TPP, Fast track, secret to you

Sorry for such thin postings lately but life happens. Hat tip to stormy for this reminder of a trade agreement not making the news. Use TPP in search to see other postings from Kenneth Thomas and Dan Becker:

Via Truthout comes this item

So far, the TPP has been drafted with an unprecedented degree of secrecy. While information has been kept from the public more than 600 corporate advisers have access to the treaty’s text – including companies such as Halliburton, Monsanto, Walmart, and Chevron. The Obama administration has kept the TPP classified, making it the first-ever classification of a trade agreement. In addition to denying public access to its text, the president has urged Congress to use Fast Track to pass the treaty. Fast Track would limit congressional consideration of the text to a quick up or down vote and give President Obama the power to sign and negotiate the treaty. This turns the Constitution on its head as the Commerce Clause authorizes Congress to “regulate commerce among nations” not the president.”

See here and here

Succinctly, Stormy writes:

Of course, no major paper covered the protest…we know who pays the bills. Obama will fast track the secret agreement through Congress—who of course will not pay much attention, watching their wallets instead.

If suspicions are correct, then multinationals will control more of labor and environmental regulations than we really want—in short, well-known impediments to corporate profit.

I am beginning to learn that what IS NOT in the news is actually more important than what IS the news.

Doug aka stormy