The TPP

The TPP has been called NAFTA on steroids. TPP stands for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. According
to researcher Kevin Zeese, the TPP has been drafted in an unprecedented degree of secrecy. The
supporters of the TPP believe that is will expand trade between North American and the rest of the
world. The claim of increased trade and investment has been used as smokescreen that conceals
the TPP's corporate assault on food safety, the environment, worker rights, access to health care,
and basically every facet of our lives as free citizens. There has been a recent release of the
Intellectual Property Rights Chapter from WikiLeaks that confirmed the fears of trade liberalization
critics that the reach of patents, copyrights, and trade secrets will be extended at the expense of
consumer rights and safeguards. There have been those who accuse TPP IP regime of trying to
trample individual rights and free expression. The TPP secured third place among Project
Censoreds most censored stories of 2012-2013. The Sonoma State University media research
program describes the TPP as an enforceable transfer of sovereignty from nations and
their people to foreign corporations. FLUSHTHETPP.ORG is a real website that is famous to
oppose the TPP. The TPP is a secret trade agreement that is being negotiated behind the scenes of
the American people including Congress. There are at least 600 corporate advisers doing the
negotiation. The TPP will strengthen corporate power in dealing with health care, the environment,
worker rights, food safety, etc. Much of the secret negotiations have been done by Big Ag like
Monsanto, Dupont, Cargill, and Syngenta. The TPP allows corporations to sue governments
(including local and state government) who pass food and safety regulations or laws protecting
family farmers (they claim that they are "barriers to trade" that hurt expected future profits).
Therefore, the TPP places the profits of multinational corporations over the food security needs of
individual nations. Fast track is wrong, because under Fast Track, the President will negotiate and
sign TPP without congressional approval. Afterwards, Congress will have an up or down vote
with no public airing of the content via hearings, no testimony from experts and no amendments.
According to leaked documents, the TPP would establish international trade tribunals with more
power than governments. This is done by allowing corporations to sue governments whose laws or
policies adversely impact expected future profits.
Similar provisions in NAFTA have resulted in the overturning of many environmental and consumer
protection laws. NAFTA was influential in causing many factories leaving America. About 900,000
manufacturing jobs have been lost due to NAFTA as well. NAFTA has drove down wages and has
kept middle class wages stagnant (with the poor still suffering as well).

Judges in this system would consist mostly of corporate lawyers on leave from their regular jobs
with multinational corporations. In this rigged system, appeals would not be allowed. There have
been many protests against the Trans Pacific Partnership. Margaret Flowers, MD, who dressed as a
workman to attach a sign to the front of the US Trade Representative said that the TPP will
undermine health care systems, make pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices more expensive
and therefore increase pain and suffering and even cost people their lives. Flowers an advocate
for a national health care plan that treats health care as a human right rather than a commodity
warned that The TPP will undermine the excellent single payer health care systems in Japan,
Australia and New Zealand and make it more difficult for the United States to put in place a single
payer system which is what most Americans and doctors want to see. The Fast Track is a blatant
attack on democratic rights and democratic government. Congressmen and Congresswomen
opposing Fast Track are Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL),
Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-MN), Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), and many others. Sen.
Warren noted in her letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, ...if transparency would lead
to widespread public opposition to a trade agreement then that trade agreement should
not be the policy of the United States.
Folks have the right to openly debate an agreement that will empower corporations to dominate
our lives from food, water, health care, wages, jobs, the Internet, etc. The full content of the TPP is
not fully known. A new report from the Center for Economic Policy and Research finds that the TPP
will produce small economic growth of only 1/10th of 1 percent per year, but it will hurt working
Americans as 90 percent of workers will see their income reduced as a result of the TPP. Unions
including the Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO and Teamsters have raised serious
concerns about the TPPs impact on working families, and doctors have also highlighted
consequences for access to health care and life-saving medicines. There has been opposition to the
treaty in Japan and Malaysia. Readily, transnational corporations control and design free trade
agreements like the TPP.


