It’s October 27 in Sydney, Australia. 12 countries gather together in a closed-door meeting to consider the final stages of the world’s largest economic trade agreement. For the hosting country, it means entering into the largest trade agreement in Australian history. For the others involved, it means the world’s largest economic trade agreement. It’s a decisive moment for all involved, and one that according to Julian Assange experts from the medical, agricultural, economic, and media fields – will have far-reaching consequences for the global population.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Intellectual Property Rights Chapter (IP) encompasses more than 40 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or if you will, 40 percent of all goods and services produced. When you consider the figures, as Matt Wade, senior writer for The Age discusses, “a deal as significant as the TPP should be fully debated in the community. It’s not good enough that just one in ten voters know about it.” [1]
Assange also questions the legitimacy of the TPP, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the negotiations. On the WikiLeaks website, a second updated version of the TPP has been released. It is pointed out that some concerns surrounding the digital rights have moved slightly since the initial TPP document release; but additions within the pharmaceuticals and patents have become more significant. The consequences of this development are likely to “affect access to important medicines such as cancer drugs and will also weaken the requirements needed to patent genes in plants, which will impact small farmers and boost the dominance of large agricultural corporations like Monsanto.”
If the closed door meeting is successful, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will threaten the continuation of our freedom of information; civil liberties will be at risk. Large corporations have access to the draft agreement where those in government are unable to view it. The push for a resolution has somewhat stalled between Japan and the US as they struggle to reach agreement over market access for agriculture and its protection. Assange acknowledges this as an insight to the concerns surrounding the TPP. “The lack of movement within the TPP IP Chapter shows that this only stands to harm people, and no one is satisfied. This clearly demonstrates that such an all-encompassing and divisive trade agreement is too damaging to be brought into force. The TPP should stop now.” [2]
But the meeting this week in Australia may well see it ignited again, as the November midterm elections in the US, loom overhead. Put this alongside the APEC summit in Beijing and the G20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia – both also scheduled for November, a pattern begins to emerge.
To sum up the importance of the TPP’s agenda, Assange stipulates the overbearing nature of the agreement on WikiLeaks. “The selective secrecy surrounding the TPP negotiations, which has let in a few cashed-up mega corps but excluded everyone else, reveals a telling fear of public scrutiny. By publishing this text we allow the public to engage in issues that will have such a fundamental impact on their lives.”
Member countries of the TPP are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Peru, the United States and Vietnam. [3]
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Sources:
[1] Matt Wade, Senior Writer (17 February 2014) “Trans-Pacific Partnership is a big deal, but hardly anyone knows” http://www.theage.com.au/comment/transpacific-partnership-is-a-big-deal-but-hardly-anyone-knows-20140215-32sf6.html (Retrieved The Age (27 October 2014)
[2] WikiLeaks (16 October 2014) Press Release – Updated Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) – IP Chapter (second publication) http://wikileaks.org/tpp-ip2/pressrelease/ (Retrieved 27 October 2014)
[3] Kyodo News International. 1 October, 2014 “TPP ministers arranging Oct. 25-27 meeting in Australia” http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/141001/tpp-ministers-arranging-oct-25-27-meeting-australia (Retrieved 27 October 2014)
I swear the government is getting worse and worse every time i watch the news or check my news feed. And seriously what drives them all to screw everyone over like this time after time? If only there was an easy solution…
What drives them? silly… MONEY! This is ALL about capitalism, did you read the part where international courts will supersede the powers of nations courts and legal system? They will be able to try you for downloading without the support or intervention of the legal system in your own country… Cool huh/
Time to start a boycott.com website so american can gather force and hit them where it hurts the most their bottom line and their wallets. Stop buying from an oil company or one company for 6 months and see how things start to change. They won’t listen to you and yes corporate America is out too lobby every fricking dollar from you. They won’t listen I say national boycotts organized online is the one effective weapon you have.
Most Americans generally know they’re being screwed over by big pharma and any other corporate conglomerate they see on the news; but don’t want to use their time to do anything about it because seeing the big picture is something most people never learn to do, until its crystal clear in 10 million DP made from diamonds pumped through factories paid for by blood.
In other words, people don’t react until the consequences of actions already taken are right in their face.
The government knows how to screw over Americans don’t tell them anything until its law and don’t take their tv away. Americans don’t wish to think anymore, don’t wish to care anymore. It’s a entire country that needs its anti depressants or TV so it doesn’t have to care anymore. We have a government that tells us its ok for corporations to have the same rights as humans. There there dear here’s the TV remote go watch some TV you’ll feel all better. Maybe we will go shopping for that new curved screen, super high def TV later won’t that be good? Ah yea yea!. Government should just send every American antidepressants. Then they won’t have to hold meetings in secret to sell out the American people anymore, they can just hold them out in the open. We will just watch our big screen tvs and take our pills and be happy while the world burns.
This could be the same like the TTIP between USA and Europe…
I confirm : Article 13 https://www.laquadrature.net/files/TAFTA_leak_ZEIT_20140227.pdf
It’s a robbery, an undertaken… It will be apply in 2015. At the end capitalism will kill us all…