# The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 3, 2013, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975 "2013-11-03T11:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/1 "2013-11-03T11:46:27Z")
> **[Segment: Yves Smith and Dean Baker on Secrets in Trade | Moyers & Company...](https://billmoyers.com/segment/yves-smith-and-dean-baker-on-secrets-in-trade/)** > > Why are the contents of a major US-led trade deal being deliberately kept from the American people? The TPP is deliberately shrouded in secrecy and will benefit corporations represented by the lobbyists doing the negotiating to the detriment of the American people. NAFTA on steroids. [http://tpp2012.com/](http://tpp2012.com/) > [@](#): > > TPP = Trans-Pacific Partnership. It is the dream of the 1%. With 600 U.S. corporations as officials advisors, this stealthy international agreement has been negotiated behind closed doors over the past two years – with talks heading to San Diego in July. > > What would TPP mean for the 99%? Millions more American jobs offshored. Backdoor deregulation for financial firms to wreck the economy again. Floods of unsafe food and products. Higher medicine prices. A ban on Buy America policies needed to create green jobs and rebuild our economy. Foreign corporations empowered to attack our environmental and health policies in foreign tribunals. > **[tpp](https://www.huffpost.com/topic/tpp)** > > tpp The Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Trade Agreement for Protectionists The first comment to the Moyers video was great: > [@](#): > > Dave Holb • 6 hours ago − > Someone please contact Eric Snowden about this! We have got to know and he appears to be our only source! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/2 "2013-11-03T14:33:08Z")
If it’s such a secret, how is it that [this website](http://www.ustr.gov/tpp) was left wide open for anyone to read? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/3 "2013-11-03T14:35:51Z")
Also, “NAFTA on steroids”? Aside from the US, the countries involved are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Basically, fairly small economies. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/4 "2013-11-03T14:43:14Z")
I’m down with the TPP. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/5 "2013-11-03T16:38:15Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If it’s such a secret, how is it that [this website](http://www.ustr.gov/tpp) was left wide open for anyone to read? Nice site. I tried to dig into it a bit to find out some details. I was not successful. I see nice sounding general stuff like this at the government site: > [@](#): > > • The negotiating groups have developed consolidated legal text in virtually all negotiating groups. In some areas, text is almost complete; in others, further work is needed to finalize text on specific issues. The texts contain brackets to indicate where differences remain. But where’s the meat? Is this going to be a backdoor for SOPA? Will US environmental and FDA controls be overridden? Some concern is being expressed: [https://madison.legistar.com/ViewReport.ashx?M=R&N=Master&GID=205&ID=1492675&GUID=D4963C6A-D20C-4569-941C-1C85F08E610A&Extra=WithText&Title=Legislation+Details+](https://madison.legistar.com/ViewReport.ashx?M=R&N=Master&GID=205&ID=1492675&GUID=D4963C6A-D20C-4569-941C-1C85F08E610A&Extra=WithText&Title=Legislation+Details+)(With+Text ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/6 "2013-11-03T18:02:12Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I’m down with the TPP. Yeah, I know thee! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/7 "2013-11-03T18:41:42Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If it’s such a secret, how is it that [this website](http://www.ustr.gov/tpp) was left wide open for anyone to read? That’s what the illuminati _want_ you to think. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/8 "2013-11-05T06:58:41Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Also, “NAFTA on steroids”? Aside from the US, the countries involved are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Basically, fairly small economies. Japan’s also negotiating to join. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/9 "2013-11-05T13:47:53Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > Japan’s also negotiating to join. They’ll be a shoe-in. They’ve already written the theme song: \*I wanna be the very best Like no one ever was To negotiate is my real test To sneak around is my cause I will travel across the land Searching far and wide Each oppressive environmental foreign tribunal to understand The power that’s inside TPP! it’s you and me I know it’s my destiny…\* ---
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp/672975/10 "2013-11-06T16:06:17Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If it’s such a secret, how is it that [this website](http://www.ustr.gov/tpp) was left wide open for anyone to read? From the site above, [FACT SHEET: Transparency and the Trans-Pacific Partnership](http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/fact-sheets/2012/june/transparency-and-the-tpp) : “As is common practice in U.S. free trade negotiations, when the TPP negotiations got underway in 2009, the United States and its TPP negotiating partners entered into a confidentiality arrangement reflecting the customary understanding between countries engaged in trade negotiations that the negotiations should be carried out in private. The understanding calls for each government to disseminate its negotiating proposals, as well as those it receives from its TPP partners, solely to government officials and individuals who are part of the government’s domestic trade advisory process.” In other words, no, you cannot read it, unless you promise not to share it with anyone else! And when it is finally done, the administration wants to get [fast-track](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_track_%28trade%29) approval, a straight up or down vote by Congress. So, yeah, this is a completely open and democratic process. And since this is the pit - FUCK THIS SHIT! Fast-track and free trade agreements have been nothing but an end run around the legislative process. And fuck both the parties for allowing this to happen. This is where true bi-partisanship happens. Congress bitched in the 90s about it, only to re-approve it once Bush was in the White House. If Romney had been elected, I am certain he would have it by now also. Only because the House is full of ideological fuck-heads is why Obama does not have it, but once the full agreement is ready… FUCK THIS SHIT!