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Green Party Releases International Joint Statement Criticizing the TPP
Dangerous_Minds writes "The New Zealand, Australian, and Canadian Green Parties have released a joint statement on the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP). Among the concerns are the secretive nature of the talks and 'could hinder access to safe, affordable medicines, weaken local content rules for media, stifle high-tech innovation, and even restrict the ability of future governments to legislate for the good of public health and the environment.' ZeroPaid also notes that the statement is starting to appear in New Zealand and Australian media."
How long before "the great unwashed" finally wake up to the fact that their governments are selling out their rights to the big corporations of the world?
Who keeps an eye on the post-political careers of these "negotiators" and reports on how many of them get "honorary directorships" of the companies they are selling the public's rights in favor of?
Surely, sooner or later, even the half of the population who are below the median IQ will have to wake up to the fact that governments and corporations are working in concert to strip them of their rights and their money.
Or have we devolved to the point where we no longer care -- so long as their is food on the table and a roof (however shabby) over our heads?
"The Intellectual Property Rights chapter of the TPPA was leaked in draft form in February 2011. We anticipate that unless a more moderate and balanced version is adopted, NZ, Canada and Australia's shoppers, schools and libraries would end up paying more for their books and DVD's because it would let copyright holders veto parallel importing. Small and medium-sized software and IT businesses would have their innovative visions stifled by constraining patent laws. Finally, large pharmaceutical companies could use the legislation to deny state drug-buying agencies like those in Australia and NZ access to reliable, low cost medicines."
I had the same reaction when I read the first few lines of the headline, but no, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a bad thing. It's the latest attempt by the US at legislative colonisation of sovereign countries' IP laws.
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
Do you have the same reaction to EFF?
Speaking for myself... if the internet freedom comes only in green colours (i.e. no other parties would support them), I'm fully green then (possibly with the black-sail of the local pirate party)
Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
This will totally make a difference.
Ignoring the sarcasm.. yes, it will.
There are countries outside the US. They have more than two parties. The Green party actually makes it into parliament. These countries are called "democracies".
Reasons to hate the TPP:
"latest attempt by the US at legislative colonisation of sovereign countries' IP laws."
Reasons to love the TPP:
Stick it to neo-religious enviro-nazi "green" hippy fanatics.
World spinning. Can't ... decide ... where .. to ... stand... gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
BTW guys, the page that I linked on the EFF site has a take action link down the page... (looks like it's a page for US citizens - asks for a simple ZIP code).
Now, in case you don't live in US (or don't like Greens but you may like some others)... .gov type of domains)
OpenMedia.ca and a good bunch of many others run an international site which sends the message to some of the ministers in govts of all the countries involved in the TPP negotiations (I've done it and received some auto-confirmation emails from the
Com'on guys, doesn't ask for that much of an effort, don't wait for a "Wikipedia blackout day" to take a minimal action.
Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
Anyone that considers a Green party "far left" has no idea what "far left" actually is.
Actual-green parties (which is to say ones with a representation in parliament), rather than straw-man imagined green parties, are normally on the same side as the non-corporate libertarians when it comes to matters of government transparency.
I think most of the hate comes from people with no actual experience of living anywhere with greens in government, so not knowing they have actually been quite effective at pushing pro-open government, anti-corporate influence issues in a direction that suits most libertarians.
You're being too generous. The people who bucket the Greens come in three flavours. Those who genuinely understand and know what the Greens are about and disagree, they can be identified by having reasoned arguments and use evidence to push their point, this type is rare in public discourse. The second type don't like the Greens because they are threatened by them, but can't use evidence or reasoned arguments because they know if the facts are laid bare, the public will not agree. This second type is identified by their use of emotive language, deception and fanatical hostility. Fox News (or any Murdoch run media) and large corporations are prime examples. The third and most common are identified by their emotive parroting of the position of the second type, they also lack the resources of the second type. The third type are media consumers, you can see them on this page. So even if you do have a Greens in government, there will be corporate interests gunning for them, and there will always be plenty of ignorant consumers who will parrot the corporate line.