Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Why the secrets?

In June I wrote about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and passed along a severe criticism of the pact by Leo Hindery.  Another smart guy, Dean Baker, has picked up the hammer and inveighed against the pact

One wrinkle he adds to the debate is the secrecy relative to the negotiations about the pact.  For some reason - probably to protect large corporations - these negotiations are considered virtually top secret.  Not even congressional committees involved in the issues being negotiated are in the loop.  However, the in guys at some major corporations know what is being discussed.

What has slipped out does not sound good.  The implications are that these negotiations will really benefit the entertainment and pharmaceutical industries.  Plus, the idea of our being a sovereign nation will likely be diminished as the rules TPP creates would override domestic laws on the environment, workplace safety, and investment.

Why has there been zero mention of this in the campaigns?

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