Scholars Say ACTA Needs Senate Approval

suraj.sun passes along this excerpt from Wired: "More than 70 academics, mostly legal scholars, are urging President Barack Obama to open a proposed international intellectual-property agreement to public review before signing it. The likely route for that is bringing the [Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement] to the Senate for ratification. ... the intellectual property accord, which Obama could sign by year's end, has pretty much been hammered out in secret between the European Union, Japan, the United States and a few other international players, including Canada and Australia. Noticeably absent is China. That said, these academics suggested that Obama does not have the authority to unilaterally sign the accord, which has been in the works for three years and is nearly final. Instead, they said, it should be considered a treaty, necessitating two-thirds Senate approval."

Comments

Re:We need scholars to tell us that?

[ffreeloader]

"The sum of everything he's done since he's been in office is: more power to government, less freedom for the individual."

Like every politician in existence? Oh, and money, too.

I won't say all politicians are corrupt, although I do believe most of them are. Honest people still exist, so honest politicians can exist too.

As to Obama's grab for power, comparing his power grabs to previous presidents is like saying a rain shower and a tornado are both just rainstorms.

1 . He is attempting to force people to buy a product just to live in the US with Obamacare. That's far beyond anything any other presidents have attempted to do other than FDR and Wilson, and they were, coincidentally, progressives just like Obama.

2, The same goes for his bill to supposedly put an end to bailouts. In fact it gives the government the right to take over any business at any time for any reason. At the same time it legally muzzles the business from talking about what has happened and why, and then stops all FOIA requests about the situation.

3. His consumer protection bill allows the government to track all your financial transactions without giving any legal reason to do so. No warrant needed. No need to show cause.

4. What's more he has granted himself the power to hold American citizens without bail or any due process. He's also granted himself the legal right to assassinate American citizens. Both denying bail and assassination can be done on nothing more than an accusation by the White House. No evidence is needed.

I'd say that puts him far beyond the pale with respect to power grabs..