How the TPP Could Lead to Worldwide Internet Censorship

Guest Post by Michael Krieger 

Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 11.59.19 AM

On Monday, we learned that global “leaders” had come to an agreement on the infamous Trans Pacific Partnership, or TPP. While discouraging, this doesn’t mean the game is over — far from it.

Although politicians have come to a secret agreement, this democracy killing, corporate monstrosity still has to pass the U.S. Congress. So it’s now up to all of us to create an insurmountable degree of opposition and make sure this thing is dead on arrival.

The more I learn about the TPP, the more horrified I become. In case you need to get up to speed, check out the following:

U.S. State Department Upgrades Serial Human Rights Abuser Malaysia to Include it in the TPP

Julian Assange on the TPP – “Deal Isn’t About Trade, It’s About Corporate Control”

Trade Expert and TPP Whistleblower – “We Should Be Very Concerned about What’s Hidden in This Trade Deal”

As the Senate Prepares to Vote on “Fast Track,” Here’s a Quick Primer on the Dangers of the TPP

If that wasn’t enough to concern you, here’s the latest revelation.

From Common Dreams:

The “disastrous” pro-corporate trade deal finalized Monday could kill the Internet as we know it, campaigners are warning, as they vow to keep up the fight against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement between the U.S. and 11 Pacific Rim nations.

“Internet users around the world should be very concerned about this ultra-secret pact,” said OpenMedia’s digital rights specialist Meghan Sali. “What we’re talking about here is global Internet censorship. It will criminalize our online activities, censor the Web, and cost everyday users money. This deal would never pass with the whole world watching—that’s why they’ve negotiated it in total secrecy.”

If that part isn’t obvious by now, I don’t know what is.

TPP opponents have claimed that under the agreement, “Internet Service Providers could be required to ‘police’ user activity (i.e. police YOU), take down Internet content, and cut people off from Internet access for common user-generated content.”

Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) Maira Sutton wrote on Monday, “We have no reason to believe that the TPP has improved much at all from the last leaked version released in August, and we won’t know until the U.S. Trade Representative releases the text. So as long as it contains a retroactive 20-year copyright term extensionbans on circumventing DRMmassively disproportionate punishments for copyright infringement, and rules that criminalize investigative journalists and whistleblowers, we have to do everything we can to stop this agreement from getting signed, ratified, and put into force.”

Furthermore, “The fact that close to 800 million Internet users’ rights to free expression, privacy, and access to knowledge online hinged upon the outcome of squabbles over trade rules on cars and milk is precisely why digital policy consideration[s] do not belong in trade agreements,” Sutton added, referring to the auto and dairy tariff provisions that reportedly held up the talks.

“Successive leaks of the TPP have demonstrated that unless you are a big business sector, the [U.S. Trade Representative, or USTR] simply doesn’t care what you have to say,” wrote EFF’s Jeremy Malcolm.

“If you like your freedom of speech, you can keep your freedom of speech.”

Brace yourselves for Obamatrade.

In Liberty,
Michael Krieger

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robert h siddell jr
robert h siddell jr

TPTB do not want the 99% to have access to an honest political process and vote, an education worth the cost, jobs if you are a White Male, farmland & plentiful safe affordable food, guns, a free internet, the Rebel or American Flag, be free of drugs or porn (esp queers), the right to assemble for peaceful protest against their PC pogroms, have cash, worship Christ, DOMA, real borders, etc. The straw that breaks the camel’s back is coming soon.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Time to dust off the old shortwave receiver and get some new batteries for it.

Westcoaster
Westcoaster

Any Congress-critter that voted for this turkey needs to be indicted for treason because that’s what the TPP is, treasonous. There is no, zero, benefit to the people but substantial benefit for corporations and other countries that don’t like our laws on pollution or Human capital. Obama has pushed this through because it’s his golden ticket after his term expires.

nkit
nkit

The TPP has nothing to do with genuine free trade. The four links Krieger supplies above are all excellent reading, especially the first about the State Dept upgrading Malaysia from Tier 3 to Tier 2 status as it concerns human trafficking. Murray Rothbard said that “genuine free trade doesn’t require a treaty.” The TPP is not about the attenuation of tariffs. It is about government and multinational corporate control. Genuine free trade, in and of itself, requires no bizarre and insane secrecy such as the TPP does. Nor does genuine free trade need fast-tracking to undermine accountability.

For a further good read: https://mises.org/library/no-more-free-trade-treaties-its-time-genuine-free-trade

James the Wanderer

Time to dust off the last box – you know, ballot box, jury box, ….

derp
derp

Its what saves the world. So agregious an agreement that it renders the internet useless, and people turn it off, in the process saving all humanity. Or not.

ASIG
ASIG

Back when Obama was campaign for the presidency he made the promise that when he became president he would insist that all proposed legislation that was to come up for a vote would first be submitted on-line some number of days so that everyone could read and know what was being proposed and have the opportunity to then contact their congressman and have some influence on the vote. What a great idea.

But the reality is just the opposite. That promise turned out to be a lie. Look what happened with “Obama care” Not only did the general public not get a chance to review it before the vote, even congress didn’t get a chance to read any of the several thousand pages before they had to vote on it. It was released to congress only a few hours before they were required to vote. Remember Pelosi saying “we have to pass it so that we can find out what’s in it”?

Obama says congress will have sufficient time to study the TPP agreement before they will have to vote on it. ——–YEAH RIGHT!!!!!

Obama said he intends to —FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE UNITED STATES—–

When the average person finally realizes how he has fucked over the country it will be too late.

Gator
Gator

Funny how they label this as free trade. Free trade requires no treaty negotiated in secret. All that is needed for free trade to occur is for governments, especially the US government, to stop interfering in the market place.

And if this is going to be so great for all americans, why the secrecy? Shouldn’t you be releasing the text and encouraging us to read it so that we can help pass it?

As I’ve said before, if Obama and a bunch of establishment republicans agree on something, don’t walk, RUN, away from whatever it is as fast as you can.

ZombieDAwg
ZombieDAwg

No internet ?
Nooooooooooooooooooooo…

South Park says it best 😉

http://putlocker.is/watch-south-park-tvshow-season-12-episode-6-online-free-putlocker.html

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