In this article I mentioned TPP. What the Heck is TPP?
Trans-Pacific Partnership
From Democracy Now,
WikiLeaks has published the secret text to part of the biggest U.S. trade deal in history, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). For the past several years, the United States and 12 Pacific Rim nations have been negotiating behind closed doors on the sweeping agreement. A 95-page draft of a TPP chapter released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday details agreements relating to patents, copyright, trademarks and industrial design — showing their wide-reaching implications for Internet services, civil liberties, publishing rights and medicine accessibility.
Critics say the deal could rewrite U.S. laws on intellectual property rights, product safety and environmental regulations, while backers say it will help create jobs and boost the economy. President Obama and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman reportedly wish to finalize the TPP by the end of the year and are pushing Congress to expedite legislation that grants the president something called "fast-track authority." However, this week some 151 House Democrats and 23 Republicans wrote letters to the administration saying they are unwilling to give the president free rein to "diplomatically legislate." We host a debate on the TPP between Bill Watson, a trade policy analyst at the Cato Institute, and Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch.
From Expose TPP,
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Would Empower Corporations to Attack U.S. Policies in Foreign Tribunals and Demand Taxpayer Compensation for Our Environmental, Health and Other Laws
The TPP would require us to limit food labeling and to import meat and poultry that do not meet U.S. food safety standards.
Under the TPP, any U.S. food safety rule on pesticides, labeling or additives that is higher than international standards would be subject to challenge as "illegal trade barriers." The U.S. could be required to eliminate these rules and allow in the unsafe food under threat of trade sanctions.
Buy American would be gutted, and American jobs lost, under proposed TPP rules requiring “national treatment” in government procurement. To implement this TPP requirement, the United States would agree to waive “Buy American” procurement policies for all firms operating in TPP countries, offshoring our tax dollars to create jobs abroad.
THE TPP IS TREASONOUS!!! The TPP Takes away OUR RIGHT to live the way we want to live and BUY American if we choose to Buy American.
From Citizens.org
Although it is called a "free trade" agreement, the TPP is not mainly about trade. Of TPP's 29 draft chapters, only five deal with traditional trade issues. One chapter would provide incentives to offshore jobs to low-wage countries. Many would impose limits on government policies that we rely on in our daily lives for safe food, a clean environment, and more. Our domestic federal, state and local policies would be required to comply with TPP rules.
The TPP would even elevate individual foreign firms to equal status with sovereign nations, empowering them to privately enforce new rights and privileges, provided by the pact, by dragging governments to foreign tribunals to challenge public interest policies that they claim frustrate their expectations. The tribunals would be authorized to order taxpayer compensation to the foreign corporations for the "expected future profits" they surmise would be inhibited by the challenged policies.
We only know about the TPP's threats thanks to leaks – the public is not allowed to see the draft TPP text. Even members of Congress, after being denied the text for years, are now only provided limited access. Meanwhile, more than 500 official corporate "trade advisors" have special access. The TPP has been under negotiation for six years, and the Obama administration wants to sign the deal this year. Opposition to the TPP is growing at home and in many of the other countries involved.
From what I understand, there will be NO "Non-GMO" labelling under the TPP
There will be NO "Made in America" label under the TPP and NO "Pesticide free" labelling as it might be considered a "trade barrier"
IF THIS IS NOT A PERFECT TIME TO GROW YOUR OWN FOOD, THEN WHAT IS???
I am sick of standing back and watching all of this unfold without having a say in the matter. Contact your state and local representatives. Grow your own food and SAY NO to TPP!
Take Action Now! Click to Stop TPP
Email your Rep!
"I'm writing to urge my representatives to oppose Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Congress needs time to debate and amend trade agreements that affect all of us. Fast Tracking the TPP is undemocratic, and I expect my lawmakers to oppose it. I'll be watching this issue closely in 2015."
For those of you reading this that are already active....THANK YOU!!!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate your efforts and applaud your courage to continue to fight!
If you'd like to get more involved but you're not sure where to start, please feel free to ask. You can send me an email to mary@marysheirloomseeds.com or you can comment here. PLEASE remember that if you comment here but are a no-reply blogger then I am unable to respond.
We have set up a GoFundMe page for our educational programs. So far, we have hosted several free workshops and give out hundreds of free seed packs nationwide.
GROW FOOD and Grow it organic. As owner/operator of Mary's Heirloom Seeds, I would be happy to include a FREE pack of organic seeds if you place an order.
EDUCATE first yourself, your family and then your community.
SHARE this information. You never know who's life you might change positively by sharing just the tiniest bit of info.
GET ACTIVE in your community and around the world. March Against Monsanto is a great start. Worldwide May 23rd. But that's only one day. I choose to stand and fight daily and I have no regrets.
For more information about growing organic, feel free to sign up for our e-newsletter and check us out on facebook.
Sign up for our E-Newsletter
Thank you for bringing awareness to this topic! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Signed petition and will make phone call. There is nothing that surprises me anymore about Obama and his administration. This definitely needs to be stopped. Will share as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being you, for never "standing down" and for speaking up and out and for being passionate! I am the same. I have been speaking for a long time on these things and I love that younger ones are taking up the necessary wake up call, the clarion call to stop being blind and in denial of what is happening. I would like to repost on this on my blog with your permission? Thank you again!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have already reposted this with a link back to this blog Mary, I didn't think you would object. I hope others wake up. Blessings to you.
ReplyDelete