It looks like the TPP has passed

[blake0812]

from http://www.theguardian.com/business...reached-pacific-countries-international-trade

Trade ministers from 12 countries announced the largest trade-liberalizing pact in a generation on Monday. In a press conference in Atlanta, trade ministers from the US, Australia and Japan called the the Trans-Pacific Partnership an “ambitious” and “challenging” negotiation that will cut red tape globally and “set the rules for the 21st century for trade”.

Analysis From cars to cough medicine: why the Trans-Pacific Partnership matters to you
After five years of talks, a wide-ranging trade deal is close between Pacific rim countries which could have long-reaching economic consequences. Here is what you need to know about the TPP
Read more
The deal – in the works since 2008 – is a major victory for the US president, Barack Obama. “This partnership levels the playing field for our farmers, ranchers and manufacturers by eliminating more than 18,000 taxes that various countries put on our products,” the president said in a statement. “It includes the strongest commitments on labor and the environment of any trade agreement in history, and those commitments are enforceable, unlike in past agreements.”

While it still faces major hurdles, not least in Congress, the deal could reshape industries and influence everything from the price of cheese to the cost of cancer treatments. It is expected to set common standards for 40% of the world’s economy, become a new flashpoint for the 2016 presidential campaign, and could become a legacy-defining agreement for the Obama administration.

The deal is seen as a challenge to China’s growing dominance in the Pacific region. China had been invited to join the trade group but balked at restrictions that the deal would have placed on its financial sector and other areas.

“Long after the details of this negotiation like tons of butter have been regarded as a footnote in history, the bigger picture of what we have achieved today remains,” said New Zealand’s trade minister, Tim Groser. “It remains inconceivable that the TPP bus will stop at Atlanta.”

Lawmakers in TPP countries must also approve the deal, setting up potentially months of congressional wrangling on the deal.

Time to head in the woods

 

[dank69]

from http://www.theguardian.com/business...reached-pacific-countries-international-trade



Time to head in the woods

Over a trade deal?

 

[werepossum]

Did anyone really doubt this would pass? Both parties wish it so.

 

[cbrunny]

Both? 12 countries.

 

[werepossum]

Both? 12 countries.

Both American parties, sorry.

 

[cbrunny]

Both American parties, sorry.

oh lol. honestly that's more surprising! Seems rare that Dems and Reps agree on anything.

 

[cubby1223]

oh lol. honestly that's more surprising! Seems rare that Dems and Reps agree on anything.

Not as rare as you'd think - as long as the vast majority of the public is in agreement on something, the two parties typically also are in agreement with each other. As for whether the public and the 2 parties agree on the same views, that's a whole other topic of discussion.

 

[waggy]

so is it made public then?

 

[Ham n' Eggs]

so is it made public then?

not yet.
...which raises the question as to how "the the vast majority of the public is in agreement" on it as is seemingly being implied above

 

[IronWing]

so is it made public then?

It's like more like surprise sex.

 

[werepossum]

oh lol. honestly that's more surprising! Seems rare that Dems and Reps agree on anything.

Oh, rest assured that we will be treated to many long diatribes about how passing this horrible treaty/not passing this visionary treaty is the next most important struggle in our nation's history. As always with politicians, watch what they do, not what they say. Each party in turn has its own trade agreements, and Americans uniformly get shafted.

 

[werepossum]

It's like more like surprise sex.

lol The old struggle snuggle.

 

[werepossum]

not yet.
...which raises the question as to how "the the vast majority of the public is in agreement" on it as is seemingly being implied above

His point was how often the American public has majority agreement on an issue and the two parties are also in agreement with each other - but not at all necessarily in agreement with us.

 

[Blackjack200]

not yet.
...which raises the question as to how "the the vast majority of the public is in agreement" on it as is seemingly being implied above

My understanding is that an early draft was leaked by Wikileaks.

 

[Genx87]

Have to see what is within the agreement. But lessening tariffs for our goods while standardizing practices and rules sounds good so far.

