The New York Times reported earlier this week on a crucial detail in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement now being hammered out. The Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provision would allow foreign companies to sue over the United States over regulatory policies that hurt the corporations’ bottom line. From NYT:
An ambitious 12-nation trade accord pushed by President Obama would allow foreign corporations to sue the United States government for actions that undermine their investment “expectations” and hurt their business, according to a classified document.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership — a cornerstone of Mr. Obama’s remaining economic agenda — would grant broad powers to multinational companies operating in North America, South America and Asia. Under the accord, still under negotiation but nearing completion, companies and investors would be empowered to challenge regulations, rules, government actions and court rulings — federal, state or local — before tribunals organized under the World Bank or the United Nations.
Backers of the emerging trade accord, which is supported by a wide variety of business groups and favored by most Republicans, say that it is in line with previous agreements that contain similar provisions. But critics, including many Democrats in Congress, argue that the planned deal widens the opening for multinationals to sue in the United States and elsewhere, giving greater priority to protecting corporate interests than promoting free trade and competition that benefits consumers.
Southern Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) joined with his Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Keith Ellison (D-MN) today to criticize the “investment chapter” provision:
“The text of the Investment Chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership validates concerns repeatedly raised by the Progressive Caucus about one of the biggest trade deals in history. Expanding ISDS increases foreign corporations’ ability to challenge U.S. policies outside of the U.S. court system, and demand monetary compensation for the loss of their ‘expected future profits.’ This erodes the power of Congress to establish vital health and environmental protections that protect consumers.
“The United States is leading a global race to the bottom that isn’t good for families anywhere. Good trade deals should not expose our consumer protections to legal attacks by foreign corporations.”
This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 1, 2015.
Bahahahaha Grijalva is pissed that his south of the border friends getting cut out of the profit pie. Go ahead Grijalva drones dislike all you want the post will not disappear and with every dislike you prove me more and more right. bring it
Too funny. Raoooool, host of the famous $500 a plate Southern Arizona Fall Fiestas, (held not in Arizona but Washington, DC) is upset with his boy’s “cornerstone” economic plan. I thought all of you “progressives” stuck together and were happy to have the country racing to the bottom.
Please proofread your work. The second sentence doesn’t even make any sense.
Please proofread your work. The second sentence doesn’t even make any sense.
Grijalva knows best. The bottom is where he lives!!! Right next to Obama and all progressives, wrong and incompetent on everything. The bottom wasn’t even seeable in a high powered telescope until these trolls got elected
If socialist Raul the fool doesn’t like it, it’s got to be good. He cares more about Mexico than the U.S. Solid Comedy, you’re wrong about one thing. Don’t be so sure your post won’t be removed. I’ve been breaking Danehy’s nuts for years now and it pisses off his lefty pals no end. Lately I’ve been explaining to these clowns how much I love it when they hit dislike because it shows me how much I annoy them and annoying them is my goal. You think these guys listen? Hell no. Last week the powers that be had enough and took down one of my posts thanking my “fans” for all the dislikes. I wouldn’t be surprised if they took this down. Keep up the good work.
You conservative humps are absolutely adorable when you froth.
Yes, we are rather cute, Peabrain.
Witty too.
But, how many ‘savvy’ Americans & their global corporate associates are ‘poised’ to make windfall profits from their international cross investments & pre planned treaty ‘arrangements’ at the direct expense of the harmless non shareholders, ie. 95% – 99% of America, et al?
***
While the good sales folks of Wall St. may prefer to tell their ‘Enron-able’ customers that were also the victims of ‘The Preliminary Foray of The Wall St. Meltdown’, et al, that it’s just some Unions that are fighting back, how much of the Fighting Back of Unions against the Secret, Unethical & Anti-Democratic Arrangements of The Global Treaties’ ‘Death-Star-Chamber’ Tribunals, can be understood in the context of the harmless NON Shareholders, including Union members, fighting to Survive (not ‘thrive’) Against the Uncaring, ‘Profits at Any (body else’s) Costs’, SHAREHOLDERS & their Colluding, Global Corporate Leaders?
– Wall Street Journal, blog, Mar. 25, 2015
TPP & GLOBAL TREATIES;
Gain a political ‘Smidge’, Lose (‘Hidden’ & Secret Costs) a Lot; The NET EFFECT. How many Years will Paying Tribunals’ Penalties Bush Back tour Retirement Date?