We know that some economists and numerous policymakers have harmed the U.S. economy. We
know that the economy has been damaged by the poor suffering and the offshoring of middle class
jobs (for the benefit of corporate profits). It is self-evident that the Federal Reserve's policy of
Quantitative easing has not worked. It is only primarily utilized to support oversized banks that the
government protects from market discipline. QE not only distorts bond and stock markets. It
threatens the value of the dollar and it has caused the manipulation of the gold price as well. It is
easy to witness that when U.S. corporations send jobs offshore, the GDP, consumer income, tax
base, and careers associated with the jobs go abroad with the jobs. Corporations gain the additional
profits at large costs to the economy. The economy then suffers less employment, less economic
growth, a reduced state, local, and federal tax revenues, wider deficits, and impairments of
legitimate social services. When the policymakers allow the big banks to become
independent of market discipline, they made the banks an unresolved burden on
the economy.
There has been no real, honest report on the condition of the banks made by the authorities. Time
will tell if the Federal Reserve can create enough money to monetize enough debt to rescue the
banks without collapsing the U.S. dollar. Allowing the big banks to fall and be reorganized would be
much cheaper. That is why some want to break up the big banks too. Many economists and U.S.
policymakers let their country bad badly. Some of them claim that these trends are necessary to
develop the new economy from the old economy. Yet, for over a decade, U.S. jobs statistics show
no sign of the promised new economy at all after jobs were moved offshore. The same
policymakers and economists believe in the lie that the markets are self-regulating and that the
financial sector could safely be deregulated (along with confusing jobs offshoring with free trade). It
is obvious that offshoring jobs are destructive to the U.S. economy. As John Williams
(shadowstats.com) has made clear, the recovery is entirely the artifact of the understated
measure of inflation used to deflate nominal GDP.
By under-measuring inflation, the government can show low, but positive, rates of real GDP growth.
No other indicator supports the claim of radical economic recovery. John Williams writes that
consumer inflation, if properly measured, is running around 9%, far above the 2% figure that is the
Feds target and more in line with what consumers are actually experiencing. We have just had a
6.5% annual increase in the cost of a postage stamp. The Feds target inflation rate is said to be low,
but Simon Black points out that the result of a lifetime of 2% annual inflation is the loss of 75% of
the purchasing power of the currency. He uses the cost of sending a postcard to illustrate the
decline in the purchasing power of median household income today compared to 1951. That year it
cost one cent to send a post card. As household income was $4,237, the household could send
423,700 postcards. Today the comparable income figure is $51,017. As it costs 34 cents to send one
postcard, todays household can only afford to send 150,050 postcards. Nominal income rose 12
times, and the cost of sending a postcard rose 34 times. Americans know about the destructive
"free trade agreements." These agreements are nothing more than ruling class tools to moving jobs
abroad. The new effort by the corporations to loot and defraud the public is called the "Trans-
Pacific Partnership." The TPP deals with fast tracking. The bill allows corporations to write the bill in
secret without congressional input. Some research proves that 90% of all Americans will suffer
income losses under TPP while wealth becomes more concentrated at the top.
The TPP deals with our lives from what we eat, the Internet, and to the environment. According to
Kevin Zeese in Alternet, the leak of the [TPP] Intellectual Property Chapter revealed that
it created a path to patent everything imaginable, including plants and animals, to turn
everything into a commodity for profit. The TPP is secretly drafted. It allows the executive
branch to change existing U.S. law to make the laws that were not passed in secret compatible with
the security written trade bill. Theoretically, buy American requirements and any attempt to curtail
jobs offshoring would become an illegal restraint on trade. The House and the Senate should never
turn over their legislative functions to the executive branch at all. The financial media has helped
the FED and the banks to cover the issues with the TPP up. Last week interest rates on 30 day T-bills
have turned negative or people were paying more for a bond than it would return at maturity. An
event similar to the Cyprus banks' limits on withdrawals, last Friday (January 24) the BBC reported
that the large UK bank HSBC is preventing customers from withdrawing cash from their accounts in
excess of several thousand pounds. We see threats about the value of the dollar harmed, possible
high inflation, exchange controls, pension confiscations possibly, etc. We know that capitalist greed
aided and abetted by economists and policymakers have harmed America a great deal.
When looking at the TPP, it is obvious to see that the Trans-Pacific Partnership deals with an
attack on how nations (not just America) deal with making laws and regulations. It compromises
the concept of national sovereignty as well. Many human beings have never heard of the TPP as
well. The White House has visited Asian nations as a means to promote not only the TPP, but the
pivot of Asia agenda (which is about Western influence encircling China, so China can be
controlled and limited in its reach in the Asian continent). According to Ben Beachy, who is the
Research Director of Public Citizens Global Trade Watch (in an interview with Sister Jessica
Desvarieux of The Real News Network):
It empowers foreign corporations to directly challenge a sovereign government over
environmental, public health, or other public interest policies, not in any domestic court, but before
an extrajudicial tribunal of three lawyers that sit outside of any domestic populace or the legal
system. This is--you know, it really is incredible. It allows a foreign corporation to just completely
circumvent our own domestic court system. It's, unfortunately, not a theoretical threat. Renco, a
corporation owned by one of the wealthiest men in the United States has launched a case against
Peru. Renco operates a metal smelter in one of the ten most polluted towns in the world in Peru. And
that metal smelter is responsible for a good degree of the pollution. So Peru signed a contract in
which the corporation, Renco, committed to clean up the environment, to remediate a lot of the
pollution itself was creating. You know, they missed the deadline for complying with that obligation.
The Peruvian government said, okay, we'll extend the deadline. Then they missed the second
deadline, and the Peruvian government again said, we'll extend the deadline. And then they requested
one a third time: can you please extend the deadline for us to remediate our own pollution? And the
government said no. And because of that, Renco is now using the U.S.-Peru free trade agreement to
file an $800 million claim against the people of Peru or the government of Peru for essentially
forcing Renco to do what it committed to do under contract
Therefore, we know the truth. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is antithetical to the views of open
government and democratic freedoms. The TPP has been under negotiation since 2008. Only 5
of its 29 chapters cover traditional trade matters, like tariffs or quotas. The others impose
parameters on nontrade policies. Existing and future American laws must be altered to conform
with these terms, or trade sanctions can be imposed against American exports.

