Trans-Pacific Partnership Full Text Released

S&F good hope this gets out there more. It's already receiving reviews-but critical of it as suspected.

Today the New Zealand Foreign Ministry was the first to break the silence.

The ministry posted the full text, all 30 chapters of it, on the website of the New Zealand Foreign Ministry. To view it go here - The text- or start reading below.

Another Source

Props to them.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

YouTube Red has nothing to do with this, it is actually about trying to recover lost revenue from losers who use adblock to steal YouTube's bandwidth. The thought I think is that many of the thieves who use ad block will just sign up for 10 bucks a month as well as other good folks who don't use ad block but don't want to see ads will also subscribe.

a reply to: DumpMaster

Advertising as it stands is archaic. Do you know anyone who actually watches YouTube ads? I know before I got rid of that problem I couldn't hit the skip button fast enough. Also you call people thieves while YouTube does nothing but profit from the work of others. I canceled Hulu because I was paying for a streaming service that still forced you to watch ads. These people still cant adapt that is why they force us by law (like TPP)to comply with their status quo. Now you cant even use your DVR to skip commercials most times. This all reminds me of a quasi internet 2.0 . Instead of the tiered system initially proposed now you simply have to pay a premium for the same services you previously received for free.

ETA: ATS is unusable in Microsoft Edge.

The Australian government seems to be promoting this agreement like it's the best thing since sliced bread. Oddly enough I actually think it could have some positive outcomes because it encourages more free trade between nations with less legal restrictions and less tariffs. Maybe some of the ridiculously overpriced products in Australia will now come down to a more reasonable price as our local businesses are forced to compete with cheaper imported products. Apparently foreign businesses can even sue the Australian government if they enact laws which damage their profits.

A leading expert on intellectual property has warned that Australian governments could be sued for billions of dollars by foreign companies under a controversial clause in a huge multilateral trade deal.

"We could get sued for billions for making some change to mining law or fracking law or God knows what else." said Associate Professor Kimberlee Weatherall

Australia 'could be sued for billions' by foreign companies under TPP

This got me wondering about things like cigarettes. The cost of cigarettes in Australia is ridiculously high because the government has taxed the hell out of them. We also have a law which forces all cigarette packages to be completely plain looking and also covered in very graphic health warnings. The TPP could've allowed cigarette manufacturers to directly sue Australia over the impact of those plain packaging laws, however the Australian government were able to get around this problem:

Tobacco companies have also been specifically banned from suing governments over detrimental law changes, another measure that seemed to have been designed specifically to accommodate Australia’s concerns.

How Australia became a winner out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement

This brings up a whole bunch of other questions though. Like what happens if the Australian government decides to enforce plain packaging or more taxes on alcoholic products. As far as I can see the alcohol companies would have free reign to sue the government and probably win. It seems to me that any government participating in the TPP will be very hesitant to enact laws which negatively impact any business sector, which seems to be at odds with the environment because laws designed to protect the environment will almost always negatively impact some sectors.

Was Obama always a shill for the corporations but fooled his supporters that he wasn't a shill for corporations ?

A) how much blame/partnership does the mainstream media get in the scam?
1) what else are the scamming us on?

Or

He wasn't a shill and something changed his mind?

A) obama after being in office, now thinks it's in the people's best interest to legally allow corporations this much protection and power
1) what did he see?
2) how will this help the citizens of the world?

B) Obama sold out all the people
1) if for money, how much?
2) if not money, for what?

C) Obama kowtowed without profiting
1) who or what could make Obama this submissive?

These are the issues, not that this deal sucks

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

Best of luck. I can tell you as an American that importing cheap goods is not going to strengthen your economy.

Maybe some of the ridiculously overpriced products in Australia will now come down to a more reasonable price as our local businesses are forced to compete with cheaper imported products.

Yeah Americans thought that when deals like NAFTA happened and trade with China reached favored nation status. Enjoy your mom and pop stores while you can. They are in no way prepared to compete with corporations like Wal-Mart/Tescos etc.

a reply to: thinline

Well since he installed schills and lobbyist in all of his cabinet positions that is a sign. Also having uber globalist like Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski backing him is another obvious sign. The final nail in the coffin is the fact he was elected which is completely a closed system.

a reply to: NihilistSanta

Enjoy your mom and pop stores while you can. They are in no way prepared to compete with corporations like Wal-Mart/Tescos etc.

I don't think the existence of large businesses necessarily precludes the existence of small businesses, they both have their place in the economic ecosystem. You also have to keep in mind the problem isn't business competition, the problem is a lack of competition, which is what allows monopolies to exist without anyone to challenge them. Sure it can be hard for small businesses to compete with large businesses but there are many things large businesses can offer which small businesses cannot offer. Large businesses can offer a wider range of products and services and they have more stores in more areas. In fact one of the mains reasons I would consider moving to the U.S. is simply because it's so much easier and cheaper to find products I want, especially electronic and digital products. You guys may hate Wal-Mart but I guarantee you would miss their large range of items if they went out of business tomorrow.

