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Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal Endorsed by Major Tech Group (siliconbeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the putting-my-skeptical-hat-on dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report on SiliconBeat: An industry group representing major tech firms including Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Amazon, Twitter, Uber and eBay has endorsed the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact plan "The TPP recognizes the Internet as an essential American export," Internet Association CEO Michael Beckerman said in a statement. "Historically, pro-Internet policies have been absent from trade agreements, which is why the TPP is an important step forward for the Internet sector that accounts for 6 percent of the GDP and nearly 3 million American jobs. "It will be critical that the TPP is implemented in a way that supports the Internet economy." While President Barack Obama backs the trade deal, it has met with strong opposition from critics including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who attacked secrecy around the pact's drafting and has said the deal could weaken U.S. regulations that are good for Americans but might threaten foreign companies' profits.Brier Dudley, Seattle Times Columnist, tweeted, "TPP "taken a 180" since TPA, when there was confidence of passage, Rep @davereichert says. Issues incl. biologic protections, tobacco lobby."

6 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Corporate Sovereignty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It lets corporations sue governments to overturn laws made by democratically elected governments. DUH! Of course major corps will endorse this shift of power from people to corporations!

  2. Re:It doesn't support the "Internet economy" by houghi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It supports "Internet economy" for "Internet companies". Or did you think they were talking about you?

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  3. They all have one thing in common by Kohath · · Score: 4, Insightful

    All of these organizations have one thing in common: they don't care about you. They don't care about how this agreement could affect your life. They don't care about individuals, they don't care about neighborhoods, they don't care about children, they don't care about liberty, they don't care about jobs, they don't care about culture, they don't care about America, and they don't care about any other country either.

    I'm not even necessarily against the TPP. It seems like it's probably bad because of the secrecy and because it was negotiated by elites, presumably for the benefit of elites. But I haven't read it. I'm against these things being decided based on not caring how they affect people.

  4. Re: US presidential campaign and TPP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You can't trust anything Trump says on the campaign trail. If elected, he will do whatever makes he and his class the most money. Not a single politician in the race give a rat's rear end about the commoners.

  5. Moochers by UdoKeir · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So a bunch of nominally-American corporations that pay next-to-no US taxes get to influence US policy, while those of us that pay our full taxes are ignored?

  6. Re:US presidential campaign and TPP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If we have to have a Hitler-esque buffoon as President to avoid the disaster that is the TPP, then so be it.

    Aren't you a bit worried about your own reasoning here?

    "At least I'm not worse than Hitler." should be a line from a Mel Brooks film, not a line used to win an election.