The following people are: Godfrey Cambridge, Helen Martin, Ossie Davis
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ruby Dee, Beah Richards.
My views are consistent with the views of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, Malcolm
X, the old school Black Panther Party, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ida B. Wells, Ruby & Ossie Davis,
etc. Most black Americans oppose police brutality, want justice, want workers' rights, etc. My
views of supporting an increasing of the minimum wage, the protection of Social Security, an
end to the war in Afghanistan, and other great policies have support among most Americans
(even most Republicans) as documented by numerous polls. A living wage is better than
starvation wages and numerous economic studies prove that a slight minimum wage increase can
grow economic productivity. An increase of the minimum wage will not mean that teachers
collectively want $50 an hour, so people who hate an increase of the minimum wage are
spreading fear mongering. There are many ways to stabilize inflation. Also, me exposing GE,
exposing NSA warrantless spying, and exposing the unjust NATO bombings in Libya is hardly
pro-MSNBC or pro-FOX News for that matter. I am a real political independent. I don't follow
Tea Party rhetoric. I disagree with mass surveillance and corporate welfare. I advocate that the
government should be run directly by the people. I don't believe that the government should be
ruled by select corporate interests (like we have today. We have massive privatization in our
society). Therefore, it is no contradiction. If the government was run by the people excluding
lobbyists, corporate influence & select private banking interests, then we would be in better
shape. There is nothing wrong with public or private resources to help humanity if it is done in
the correct fashion. Not all actions done by the government are evil. For example, the
government protecting the environment is not evil. The government going around enforcing anti-
pollution laws is not evil either. The government advocating the legitimate freedoms found in the
Bill of Rights is not evil either. The government enforcing anti-discrimination laws and anti-
financial corrupt laws is not evil. The government investing in infrastructure in a legitimate way
is not evil too. It is when the government does something wrong, then that should be exposed
and opposed. I oppose corrupt government not the abolishing of every aspect of government. The
government is presently owned mostly by the select corporations not by the people. I have hope
for the future. I believe in promoting the general welfare not unjust wars. I will always believe in
economic justice, truth, and freedom.


