United States to World: “Here, Take Our Sovereignty”

Posted by James Charles / April 7, 2014

Our government is handing over our rights on a silver platter

Why We Should Focus on the TPP and TPIP
The Obama administration is essentially negotiating away the sovereignty of America by way of two major trade agreements that the U.S. and foreign countries are trying to reach. One, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (or TPP) is meant to re-adjust the global economic system so nations can conduct trade more easily, while the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (or TPIP) is meant to allow for much closer cooperation between the economies of the U.S. and Europe.
The narrative coming from our elected leaders suggests that the TPP and TPIP will make free trade easier for world. However, they have become the target of activists from both sides of the political spectrum. Democrats and Republicans are saying that these agreements, if reached, could be very dangerous to the sovereignty and infrastructure of the United States.
Secrecy from all Sides
The exact clauses of the two agreements are some of the Obama administration’s best-kept secrets, and very little about them has been successfully leaked to the public. Misguidedchildren reported on the secret treaty back in October of 2013. But we do know that the TPP will drastically change intellectual property (IP) laws, which will affect copyright laws, patents, trademarks and industrial design rights. These will in turn affect the Freedom of Information Act as well as the freedom of speech. Related issues will require less Congressional oversight and governmental jurisdiction will be further globalized.
Twelve nations are currently involved in the TPP, they are: the United States, Japan, Australia, Peru, Malaysia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Chile, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, and Brunei Darussalam. The Electronic Frontier Foundation describes in great detail how these dire trade agreements could negatively impact the United States.
The Return of SOPA
The TPP covers far more than commercial trade, however. In fact, many sources are saying that elements of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) have been secretly incorporated into the TPP to limit internet freedom. According to a journalist for The New York Times, the deal will also affect the prices of pharmaceutical medications. The article also points out the excessive amount of secrecy that has surrounded the TPP. It seems to make logical sense that if the TPP was in fact a positive agreement that would not limit our freedoms, the government would more eager to declassify enough information to disprove the theories.
Ramifications of the TPP
An informative article on The Washington Post does a good job of laying out the ramifications that we’ll be facing once the agreement between the twelve nations is finally reached. Frighteningly, the law will govern 40% of all U.S. imports and exports; this will leave much of our nation’s trade policy at the mercy of other countries. The article goes on to say:

 ”The treaty has 29 chapters, dealing with everything from financial services to telecommunications to sanitary standards for food. Some parts of it have significant ramifications for countries’ own legal regimes, such as the part about “regulatory coherence,” which encourages countries to set up a mechanism like the U.S.’s own Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to conduct cost-benefit analyses on new rules. USTR has a rough outline, and for a more comprehensive rundown, read this Congressional Research Service Report.”