Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWikiLeaks Strikes Again: Leaked TISA Docs Expose ...
WikiLeaks Strikes Again: Leaked TISA Docs Expose Corporate Plan For Reshaping Global Economy?
An enormous corporate-friendly treaty that many people haven't heard of was thrust into the public limelight Wednesday when famed publisher of government and corporate secrets, WikiLeaks, released 17 documents from closed-door negotiations between countries that together comprise two-thirds of the word's economy.
Analysts warn that preliminary review shows that the pact, known as the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), is aimed at further privatizing and deregulating vital services, from transportation to healthcare, with a potentially devastating impact for people of the countries involved in the deal, and the world more broadly.
"This TISA text again favors privatization over public services, limits governmental action on issues ranging from safety to the environment using trade as a smokescreen to limit citizen rights," said Larry Cohen, president of Communications Workers of America, in a statement released Wednesday.
Under secret negotiation by 50 countries for roughly two years, the pact includes the United States, European Union, and 23 other countriesincluding Israel, Turkey, and Colombia. Notably, the BRICS countriesBrazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africaare excluded from the talks.
"Its a dark day for democracy when we are dependent on leaks like this for the general public to be informed of the radical restructuring of regulatory frameworks that our governments are proposing."
Nick Dearden, Global Justice Now
Along with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, which are also currently being negotiated, TISA is part of what WikiLeaks calls the "T-treaty trinity." Like the TTP and TTIP, it would fall "under consideration for collective 'Fast-Track' authority in Congress this month," WikiLeaks noted in a statement issued Wednesday.
However, TISA stands out from this trio as being the most secretive and least understood of all, with its negotiating sessions not even announced to the public.
Wednesday's leak provides the largest window yet into TISA and comes on the heels of two other leaks about the accord last year, the first from WikiLeaks and the other from the Associated Whistleblowing Press, a non-profit organization with local platforms in Iceland and Spain.
While analysts are still poring over the contents of the new revelations, civil society organizations released some preliminary analysis of the accord's potential implications for transportation, communication, democratic controls, and non-participating nations:
Telecommunications: "The leaked telecommunications annex, among others, demonstrate potentially grave impacts for deregulation of state owned enterprises like their national telephone company," wrote the global network Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS) in a statement issued Wednesday.roughly 700 unions from more than 150 countries, warned on Wednesday that the just-published documents "foresee consolidated power for big transport industry players and threaten the public interest, jobs and a voice for workers." ITF president Paddy Crumlin said: "This text would supercharge the most powerful companies in the transport industry, giving them preferential treatment. Whats missing from this equation is any value at all for workers and citizens."
Bypassing democratic regulations: "Preliminary analysis notes that the goal of domestic regulation texts is to remove domestic policies, laws and regulations that make it harder for
Transportation: The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), comprised of transnational corporations to sell their services in other countries (actually or virtually), to dominate their local suppliers, and to maximize their profits and withdraw their investment, services and profits at will," writes OWINFS. "Since this requires restricting the right of governments to regulate in the public interest, the corporate lobby is using TISA to bypass elected officials in order to apply a set of across-the-board rules that would never be approved on their own by democratic governments."
Broad impact: "The documents show that the TISA will impact even non-participating countries," wrote OWINFS. "The TISA is exposed as a developed countries' corporate wish lists for services which seeks to bypass resistance from the global South to this agenda inside the WTO, and to secure and agreement on servcies without confronting the continued inequities on agriculture, intellectual property, cotton subsidies, and many other issues."
More here: http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/06/03/wikileaks-strikes-again-leaked-tisa-docs-expose-corporate-plan-reshaping-global
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
9 replies, 846 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (32)
ReplyReply to this post
9 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
WikiLeaks Strikes Again: Leaked TISA Docs Expose ... (Original Post)
Playinghardball
Jun 2015
OP
Corporations are out of control and need to be kept in check like animals in the wild
AZ Progressive
Jun 2015
#1
I hope the "President is a combination of FDR, Ghandi, and Jesus Christ" club are
Doctor_J
Jun 2015
#5
AZ Progressive
(3,411 posts)1. Corporations are out of control and need to be kept in check like animals in the wild
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)2. The only exception I make to my opposition to the Death Penalty is for
corporate "persons." There are certain offenses against humanity committed by corporations who deserve to be dissolve while their officers do prison time.
AZ Progressive
(3,411 posts)4. Lack of punishment breeds corruption
GeorgeGist
(25,327 posts)3. Otherwise known as ...
TRAP.
Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)5. I hope the "President is a combination of FDR, Ghandi, and Jesus Christ" club are
waking up, though it's pretty late
truebrit71
(20,805 posts)6. Oh I wouldn't get your hopes up too high....
...
that will never happen.
Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)9. All I'm expecting from them is the usual variation on the theme
Il Duce ha sempre ragione.
The authoritarian mindset is foreign to democracy.
The authoritarian mindset is foreign to democracy.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)8. Huge K & R !!! - Thank You !!!