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WikiLeaks Publishes Secret International Trade Agreement
schwit1 (797399) writes "The text of a 19-page, international trade agreement being drafted in secret was published by WikiLeaks as the transparency group's editor commemorated his two-year anniversary confined to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Fifty countries around the globe have already signed on to the Trade in Service Agreement, or TISA, including the United States, Australia and the European Union. Despite vast international ties, however, details about the deal have been negotiated behind closed-doors and largely ignored by the press. In a statement published by the group alongside the leaked draft this week, WikiLeaks said "proponents of TISA aim to further deregulate global financial services markets," and have participated in "a significant anti-transparency maneuver" by working secretly on a deal that covers more than 68 percent of world trade in services, according to the Swiss National Center for Competence in Research.
we can fix this.
Anybody with me???
Hello?
Is this thing on?
and what part of this is a surprise?
|(T)he US is particularly keen on boosting cross-border data flow, which would allow uninhibited exchange of personal and financial data.|
Perhaps the traffic between nodes will give the NSA some useful information about people's transactions to "Keep us safe." Or the US IRS about offshore deposits?
The events of the last five or six years have proven that financial markets and institutions have been over regulated.
This thing is bad. It completely bypasses all the traditional controls of democracy. The people will have no say in it even tho its their money and lives. We need to keep the heat on this kind of thing just like SOPA only much, much more.... some good analysis and commentary over at Naked Capitalism these guys tell it like it is. Basically its looking like a global corporatocracy.
C|N>K
So, this agreement is about "Financial Services". In the section called "Transparency", it says:
"The Parties recognize that transparent regulations and policies governing the activities of financial service suppliers are important in facilitating their ability to gain access to and operate in each other’s market. Each Party commits to promote regulatory transparency in trade in financial services."
But then the whole agreement is secret. Great transparency there! It's kind of difficult to take this crap seriously.
One day the US may elect a government that isn’t Republican-controlled, but today is not that day.
All treaties are negotiated in secret. Furthermore, at least in the US, no treaty is in effect until it is ratified by the Senate, at which point all the elements of the treaty will be public and heavily debated down to the last comma.
It's great that Wikileaks is giving the world a heads-up view into what is being negotiated, but I don't understand why every Slashdot story about international treaties harps on "negotiated in secret" like that's unusual, or that a treaty can somehow take effect silently and invisibly.
"95% of all Slashdot
at self-promotion as usual. The "two year anniversary" is getting higher billing that whatever secret documents he managed to rustle up.
This is yet another salacious post to garner attention. Here are a few things wrong with the post.
1. It is impossible to sign on to an agreement that is still in negotiation.
2. It is not a secret agreement as it's existence is posted in many places and some governments are asking for public consultation. The final text will be made available a debated when, and if, the countries involved vote on it.
3. No international treaty is ever made public till the the final draft. Negotiators need to be free to negotiate.
4. Many of these agreements never get to final draft as agreement sometimes is never reached,
4. The agreement will not come into effect unless ratified by the duly elected governments of the countries involved. Until then no one has "signed on".
Perhaps the reason behind this post is that WikiLeaks is not trending enough.
Second. Second anniversary.
It's right there in the word itself!
No mention about the Bildegurger group?
Ron Santo (catcher, NY Mets) kicked up his heals on his way to the lockers this day, 45 years ago. That was June 22, 1969. That was the year of the "Amazing Mets". He drove a purple Caddie, the front-wheel drive Eldorado, and was often seen about New Yord City driving it.
Fifty countries around the globe have already signed [...] including [...] the European Union.
Who cares about a secret trade agreement? Of course there are secret agreements... But that the EU finally shows its true colours - this is the news!
I love this quote from the article;
Additionally, the current draft also includes language inferring that, upon the finishing of negotiations, the document will be kept classified for five full years.
It makes it sound like the annex will not be seen for 5 years after it is in effect.
Here is the reason from the actual document;
This document must be protected from unauthorized disclosure, but may be mailed or transmitted over unclassified e-mail or fax, discussed over unsecured phone lines, and stored on unclassified computer systems. It must be stored in a locked or secured building, room, or container.
