"Australia's 99% are surely no different in their history, their expectations and their demands.

But it's hard to tell with their media's laryngitis on this issue."

Exactly. Why for example offer some members of parliament the opportunity to view the draft agreement, but no notes, no copies, and not allowed to speak about it for four years. If it was such a good deal, why the secrecy?

The answer is very obvious and was spelt out by Obama in two recent speeches. He wants America to write the rules while it still can; i.e. before rising Chinese power takes away the last vestiges of American power.

Only 5 of the 29 chapters are about trade. The rest write new rules for the benefit of US corporations. The most insidious is the ISDR provisions that will set up a mechanism under which secret tribunals will be able to overrule national legislation, with no right of review or appeal.

This is a fundamentally undemocratic proposal and Australia should have nothing to do with it.

Good! Something as fundamentally flawed as that, and crafted for the corporation, by the corporation, and of the corporation; needs to be jettisoned, and replaced by something that is able like our other FTA's, able to be done under the light of unfettered observation.

The fact that the proposal needed to be conducted in absolute secrecy, meant there was much to hide!?

Well, if there's another valid reason, what could it be? Close your eyes, hold your nose and swallow!

And given that much to hide, an absolute dog of an agreement for everyone, except the contributing and or controlling corporations?

Start again and with all the proposals well and truly on the public table!

Do it right once and it'll never need be done again; and that means something that well and truly passes the no disadvantage test!
Rhrosty.

Seeing this bill passed is the whole purpose of Obamas's Presidency.
The reason its secret is because its a corporate fascist takeover.
The rights of corporations will supersede the rights of governments and its citizens.
Obama's now got another 6 weeks to find some senators to bribe or blackmail and get it through.

I hope it is delayed to the next Presidency. The O has stuffed everything he touches up and I am sure would rip failure from success if it went ahead now.

James your comment

"The answer is very obvious and was spelt out by Obama in two recent speeches. He wants America to write the rules while it still can; i.e. before rising Chinese power takes away the last vestiges of American power".

is dead right.

What better proof that the TPP is NOT really about trade (from the US perspective) is to consider that over three quarters of US trade is conducted within the parameters of NAFTA.

Putting aside what is and what is not in America's interest, excluding China and India from the TPP is not in Australia's interest.

And Australia's interest is all that should matter to the overpaid in Canberra.

Thank you Jonathon. If you ae interested in a fuller discussion of the topic I have an article forthcoming in New Eastern Outlook. Ironic that Australia has just concluded a free trade agreement with China, yet is willing to sign up to the TPP which is anti Chinese in its genesis and intended implementation.

James

I will keep an eye out for your contribution to New Eastern Outlook. Thanks for introducing me to the publication, it is very interesting. Not that I agree with all that is written there, but it certainly offers a perspective that should be aired.

Jonathon, my article was published on New Eastern Outlook today.

James

James

I just read your article. Very good indeed.

With the historic gabfests by both the Liberals and the ALP on the merits of cost benefit analysis, one has to wonder why the project du jour for the Productivity Commission has not been green lighted: that is, comparing the costs and benefits for Australia of joining or not joining the TPP.

How can "a looming deal [which} would hasten the economy-wide extinction of good paying jobs" be of "overall benefit to the economy"? Although the author clearly doesn't believe this, how can anyone else either? "The economy" is too often used as a code word for the interets of those who amass great wealth without themselves creating anything at all. In much plainer language, the term is "theft".

Well I guess Obama's feeling relieved.
Too bad for the rest of us though.

http://www.infowars.com/senate-puts-obama-on-fast-track-to-tpp/

The big mistake people make in thinking Obama's stuffed things up is that they mistakenly think he is actively working in the peoples interests.
He's not. What seem like acts of bad judgement or failures to the people are actually successes for Obama and the people behind him.

Obamacare's still alive.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/25/politics/supreme-court-ruling-obamacare/index.html

Its like everything in the world is in truth the opposite of what they say it is.
The Affordable Care Act did not make healthcare more affordable in the US.
These 'Free Trade' agreements are not free, its about control.
Peacekeepers in most cases aren't there to make peace...
And the list goes on...

They just say it that way so gullible fools buy into their lies.

This TPP is a bad thing and modern civilised man should know better.

The worlds become a modern technologically advanced place but we still live in an age where global companies are trying to monopolise and control international trade by making wars or undermining and forcing out competitors and bribing and buying off governments with their wealth and power in secret deals that go against the people just like it has been for hundreds of years.

Take the spice trades of the East India Trading Company for example.
Or the Dutch or Portuguese also in that era, of the Venetians before them.

Even democracy in some ways is anything but democracy.
The system ensures candidates and MP's need campaign funds from lobbyists and so democracy is bought by corporations and other lobby groups.
The politicians lie through their teeth even on election promises and are never accountable.
Voting seems pointless.

And democracy is great if you want to force a nation to sell its sovereignty by installing private central banks which issue the public currency at a loan with interest.
Also great if your plan is to strip the nation of all its public assests, because you sure as hell cant do that under a communist or dictator like regime.

Nothings as it seems...