Global Corporate Economy Conniving to Get Harmless NON Shareholders to Pay Trillion$ in Court Costs, Punitive ‘Penalties’, etc.?
No Treaties = Corporations/SHAREHOLDERS pay for Their Own ‘Mistakes’.
How Many Preferred Shares of TPP, C-CIT, TTIP, CETA, et al, Generated Enterprises are You Selling your Right to Sue the Global Corporate Economy for? ‘New’ Shareholders Can Say ‘NO’ to & Over-Rule TPP, CETA, TTIP, et al, Plans?
Will corp.’USA’ et al, & Feds to Prepay $Billions for All ‘Trade’ Treaty/’Arrangements’, et al, Secret (‘Death-Star-Chamber) Tribunals’ Punitive Damages to Protect Home State’s Taxpayers? Other States, Municipalities, et al, “…(we) need to control corp. USAs ‘Contributions’ “.
Undemocratic, Higher Taxes & More Cuts to Services to Pay Secret Penalties; NON Shareholders Have to Pay corporates USA, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Canada, et al, & their SHAREHOLDERS.
But, If Not PUTIN; ‘The WHITE KNIGHT’, then Who Do YOU Want to Bankroll the Saving of the harmless NON shareholders of the World from Fast Tracking TPP’s, CETA’s (TTIP) Secret ‘Death-Star-Chamber’ Tribunal Penalties?
Will China, Iran, the Muslim World, et al, Support Putin in Suits?
How about Warren Buffett, &/or, the ‘coveted’ Hong Kong investor, et al?
It will be good for, not only the NON shareholders of the enterprises that can be generated by the on-going global ‘cooperation’ of corporate treaties, agreements, partnerships, et al, including the Trans Pacific Partnership, the EU – Canada CETA, TTIP, the China – Canada Investment Treaty, et al,
but,
for the potential shareholders, as well,
who are quite interested to know if President Xi Jinping (China) will support Russia as a co-member of B.R.I.C.S. when President Putin uses his potential role as ‘The White Knight’.
And, while President Putin’s potential support as ‘The WHITE KNIGHT’ in the development of the TPP, et al, litigation below can dramatically off-set the hundreds of billions of dollars due to the present & future sanctions leveled by American led, et al, corporations & financial institutions via their governments’ signing their global corporate economic treaties/’arrangements’,
and the potential for making trillions of dollars for the Russian economy over the next 30 – 40 years & beyond,
are the citizens (SHAREHOLDERS & NON shareholders) of Germany & JAPAN just being prudent in wanting to wait for the outcome of:
1) The Submission to The SUPREME COURT of CANADA & the highest court in Germany, et al, to make their findings regarding ‘The Submission’:
‘The SHAREHOLDERS & Corporations of AMERICA, CHINA, Japan, Germany, Canada, et al
v
the harmless Canadian NON shareholders, both; Native & non Native, et al’?
(see; davidehsmith.wordpress.com)
and
2) ‘The MERKEL (Chancellor of Germany) Letter; To Sue, or, Be Sued?’ ?
(see; davidehsmith.wordpress.com)
Have the federal representatives of the nations that are the potential signatories of TPP, TTIP, et al, willingly provided the NON shareholders of US, Canada, Europe, the Trans Pacific nations, et al, with the aforementioned information? Are the federal representatives, et al, depriving the NON shareholders of Canada, et al, of the due diligence information that enables the family of the NON shareholders of Canada, et al, to make informed decisions regarding their financial planning?
And, would a reasonable person conclude by a preponderance of the evidence, &/or, beyond a reasonable doubt, that these documents, et al, demonstrate that the SHAREHOLDERS of AMERICA, CANADA , the EU & Trans Pacific nations, et al, really do not care which NON shareholders pay them the punitive penalties, etc., by way of their secret (‘Death-Star Chamber’) TRIBUNALS, as long as its not the SHAREHOLDERS who pay & not their corporations regardless of which country the corporations:
1) operating from,
2) maintain their headquarters,
3) use to do their cyber banking, accounting, ‘taxation’, etc.
&
4) et al?
And, re; the CHINA – Canada Investment Treaty (C-CIT), et al, is it understandable why the ‘coveted’ Hong Kong investor & his associates are ‘concerned’ with the aforementioned findings of The SUPREME COURT of CANADA, et al, & the effects of the potential findings, et al, on the EU, AMERICA, the Trans Pacific nations, et al, treaties with CHINA, et al?