It refers to the current document as it is a draft. The final document will not have this clause as it will need to be debated before it can be passed by each country. WikiLeaks is again playing on the general lack of understanding of how complex treaties are and need to be negotiated.
Things can be agreed upon before the official formal agreement happens. This is not unusual. Business meetings do this all the time before the lawyers get into the details of writing up the formal agreement which can literally take months to get a final deal.
This this means is that officials and governments have signed on to the basics the financial industry bribed them to do. It is more likely they will follow thru officially later one because of the power of the banksters over the world.
Also, I do not claim to understand how all governments function; some of the governments may be capable of officially "signing on" to open ended deals before they are formalized. A dictator for example could do something like this (and just as easily break their word later on;) a verbal general agreement would be possible.
Democracy Now! - uncensored, anti-establishment news
But a country can't fucking write.
Which treasonous fuck, who swore to uphold the constitution, signed this act of treason?
Snowden should be free, while the traitorous USA elected officials should all be hung for treason.
Does that mean less red tape and "suspicious activity" monitoring and such?
Or is this yet again just for the industry itself, and not for citizens?
Why don't you just come out and say Edward Snowden? Jesus christ.
I'm just going to re-quote this for emphasis:
"
C|N>K
The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014 is now in Congress to revive the expired "Fast Track Authority," and should be opposed by anyone against TPP, TISA, etc. I was originally supportive of Fast Track, but I think it has been badly abused and is dangerous to the constitutional separation of powers. It has expired; like Frankenstein's monster, it would be best if were not resurrected.
1. Negotiate secret deals to deregulate
2. Watch the collapse
3. Create one-world-currency-system
4. Profit! (for them) Enslavement! (for the rest of us)
Meanwhile, the people they hire to use guns and other enforcement measures are "just doing their jobs."
Canada was openly ridiculed by the US for not deregulating its financial industry right up until the financial disaster. By an large, Canada escaped disaster that plagued the other G8 countries in the banking meltdown.
So, we have recent proof that strict financial regulation works and yet they want to keep doubling down on deregulation?
---- The above post was generated by the Turing Institute. Maybe.
Basically the people don't give a rats arse about getting screwed on anything in this treaty as long as they can torrent GoT.
False. Every time, these unpopular bills are submitted when they can avoid negotiation. Every trick in the book is used, from submitting them in parts as riders to other bills (initiated by bribed politicians from committees) to submitting the bill just before recess or when key opponents are out.
Any treaty binding the businesses of two or more countries would have to be known to all concerned, surely.
Considering that the US and Europe were slammed to the dirt by lack of business regulation and enforcement it seems reasonable to me that we insist on far tight regulation and enforcement and more severe penalties for breaches as well. In essence the government encourages crime by issuing penalties that are far less than the money gained by criminal, business, behaviors. GM is a huge example of that right now with the ignition switch murders. That is serious enough to seize the assets and sell of everything GM owns and put executives under the prison.
I for one welcome our corporate overlords. I pray that through God's grace to experience something more than my station in life will allow and allow me to become a Squire to one of our most loyal corporate Knights.
Watching my less fortunate and undeserving brethren toiling the fields as I listen to them under their breath call me a housenigger will be an unimaginable pleasure to be greatly relished.
> A world currency means whoever controls the currency controls the world. There is no, and can be no, democracy there.
What about using gold, silver and platinum coinage as the "one world currency"? Why would that eliminate democracy?
The contents of this legislation are so utterly morally repugnant, that no politician outside the United States, would ever put their name to supporting it.
This could bring about the collapse of capitalism before the end of the decade!
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
How are they not considered a terrorist organization.......
Even better, Canada did and does not permit mortgage interest paid to be deductible from income, thereby avoiding the problem the US had with corporate malfeasance in mortgage loans. (And contrary to American fear-mongering, the practice has definitely not lead to lower real estate values.)
Free trade is good. Getting government out of the business of telling businesses how to do business -- is good.
Doing this in secret....not so good.
This kind of secrecy does to trust in government what tariffs and regulation do to the economy, undermine it.
Muslim community leaders warn of backlash from tomorrow morning's terrorist attack.