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

You haven't been to America where there is a Walmart or Walgreen's on every corner. It becomes a lack of choice in many respects. They also used to do things like move into a town and lower their prices to the point of losing money long enough to run the competition (mom and pops) off then jack their prices up. This hurts the economy in the long run. Those cheap goods and choice have some unforseen strings attached is all I am saying. Eventually Walmart will become synonymous with store the way Coke is synonymous with any soda. It seems almost like a joke here with the way we nostalgically reminisce about so many great retail chains that have gone under and we all just accept the lack of choice. This is just my own observations though. I am sure it is much different in Australia with the remoteness of some locations and such. Your view does give me some things to ponder.

I am sure it is much different in Australia with the remoteness of some locations and such.

Yes I guess a good analogy is it's like the difference between living in a modern city compared to living in an outback town. In the city you have more options and most things are cheaper but you have to deal with things like traffic and air pollution. In the outback town you have little stores spread out further apart and the range is much smaller and the prices are higher, but the people are nicer and air is more breathable. I prefer to live in rural areas because they are nicer but I crave the modern convenience of having a store around every corner and knowing I can find any product I want at a reasonable price.

I guess I just get the sense like Australia is stagnating when it comes to business growth, I'm not seeing any increase in conveniences or the range of products and it's just as hard to find the stuff I need as it was 5 or even 10 years ago. It's like I'm living in the dark ages but no one cares because they don't really know any different. I mean we don't even make use of our huge uranium reserves to generate nuclear energy, we just burn a crap load of coal which creates more expensive and less clean energy. We've had at least half a dozen black outs this year and even a few "brown outs" because they could not supply enough energy to the entire area.

I guess pretty soon we canadians find out if our new guy is our obama. I read the "copyright" section when it was leaked, and just from that I knew it was bad news.


This guy covers just one thing that is horribly wrong with the section, if you like playing modded games, this affects you.

originally posted by: TKDRL

Very informative video. The thing that really annoys me is how they try to attach all these copyright laws to an agreement which should be about trade between nations. I would be mostly fine with the TPP if it didn't include all the copyright stuff. Apparently some nations are opposing the copyright part of the deal so maybe there is still some hope.

a reply to: ChaoticOrder
I need to comb through the full text and come up with a way that it will effect sports and other things that will get some damn mainstream idiot at least thinking about it lol. One of the main reasons I liked that one, a lot of people at least install mods in their games.

a reply to: TheAmazingYeti
S&F looks like a lot of homework ahead.

a reply to: DumpMaster

, it is actually about trying to recover lost revenue from losers who use adblock to steal YouTube's bandwidth. The thought I think is that many of the thieves who use ad block will just sign up

Sorry, I'm one of those "losers" that use Adblock. How does that make me a loser and a thief? How am I "stealing" anything from Youtube? If I don't want to see commercials and popup ads, it's my computer and my time, so how about they pay me to watch the crap.

a reply to: TheAmazingYeti

So, if we download copyright material...they get to infringe on our rights and bypass privacy violations/law?

originally posted by: DAVID64
a reply to: DumpMaster

, it is actually about trying to recover lost revenue from losers who use adblock to steal YouTube's bandwidth. The thought I think is that many of the thieves who use ad block will just sign up

Sorry, I'm one of those "losers" that use Adblock. How does that make me a loser and a thief? How am I "stealing" anything from Youtube? If I don't want to see commercials and popup ads, it's my computer and my time, so how about they pay me to watch the crap.

No one is stealing anything anyway. Copies, while leaving the original (anything) behind is just that...a copy. The original file is still there, hence nothing was stolen. To steal, is to deprive the party (that was stolen from) of his or her property. It's an absense of what was once there. A copy of something should not be illegal.

originally posted by: TheConstruKctionofLight
a reply to: intrptr

This will be the final straw that destroys any sovereignty, we have been relegated to serfdom.

If ever there was a time for the common man to stand up worldwide now would be it!

What to do?

Don't to be like them.

I know, hard to live a life with no trappings of civilization. How about refuse to be like them as much as possible?

Personally I don't go along with the paradigm, I don't fit in or belong. If you met me, you wouldn't give me the time of day.

Thats how molded everyone is to be a part of. Almost impossible to be any other way.

But that is the most important thing, to just be.

God, that sounds so stupid.

Okay, so theres those be attitudes, how to behave towards others, thats the thing. Not what you own, your success, you achievements, your plans, goals, material possessions.

It simply how you (be)have towards others.

"Standing up" as you put it, fighting the system, is just another way of playing into their hands.

You don't have to be a part of it or fight it.

Tyranny's
Pernicious
Profligacy

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: anxiouswens

they are "rules for global trade", but ultimately it gives corporations more rights and "consumers" like you and me are less likely to be able to sue them, but they are more likely to be able to sue us

It will also give large corporations the ability to override a nations heritage and ecological listings (ie historical sites and national parks), for development and resources. This is specifically relevant to large building, oil/gas, mining and logging corporations.

And they will reserve the rights to sue any government that allows its citizens to protest said development programs, thus forcing governments to make it illegal to protest in any way shape or form. Gone will be the days of chaining yourself to a tree to stop the bulldozers, because it will be an federally indictable offence to do so, or even just comment negatively about it on social media will land you in big trouble.

Say good-bye to all of your nations natural assets if there is any kind of commercially harvestable resource in them.

On the bright side though, I don't believe this partnership has the ability to effect World heritage listings, so those assets will remain safe for now. Unless of course governments are successful in trying to have those listings reversed like the Australian government did in Tasmania a couple of years back with one of their pristine national park regions that was on the world heritage list.