 

[Blackjack200]

Have to see what is within the agreement. But lessening tariffs for our goods while standardizing practices and rules sounds good so far.

I agree. The main thing I'm concerned about is the rumors I've heard that there's a lot of crazy IP laws involved as well.

 

[Genx87]

I agree. The main thing I'm concerned about is the rumors I've heard that there's a lot of crazy IP laws involved as well.

Like? I honestly haven't been following this. If we could get Asia to protect IP law that would be a huge step forward.

 

[Blackjack200]

Like? I honestly haven't been following this. If we could get Asia to protect IP law that would be a huge step forward.

From Wiki:

The intellectual property section of the TPP lays out a minimum level of protections signators must enforce for trademarks, copyright, and patents. Trademarks may be visual, auditory or scents, and are granted exclusive use for trade. Copyright is granted at a length of life of author plus 70 years, and makes willful circumvention of protections (such as Digital Rights Management) illegal. The TPP also establishes that "making available" is the exclusive right of the copyright owner.

Some of the provisions relating to the enforcement of patents and copyrights alleged to be present in the US proposal for the agreement have been criticised as being excessively restrictive, providing intellectual property restraints beyond those in the Korea–US trade agreement and Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).[105][106]

I've heard a lot of the infosec community come out hard against it. I guess we'll have to see how it shakes out.

 

[cubby1223]

not yet.
...which raises the question as to how "the the vast majority of the public is in agreement" on it as is seemingly being implied above

The political parties are not at each other's throats threatening government shutdown over this trade agreement. What is your best-guess answer as to why this is the situation with this piece of legislation?

Why is the Iran nuclear agreement so fiercely fought in the court of public opinion, why is Planned Parenthood so fiercely fought in the court of public opinion, but not this?

 

[dank69]

The political parties are not at each other's throats threatening government shutdown over this trade agreement. What is your best-guess answer as to why this is the situation with this piece of legislation?

Why is the Iran nuclear agreement so fiercely fought in the court of public opinion, why is Planned Parenthood so fiercely fought in the court of public opinion, but not this?

Maybe this is one of the few things that the GOP supports that isn't batshit insane, like defunding PP or fighting the nuke agreement. I guarantee the GOP looked for anything they could to criticize it, because fuck Obama, but found nothing. AFAIK it's all about protecting American corporations, so that's right in their wheelhouse. The thing is (even though the GOP likes to pretend this isn't the case), Democrats like to protect American corporations too, when we are protecting them against other countries. Dems just don't think American corporations need protection from American people the way the GOP does.

 

[norseamd]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKu7TYWNxqA

 

[norseamd]

Like? I honestly haven't been following this. If we could get Asia to protect IP law that would be a huge step forward.

This will not have any influence on the Chinese, and may cause the Chinese to lower enforcement on IP laws even more now.

 

[werepossum]

Maybe this is one of the few things that the GOP supports that isn't batshit insane, like defunding PP or fighting the nuke agreement. I guarantee the GOP looked for anything they could to criticize it, because fuck Obama, but found nothing. AFAIK it's all about protecting American corporations, so that's right in their wheelhouse. The thing is (even though the GOP likes to pretend this isn't the case), Democrats like to protect American corporations too, when we are protecting them against other countries. Dems just don't think American corporations need protection from American people the way the GOP does.

Amazing how even when both parties do the same thing, the Republicans are doing it for the wrong reasons while the Democrats are doing it for the right reasons. Almost like caricatures.

 

[norseamd]

Amazing how even when both parties do the same thing, the Republicans are doing it for the wrong reasons while the Democrats are doing it for the right reasons. Almost like caricatures.

Bah!

If anything the Democrats are the ones who need to be scolded as they are the ones who know to be more moral than this.

 

[Ham n' Eggs]

Some potentially good things for Europeans (no more tariffs on goods from the US). Does elimination of tariffs mean no more VAT for consumers though?

---

the list of bad things seems very bad however.

As much of this was written by multinational corporations I'd wager that the US govt will vote to approve.