Cutting the social safety net radically will starve people to death. I oppose record bailouts sent to
Wall Street banks. The Austrian economic philosophy has been funded by the Mont Pelerin
Society (as documented in Greg Kaza's June 1, 1997 article entitled, "The Mont Pelerin Society's
50th Anniversary" including other sources). That is not a smear. That is a fact. The Mont Pelerin
Society loves laissez faire capitalism and Austrian economics. The Mont Pelerin Society was
created by the establishment for the establishment. Von Hayek is pro-Austrian economics.
Friedrich von Hayek was strongly influenced by Ludwig von Mises. That society has some
ideological similarities with the BIS institution (which is made up of the some of the most
powerful banking interests in the world). Austrian economics failed in Chile too. Austrian
economic leader Murray Newton Rothbard was a racist who viewed black people as
intellectually inferior. Mises once did not believe that women should have the right to vote,
which is evil. Fascism is more than merging state and big business. It is also about the violation
of human rights and the love of corporate power at the expense of the rights of workers &
minorities. Not to mention that some regulation is good while others are not. For example, we
need environmental regulations to protect human health and the habitats of the country. I have
noticed that these market fundamentalists never advocate workers' rights or even an increase of
the minimum wage. Some of them are not real libertarians, so they lie about that issue too. Some
of their views on immigration (which is 360 degree opposite of what a real libertarian actually
believes on immigration) prove that some of them are not libertarians. Also, JP Morgan should
not administer or deal with SNAP. That doesn't mean that all of the social safety net should be
eliminated when people are starving in some cases. The Koch Brothers have funded the Tea
Party movement too (which some people ignore). I do believe in personal responsibility and a
strong community. I just reject austerity and imperialism. The older I get, the stronger I am in my
core convictions. It is just for us to believe in economic justice. It is just for us to stand up for
humanity and to believe in opposing oppression. The extremists and the haters are ignorant, but
we are not going to back down.
The Humanitarian Crisis of Human Beings from Central America
When the truth is known about the migrant crisis, the truth becomes clearer. This crisis deals with
U.S. imperialism. The policies of the White House towards Latin American immigrants document
that both parties adhere to the same neoliberal doctrines. The leadership of both major parties is
allied on immigration. The crisis is not a product of these mostly children coming into America. This
crisis is a product of conditions in Central America (caused heavily by the U.S./CIA foreign policy
measures including the policies from reactionary regimes). It is a historical fact that CIA backed
mercenaries murdered hundreds of thousands of the indigenous peoples found in El Salvador,
Guatemala, and Nicaragua. We see that both parties have members who love neoliberalism,
globalization, etc. Imperialism has been loved by the Democratic and Republican Party. The
Democratic Party calls itself more progressive while the Republicans have expressed extreme
positions. The Republicans have members who are overtly racist and sexists, while the Democrats
covertly express their own neoliberal agenda. We can see U.S. imperialisms role in the migrant
crisis. The current administration has deported more than 2 million human beings. We see that
Central America is heavily influenced by the CAFTA free trade agreement, which is similar to NAFTA
(that privileges Western corporate interests at the expense of the sovereign agricultural and
industrial development in the region). The U.S. military maintains a large presence in Central
America as a means to fight in the disastrous War on Drugs. The U.S. sponsored the 2009 Honduran
coup. We know about the US military aid and intelligence in the age of Reagan sponsored death
squads and counter-revolutionary militaries to destabilize the revolutions in Central America.
In other for anyone to understand this crisis, there must be an understanding of the geopolitical
and economic context of this issue. The lust for capital by the capitalist elite along with the bigoted
scapegoating of the migrant is certainly a sad development. The good news is that many people are
educating and mobilizing the people to understand the truth. The truth is that the exploitation and
harm done to the immigrants are part of the same racist, imperial order. Yes, we do have the right
to believe in justice. We should never compromise due process when these children should have
the right to have due process as the law specifically states. These children are desperate and they
need safety and humane conditions. Migrants rights is human rights. All immigrants and all human
beings have the right to have basic human rights.
Ningn nino es illegal.


No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to
teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowledge will
help set you free.

Assata Shakur
Our Destiny
Our destiny lies in the growth of our communities and the establishment of a society where civil
liberties are truly honored. We seek for ourselves and our posterity the same things that our
ancestors fought for (which deals with freedom, justice, and equality). Not to mention that we
express compassion for the poor and we greatly believe in economic justice. We are an
international people and there is nothing wrong with having a great understanding of not only
things going on in America, but empathizing with our people who exist in the four corners of the
world. The words of Ida B. Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, Malcolm X. Dr. King, Marcus Garvey,
Assata Shakur, WEB DuBois, and so many other Brothers and Sisters ring true today. When we
have faith and use proactive action, then solutions can flourish. I respect so many human beings
in the world that are fighting for the truth (they know who they are). These racists failed at
Appomattox, we defeated them in the many slave revolts globally, we won many victories in
America, and we will win in the end. Obviously, the Tea Party is filled with extremists, neo-
Confederates, and demagogues. People have the right to disagree and oppose the agenda of the
Tea Party. I thank God that I will never ally with them at all. More and more Black people
including others in the rest of the human race are rightfully be angry at the War on Drugs,
misogyny (since when a people disrespect women, they are disrespecting all genders too), the
evils of colorism, self-hatred, and the nefarious corporate system exploiting the lives of black
people. People have the right to be angry at injustice and to ACT in a proactive fashion, so the
masses of black people can improve their own lives. I am not worried about the haters since the
haters not only can't stand the truth. The truth is not in them. We have a lot of work to do, but
doing the work is so much more important than distractions. True unity in our people along
with fighting injustice are quintessential concepts that are necessary for our real liberation. I am
not going anywhere and we will continue to express our ideals and to adhere to the excellent,
authentic values that our elders and families love. Also, to my ally Beka Shakur: Keep on doing
your thing, I am happy for you, and you are doing a great job in defending our people. All
human beings deserve justice.


We should fight evil. I have hope for the future though. I never lost my
faith in God or in real humanity.




By Timothy