{"id":69529,"date":"2016-02-08T12:00:15","date_gmt":"2016-02-08T12:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=69529"},"modified":"2016-02-06T12:51:45","modified_gmt":"2016-02-06T12:51:45","slug":"the-tpp-a-corporate-bill-of-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2016\/02\/the-tpp-a-corporate-bill-of-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"The TPP: A Corporate Bill of Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"

One common definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"|<\/a>

| Photo: EFE<\/p><\/div>\n

3 Feb 2016 – <\/em>Governments from around the world are gathering in New Zealand on Thursday [4 Feb] to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the TPP. People around the world are mobilizing to make sure that the agreement, even if signed, does not get ratified.<\/p>\n

Why? It\u2019s just another in a long line of trade deals that are aimed at growing our economies by increasing trade between our countries, right? At least that\u2019s what we\u2019re told.<\/p>\n

\"Leaders<\/a>

Leaders of TPP member states, who sign the agreement this week. (photo: Reuters)<\/p><\/div>\n

What we aren\u2019t told by our governments is that these so-called trade deals are really not very much about trade at all. They are international corporate constitutions, aimed at limiting the ability of our governments to control transnational corporate behavior: an international Corporate Bill of Rights.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/fqxjv\/status\/692101489150468096\/photo\/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw<\/p>\n

These deals weaken democracy, increase income inequality, endanger our public services, give corporations more rights than the citizenry, further endanger our already stressed environment, and kill jobs. They sound like they should be of concern only to manufacturing industries, since they are called “trade deals,” so a union like ours (the Canadian Labor Union), mainly public sector, should not be concerned. However, the modern trade deal is also about trade in services \u2013 which is what public services are \u2013 and these agreements create pressure to privatize public services. These deals are about lowering wages and cutting jobs, which affects the tax base which should support a vibrant public service. These deals are about preventing new public services, so no growth in the sector.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an interesting fact: most of the governments that want to sign on to the TPP seem to have no real idea how their country\u2019s economy and social systems will be affected. Freer trade has been an article of faith for decades, but there have been few government studies of the concrete, measurable impacts of all the deals that have been signed, and little forecasting of the effects of signing such a massive new agreement as the TPP. If a government wants to sign on to the TPP, shouldn\u2019t they first have to prove there is a demonstrable benefit from doing so?<\/p>\n

Promises that these deals will be good for all of us are little more than lies. NAFTA is one of the biggest of these trade deals. It\u2019s an agreement between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, that has been in place for years.<\/p>\n

Since NAFTA was signed in 1994, Canada has lost over 550,000 manufacturing jobs. The U.S. has lost over 1 million manufacturing jobs. Mexico has seen a drastic decline in working conditions and wages. Wages in all three countries have stagnated. Income inequality has increased. Environmental measures by governments have been successfully challenged by corporations. We haven\u2019t seen a significant new social program here in Canada since we signed on to this deal.<\/p>\n

\n

#TPP<\/a> Will Cost Canada 58,000 Jobs, Increase Inequality: Study https:\/\/t.co\/c9El0pnnhv<\/a> #NoTPP<\/a> #NoWayTPPA<\/a> #StopTPP<\/a> #TPPWorseThanWeThought<\/a><\/p>\n

— OWS TradeJustice (@OWSTradeJustice) January 23, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n