In regard to arms sales (and other ‘contentious’ products & services & investors, repatriating profits, et al) ; how about the sale of arms (non nuclear) in general in regard to the ‘trade’ treaties that are continuing to be secretly negotiated and how will the Tribunals, both; B.R.I.C.S. & non BRICS, adjudicate, decide & penalize the NON SHAREHOLDERS for the sale of legitimate, semi- legitimate & ‘illegal’ sales of arms within the signatories nations & the those of others, &/or, unaligned? Of particular, interest is China, which does have an treaty with Canada, which puts China ‘at odds’ with other arms manufacturing & nuclear powers that it (China) does not have any ‘arrangements’ with.
Are these types of questions that your politicians & the corporate lobbyists calls ‘forget-me-nots’ (‘Buyer Beware’) that will be (maybe) worked out after the fast tracked signatures are obtained?
And, what do you think is the significance of the line in The Submission to The Supreme Court of Canada ‘…And, lest one forgets that the revelation of the present perilous international treaties/’arrangements’ began with the regard for the rights of Native Canadians as per the Treaties/’arrangements’ that corporate Canada & the Government of Canada have ‘foisted’ upon Native Canadians…’? What are the various ways that this line will cost the SHAREHOLDERS, et al?
On the other hand, it may be worth repeating yet again,
‘What the TREATY of VERSAILLES was to the 20th century PALES in COMPARISON to the TPP, CETA, C-CIT, NAFTA, et al, in the 21st’.
And, how will YOUR submission to YOUR highest court IMPROVE upon The Submission that is presently before The Supreme Court of Canada?
David E.H. Smith
– Researcher
– ‘Qui tam…’
******
Also see; ‘SECRET TPPartnership, CETA & C-CIT TRIBUNALS are INSIDER TRADING… ‘
at
davidehsmith.wordpress.com
******
Please consider sharing the enclosed information & questions with 10 members of your family, friends, associates in order that they can use the due diligence info to make more informed decision about their families’ financial planning, & then they can share it with 10 others…
******
For more Information & Questions re; The Relationship between Human (Nature) Rights & Economics by way of the C-CI Treaty, the CET Agreement, TPP, et al, and The WAD Accord
&
List of RECENT ARTICLES, LETTERS & NOTIFICATIONS by DEHS,
see; davidehsmith.wordpress.com
It’s fun to see the comments of those who criticize Grijalva’s stance on this just because he’s Grijalva. If a Tea Partier had been the critical lawmaker in this article, they’d be lining up, proudly snapping their suspenders as they lined up to join in the outrage, as this is precisely something that reeks of selling out American sovereignty. But no, it’s Grijalva, so we get to see the usual intellectually torpid, ill-thought out foaming at the mouth, none of which even takes into consideration what Grijalva is criticizing. Is that all these people really have to work with?
Progressives want everyone to be equal, that means equal in poverty. So it is not a race to the bottom, it is a race for everyone to be equal.
It’s amazing to see so many comments that are critical of Grijalva’s position on something they know absolutely nothing about. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they didn’t know what TPP stood for until this post went up.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a terrible treaty. It was created, for the most part, by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) to further their interests in copyright enforcement/citizen shakedown by trying to apply U.S.-style copyright laws to other countries and have those countries’ governments act as copyright police, much as they have already done in the U.S. The TPP does this by compelling other countries to enact copyright laws that conform to guidelines in the TPP. This keeps the MPAA and RIAA from having to do little, if any, work at all to prove that a copyright of theirs has been infringed. It also keeps them from having to pay to have that work done, too.
AI Tam anyone who is elected as an American civil servant’s priorities are to America not to Mexico. So that makes him Grijalva contradictory to his oath to the United States of America. Only those who have respect to this country would understand. Only those who had come from another country legally could understand. Ask any one of those for a history lesson they could teach you a thing since it was a requirement for citizenship.
What’s wrong with copyrights? I don’t understand people who think it’s their right to steal someone else’s hard work.
Obama is now sucking from the Corporate tit is public, he is not even hiding it.
Grijalva and Ducey server their own interests.
Vote for someone who not a Donkey or Elephant and they might just serve the public for once.
I just realized if Grijalva put on his sombrero he would look just like ” Ask a mexican”…now i know why he wins his races…a true representative of Tucson.