The Trans-Pacific Partnership

EDIT: INCLUDED IS A LINK FOR THE JOINING HANDS PETITION TO STOP THE TPP

Stop the TPP petition

In 2005 the countries of Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore reopened negotiations on their P4 trade deal. Designed to remove more tariffs between to strengthen economies other Pacific Rim countries saw the opporunity to get involved. Behind closed doors (and with as little attention as possible) twelve Pacific Rim countries (Brunei, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, USA, Canada, Mexico, VIetnam, Singapore, Australia, Japan, and Malaysia) negotiated a trade deal. The deal emphasized similar agreements made under the North American Free Trade Agreement in the 90s. This accord is called the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

This past September the treaty finally reached an accord (after more than five years of negotiating). The Trans-Pacific Partnership, once finally negotiated, needs to be ratified by each countrys government before it can go into effect. The TPP is also structured to include more countries as the deal progresses and time passes.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/12/11/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-trans-pacific-partnership/

Now what exactly does this TPP accomplish? Several factors are at play here. To understand its impact first understand the scope: the nations involved in the TPP contribute 40% of the worlds GDP. With that in mind the TPP aims to reduce tariffs between the countries to increase international competition and thus improve participating nation states economies. Industries from Pharmaceuticals to Telecommunications to Textiles to Automobile are affected by these changes. The Obama adminstration advocates it as an agent for retooling the US economy based on its higher value goods and servicess, a huge factor for private job growth, and a counter to China´s growing economic network.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32498715
In fact, a major element to this deal is the lack of Chinese presence in this deal.  American senators advocate this deal as a balance to China´s continually growing economic network. We openly reduce tariffs to several major countries China also trades with. The competition isn´t explicit, but this reinforcement of international relations does point to creating leverage against the output superpower. China has given mild support for the deal.

For those of you who don´t care to read about boring trade deals heres a nifty (particularly non-biased) video.

Proponents of the Trade deal point to its ability to navigate so many labor parties, differing industry standards. The Deal proposes more advantages for workers unions, efforts to abolish child labor, and the obvious trade benefits. With over 18,000 tariffs lifted (supposedly at once) the social gains addended to this treaty might appear to offset the economic negatives as yet to be mentioned.

And now a video demonstrating whats wrong

Right off the bat the Deal was negotiated in complete secrecy without any knowledge or awareness by the American (and Peruvian) public. A Trade Deal that is not only the largest made but also relying on foundations from NAFTA with an an Atlantic counterpart (The TTIP - an Atlantic Ocean version of the TPP partnering the US with several European and African nations.) Only recently have they published the whole text (buried in legalese no doubt). Prior to that only small sections were shared via WikiLeaks. The whole thing was negotiated in secret and designed to allow more international competition. 

Several of the provisions involved in this Trade Deal offer companies the chance to protest legislation they deem ¨unfair advantages¨ the video directly cites the provision where large corporations have the ability to take the governments to task over laws that ¨cause loss of profits.¨For countries where such legislation already stands on weak ground this will most certainly spell doom for laws designed to protect natural resources (anti-deforestation laws for example.) Companies now have more power to take an entire government to international court to pursue reparations for laws they deem harmful.

The World Trade Organization has no current role in the TPP. In fact, the WTO was largely ignored in the talks because it moves too slowly. In so doing, major companies are now held accountable by an international tribunal. While that might seem appealing understand that these companies are now only held in this court. Should they win their trial there is no provision for any other legal entity on the planet of Earth to hold them liable.

It strengthens the patent controls companies have. Pharmaceutical companies will hold tighter control over their patents giving them the ability to keep pill prices at unnecessarily high levels. A provision so harmful that Doctors Without Borders has denounced the TPP as harmful to human health.

Source: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/briefing-document/trading-away-health-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement-tpp

To show how many current trade agreements there are currently.

The idea behind the TPP is to strengthen this international trade network by allowing companies more rights to encourage competition. While many criticize the power inernational companies already have, imagine giving them more. We essentially make it easier for American companies to do the kinds of practices we have found harmful to our economy and to our people: outsourcing jobs, stripping down acocuntability systems, and controlling access to commodities.

In Peru this deal gives alarming power to the Mining, Oil, Textiles, Fishing, and Agriculture businesses that already wield too much power. In a country where mining operations ruin entire cities for decades with little accountability or even foresight more power to corporations is the worst possible outcome. If this treaty passes in every countrys government, ¨profit¨ becomes the bottom line for international justice.

Presidential candidates of every variety have spoken out against this deal. In a predictable but still alarming way even Donald Trump (the candidate known for his words, and not his deeds) has clearly spoken out against the TPP. Granted, his agenda was to build American economy and prevent foreign investments in a slightly less jingoist or xenophobic rhetoric. I have to admit: If Donald Trump says its bad and most everyone agrees it has to be pretty bad.

Source:http://www.newsweek.com/presidential-candidates-trans-pacific-partnership-380141

https://ballotpedia.org/2016_presidential_candidates_on_the_Trans-Pacific_Partnership_trade_deal

Ask yourself, what would Christ advocate?

Proverbs 16:11

Verse Concepts

A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern.

God pays attention to this. I´m not advocating God has a direct role on trade. As an American the idea of commerce separated from religion is our ideal. Instead, God cares about the effects these deals have on people. Individuals. It would seem God´s message to us is that he is among us. So many cogs in the machine and God would remind us to advocate for the well being of the individual. The TPP proposes lots of immediate goods, but how beneficial can an international trade agreement be when it was made in secret with a very obvious agenda? These are not the signs of a just balance. There is more at stake than just economics. Consider again, what is going on in your country. Examine the consequences this deal could have, and find a way to support action against the TPP. I will be doing this all week!

Petition to tell Congress NO to the TPP

Gracias y Vaya con Dios


P.S. For anyone interested in reading directly from their website here is the TPPs American advancement website: https://ustr.gov/tpp/