to read James Love's article on the TPP published on June 10, 2015, click on
http://mondediplo.com/openpage/tpp-designed-to-make-medicine-more-expensive The US Congress is poised to give President Obama broad authority to conclude a binding international trade agreement known as the TransPacific Partnership (TPP). The topics covered in the agreement are diverse, spanning dozens of chapters on topics most people don’t even know belong in a trade agreement. While tariffs were the focus of many early 20th century trade negotiations, today the big issues are the regulation of banks and financial services, intellectual property rights, health and safety standards, regulation of the environment, pricing of new drugs and medical devices, privacy of your personal data, and other topics about which many of us have strong opinions. But our opinions are devalued, largely because of the asymmetric secrecy surrounding the negotiation. The secrecy is asymmetric because it does not apply to everyone. Of course all of the governments involved have access to the negotiating text, and so do hundreds of “cleared advisers” from the private sector on White House trade advisory boards. Basically, big corporations have access to the details of the negotiation — but you don’t. The secrecy is all about diminishing your power, your voice, and magnifying corporate power (as if that was needed).
Links to other articles in Le Monde diplomatique, June 2015
Delusionary thinking in Washington by Michael Klare
http://mondediplo.com/openpage/delusionary-thinking-in-washington The worst of all possible worlds by John Feffer
http://mondediplo.com/openpage/the-worst-of-all-possible-worlds
