Debate around the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) continues to mount. The recently-released 6,000 page agreement, encompassing 18,000 categories of goods and services and a region that accounts for 40 percent of the global economy, hasn’t been ratified by the U.S. Congress or Senate. Yet, the U.S. President has made his support clear with statements such as, “We are both soon to be signatories to the TPP agreement,” a comment Obama made on Nov. 19, 2015, after his bilateral meeting with new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Barack Obama’s confidence stems partially from the Trade Promotion Authority fast-tracking bill, which passed the U.S. Senate in May 2015, with a vote of 65-33. What has led to such strong support of the agreement?
Part is the work of U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, who is one of the biggest supporters of the TPP on Capitol Hill. He’s been very effective in selling U.S. Senators on the pretense that the TPP will economically benefit the U.S., although many believe that the benefits really fall to U.S. corporations and not the country’s citizens.
Just to make sure corporations extract every pound of flesh, any public law interpreted by corporations as impeding projected profit, even a law designed to protect the environment or consumers, will be subject to challenge in an entity called the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) section. The ISDS, bolstered and expanded under the TPP, will see corporations paid massive sums in compensation from offending governments for impeding their “right” to further swell their bank accounts. Corporate profit effectively will replace the common good. ~ Chris Hedges, Truthdig (source)
Aside from the debate over what the TPP will actually accomplish, corporate payoffs to U.S. Senators played an important role in the fast-track bill, as they do with most U.S. political matters. Looking at the money trail, it once again becomes clear that U.S. corporations are running the U.S. government, with little regard to the people’s interests. Here’s what the corporate cash spigot looks like:
Using data from the Federal Election Commission, this chart shows all donations that corporate members of the US Business Coalition for TPP made to US Senate campaigns between January and March 2015, when fast-tracking the TPP was being debated in the Senate:
Out of the total $1,148,971 given, an average of $17,676.48 was donated to each of the 65 “yea” votes.
- The average Republican member received $19,673.28 from corporate TPP supporters.
- The average Democrat received $9,689.23 from those same donors.
Frankly, the money trail couldn’t be any more evident, especially when looking at campaign contributions made by pro-TPP corporations to Senators running for re-election in 2016:
Democrats
- Ron Wyden of Oregon and Patty Murray of Washington received $52,200 between the 2 of them
- Michael Bennet of Colorado received $57,700
- These three Democrats were hold-outs on the bill who eventually caved and voted for the fast-track.
Republicans
- Rob Portman of Ohio received $119,700 – $70,600 from Goldman Sachs, $15,700 from Pfizer, $12,900 from Procter & Gamble
- Johnny Isakson of Georgia received $102,500
- Roy Blunt of Missouri received $77,900 – $13,500 from Monsanto
- Tim Scott of South Carolina received $67,500
- Richard Burr of North Carolina received $60,000
John McCain of Arizona received $51,700- Chuck Grassley of Iowa received $35,000
Note: The amounts above are corporate donations to the campaigns of US Senators between January and March of 2015, from corporations affiliated with the U.S. Business Coalition for TPP. Research compiled by Taylor Channing. Source
The fast-track bill gave Obama the authority to speed the TPP through Congress, without having its contents available for debate or amendments. Critics argue that the TPP will “favor big business but harm US jobs, fail to secure better conditions for workers overseas and undermine free speech online.” (Source)
How can we expect politicians who routinely receive campaign money, lucrative job offers, and lavish gifts from special interests to make impartial decisions that directly affect those same special interests? As long as this kind of transparently corrupt behavior remains legal, we won’t have a government that truly represents the people. ~ Mansur Gidfar, spokesman for the anti-corruption group Represent.Us (Source)
The TPP is being rammed down our throats by paid off politicians, and our sovereignty is being further destroyed in favor of a new kind of global fascism. Is this the reason why we need government in our lives?
Read more articles from Alex Pietrowski.
Alex Pietrowski is an artist and writer concerned with preserving good health and the basic freedom to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and Offgrid Outpost, a provider of storable food and emergency kits. Alex is an avid student of Yoga and life.
Secret blueprint for surviving the economic collapse (Ad)
Sources:
- http://www.alternet.org/economy/chris-hedges-tpp-most-brazen-corporate-power-grab-american-history
- http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/may/27/corporations-paid-us-senators-fast-track-tpp
- http://www.bnn.ca/News/2015/12/3/Canadas-new-trade-minister-says-its-not-my-job-to-sell-Canadians-on-TPP-.aspx
- http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-trade/2015/12/morning-trade-behsudi-211564
This article (This is How Much Big Business Paid US Senators to Fast-Track the TPP Deal) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Alex Pietrowski and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.
“Global fascism”… I smell a meme. I hope it becomes a common term.
people….grow it and turn your brains on. Who cares what they do. Disavow yourself of them, their matrix and their constant shenanigans
Please realize that we can achieve our “utopia” without this TPP deal. The only reason you believe it will have a Dreadful effect on you is because these articles continue to convince you that you are about to lose.
Nothing is further from the truth, and the authors that write these articles need to turn on their brains as well.
TPP is only good if you continue to purchase most of your goods from foreign countries. And if you continue to rely upon the big-name companies to satisfy your needs and desire.
Forget them. There are plenty of options like buying from local merchants, banking with the smaller banks/CU, developing a niche and creating a livelihood where you are the owner, etc.
