lumber has dragged on for years in Peru where 78% of the wood was obtained illegally. Peru has done nothing to stop this and no one has said boo about it. The TPP will allow even further destruction like this with no penalty.
This one is a kicker: the TPP allows fossil fuel companies to challenge local and state safeguards and laws by using an international tribunal, staffed by arbitrators who will be corporate friendly. In other words, if BP wants to drill in your back yard there may nothing you can do to stop them. This type of stuff is already being challenged in other countries like Canada, facing a lawsuit from Big Business who want to frack in Quebec and coal companies that want to strip mine Nova Scotia. This pact will dramatically increase our need for fossil fuels, exacerbate climate change and increase fracking unabated. Oklahoma just became the earthquake capital of the world. I wonder why.
How about food? Well safety is not a concern as this bill will allow for open borders on unlabeled meat of GMO or foreign origin. Personally I am not that against GMO's myself as I have yet to see any hard proof of their danger, although Monsanto still sucks for how they are suing the crap out of anyone who gets in their way. But people who don't want to eat GMO's should be allowed to do so. We label glutten for God's sake. The TPP even allows for self inspection of food or by third party groups rather than the FDA. That sounds like an outbreak waiting to happen. To put this in perspective, the peanut butter CEO who just went to prison for killing nine people with his tainted food got an A rating from a third party group. Expect much, much more if this thing passes.
As for drugs, they could get a whole lot more expensive due to a series of rules that are rather vague and could be exploited. It also makes sure that this country will never get the ability to control soaring drug prices due to favorable corporate rules in the text. This is one of the big reasons insurance prices are going up and up. It's not Obamacare to blame, this would have happened regardless of it's implementation. It could also make it harder to prove negligence against a Pharma company, especially if it's overseas.
Because of the ISDS laws inside of the text, it would elevate foreign corporations to sovereign status, with all the power of a nation state, something never seen before. If a foreign government doesn't like what you are doing, they could sue and win. This could even lead to gun confiscation. Say a workplace shooting takes place at a Nissan dealership. Nissan could sue us for a lot of money. If more and more happen like that, it will be either bankruptcy or giving up guns. Which do you think the government will pick? Either way, we could be on the hook for trillions in taxpayers dollars. Financial regulations of any country could be gutted. Big Pharma could demand cash for claimed violations. Fossil fuel companies could hold whole areas hostage. This is rule by the corporation squared.
And those arbitrators, they will be a revolving door of judges and advocates, meaning they could be a company lawyer one minute and the deciding judge the next. Nothing unethical about that right? There is nothing in the text that says they have to be impartial or rules to step down. This is a rubber stamp committee. And if you want to appeal the decision? Too bad, you can't. Even if you win, you may still have to cough up $8 million in "court fees."
Here's the part that affects me and others like me: copyright law. According to TPP, free speech could be curtailed by this by affecting everything from hyperlinks to content. It makes tinkering with any electronic device a crime, so if they decide to say put a camera in every TV that is on at all times, tampering with it could land you in jail. Whistle blower protection? Gone. It will change the internet by possibly making hyperlinks illegal, ending many a website if true. It could even result in jail time for someone like me writing about someone or something that a foreign power says is libelous and demand my extradition to stand trial. The TPP could send me there without a doubt.
This pact will increase foreign born workers, something the House GOP just passed that will triple the amount of low skill workers into this country, further depressing wages for people who aren't making it as it is. Luckily, it has no chance of becoming law. The TPP will flood the country with high skill workers, effectively making most of us obsolete. Poverty is set to soar under this law.
The long and short of this is that this deal sucks hard and the American people are going to get screwed by it. I fully expect it to pass, which would make Barack Obama the worst president of all times. When you can out do his predecessor, you know you've crossed through the looking glass. The country is coming to an end people and no one seems to care. Wise up because you are going to wake up one day and be in a radically different world and you'll wonder "How did this happen?" You let it. It's time to wake up America. Bedtime is over.
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