Stop TPP-NAFTA on steroids
Last week, U.S. trade representatives wrapped yet another round of closed-door talks for the largest free trade agreement ever negotiated by the United States -- the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The draft text of the agreement -- seen by many as NAFTA on steroids -- will have deep impacts on the lives of people across the Pacific Rim.
While members of Congress, the public and the press were shut out, 600 official corporate advisors -- people from places like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Walmart and Big Tobacco corporations like Philip Morris International were busy making deals at the negotiations.
Pieces of the negotiations have been leaked and what we do know is pretty frightening. This corporate-driven agreement opens the door to assaults on public health policies -- from decreasing people’s access to medicine, to doing away with laws that protect our food. And it will give global corporations more power to strip health and environmental safeguards, making it even easier for Big Tobacco to file lawsuits against lifesaving public policy measures around the world.
But it’s not too late -- you can make a difference. We’ve seen global corporations try this before. More than 15 years ago, at this stage in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations, not only could Congress see the text, but you and I could as well. Because those texts were released, the public outcry stopped the FTAA in its tracks. We can do it again.
http://act.stopcorporateabuse.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11589
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