You twinks just don’t get it. You have the power, otherwise they wouldn’t have to develop a “TPP Plan” to save their own skins. Forget them. Stop relying on the US gov, big business and big banks. STOP GIVING THEM YOUR MONEY AND RECEIVING NOTHING IN RETURN EXCEPT FAULTY GOODS.
There is only fascism if you submit. Work as a community and local/regional business who feel the same way you do. Exclude the rest.
You will never win against the matrix. They will do what they want, and they will succeed at their plans. But their plans are ineffective without YOU. So stop submiting to their matrix. It is the most criminal and evil cabal that is in power. Why would you want to work with them.
Save your money. Stop supporting the criminal organizations that are pervasive in all facets of our life.
Get a clue, and BE QUICK ABOUT IT!
THIS, THIS SO MUCH!!! This is what I’m starting to realize as well, and God bless you for realizing it as well. Even when I hear about the Tpp and what it does, I became very nervous and worried, and did what I could to spread the information, campaign, protest, etc. In fact, hundreds of thousands of people protested against the TTIP in Berlin, hundreds protested against the TPP in Washington DC a few weeks ago, and even more protested against this at the APEC Summit. People do everything that they can, yet the presidents, politicians, congress, government, etc. do not want to listen to the public and stop doing all of this evil stuff, and want to continue with their plans as much as they can.
In all honesty, the only thing that I can seriously think of at this point if people want to truly, truly stop this is by praying to God to take care of this if it is his will, or as I’ve seen others suggested which is violence, whether by a revolution, or some even taking matters into their own hands and trying to assassinate these people ( yes that serious) since they won’t quit with their evil ways. Regardless, it’s not just obama, politicians, or corporations doing this on their own, their also being told what to do by the powers that be which are rothschild, royals (queen elizabeth), bildgerberg group, shadow government, Israel, vatican, Jesuits, and much much more. So if people really really want to stop this thing, then they have to go at them first, as they say to cut off the head of the snake.
And this is why I’m also trying to find alternatives for all if not most of what’s in the tpp deal. If companies want to continue to ship off their jobs, fine, then I’ll do what I have to do and start my own job even if it takes time to build up and take off, medicine costs will skyrocket, no problem because these medicines aren’t even curing me 100% fully and they are probably filled with diseases anyway and there are actual real natural medicine from God’s green earth like cannabis to treat me if I get really really sick.
There are things in TPP that I absolutely disagree with though and know that I can’t find an alternative for. And it includes copyright infringement being intensified, internet censorship, internet service providers being forced to shutdown websites without a warrant, trial, charge, etc. the death of privacy (well it has been dead for a while now), and others as well. People are still doing what they can to stop this, and I feel that this deal has already been passed even without Congress and the Senate voting on it (they did vote on fast tracking it so why wouldn’t they vote yes on this), and they’re just going to do everything that’s in this deal anyway regardless.
This government is way past corruption and something should’ve been done alooooong looong time ago to clean house. Working as community where we don’t rely on government is a great idea, and we should just let these corrupted filths kick rocks.
I’m done with these politicians, presidents, congress, etc. they’re all the same in the end so basically f em. From now on I’m putting God first, doing my best to walk in the way of
Jesus, and just continue to live with my life as much as possible. I’m not gonna dwell in all of this stuff anymore, because it’s only going to cause fear, depression, and worriedness, and while I will continue to be on alert and watching for all of this to come (TPP, FTAAP, TTIP, New World Order, Old World Order, Project Blue Beam, World War 3, Martial law, Fema Camps, etc) I’m not gonna let it consume my life anymore and feel like my life is over, and that I’ve lost.
Nevertheless, stay safe eunush, and may God bless you, and us all!
Eunsuh Part of what you say is correct. The problem is the graft and corruption THe idea is similar to the illegal drug trade. Where people with drug habits are a nusiance, yet those involved with
the illegal drug trade, are willing to kill to do business, Thus, the real problem is the evil.
So, how does one stop corruption in the US?
I am not sure it can be done, at least not with our existing constitution and system. IT is true that the present elected officials and the govt careerists, will not want to change, for this is their goose that lays the golden eggs.
However, our system has put us on the edge of a large cliff, and it is only a matter of time, when we fall over. And at that point, though all of those elected officials will lie and talk, the same, it still will crash.
Then, most likely the States will pick up the pieces, though the state govts are just as corrupt,
but, it will be difficult and changes will occur.
It is then that it is our duty to GOD to build a system of which can prevent corruption.
1. No career govt staffers, 5 year maximum job, accumulative.
2. Lottery selection for elected, or selected officials. this will allow any capable person from the populatio to get the job. The Elites will have difficulty controlling this situation, because they will not control the person with campaign money on the way in.
3. COmpanies can be owned by one individual and one individual can only own one company, and no company can have more than 100 employees. THis will eliminate the elites, they will be no more.
Because when there are all small companies, there is no single person with billions.
Support local small businesses!!!!! STOP BUYING STARBUCK$!!!! Small businesses in America has a difficult time because the corporations/taxes don’t want them to exist…but they can’t stop us from buying from them!!!
They should all be arrested for collecting bribes…..
yet more reasons to abolish corporate fascism – serves only the silver spoon crowd.
Yep! That’s about right!