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Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

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Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#161

Post by Alupis »

vinceguidry wrote: post #137
smokinn wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no way everyday people can compete with corporations anymore. There are approximately 244,673,000 adults aged 18+ in the US: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html 318,857,056 * (1 - 0.233% of Persons under 18 years, percent, 2013) ~= 244,563,362 And according to https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/ , to match the $3.24 Billion spent on lobbying in 2014 you'd have to get absolutely everyone in the U…

> There's no way everyday people can compete with corporations anymore. Really? It's like you've never heard of a PAC before.

PAC's and Super PAC's are often heavily funded by corporations.

And regular PAC's really cannot compete with the unlimited funding a Super PAC can levy (PAC's have strict limits on contributions to parties and candidates; $5,000 per candidate, $15,000 per party per year).

Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#162

Post by Alupis »

stephengillie wrote: post #119
smokinn wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no way everyday people can compete with corporations anymore. There are approximately 244,673,000 adults aged 18+ in the US: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html 318,857,056 * (1 - 0.233% of Persons under 18 years, percent, 2013) ~= 244,563,362 And according to https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/ , to match the $3.24 Billion spent on lobbying in 2014 you'd have to get absolutely everyone in the U…

Let's just bite the bullet and start an anti-lobbying lobby. Fund candidates that support transparency and anti-lobbying legislation.

> Fund candidates that support transparency and anti-lobbying legislation.

That would of funded the current President as well... that is, until he was elected President.

Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#163

Post by bobwaycott »

Alupis wrote: post #160
themgt wrote: post #34

When the director of policy for Doctors Without Borders tells the public that "U.S. negotiators have basically functioned as drug lobbyists" and "We consider this the worst-ever agreement in terms of access to medicine", there's really little more that needs saying. I love that the best defense unnamed "U.S. officials" can offer is that "major compromises" will likely still be made. In other words: yes we're acting a…

There's also the fact that the Executive branch (for current and all future Presidents) has just greatly expanded it's power, and snubbed out Congress' ability to stone-wall any trade deals they don't agree with (via amendments, etc...). Obama likes to constantly state that he will act because Congress "refuses" to... which completely ignores the fact that Congress' "lack" of action is exactly what they are supposed…

When the Congress hands the Executive fast-track authority for such dealings, it is quite disingenuous to point the finger at the Executive. The Executive branch is going to take and hold every single power the Congress grants it. The Congress is there to balance a runaway Executive.

Congress surrendered the authority. They are the ones to blame.

Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#164

Post by teekert »

icanhackit wrote: post #105
themgt wrote: post #34

When the director of policy for Doctors Without Borders tells the public that "U.S. negotiators have basically functioned as drug lobbyists" and "We consider this the worst-ever agreement in terms of access to medicine", there's really little more that needs saying. I love that the best defense unnamed "U.S. officials" can offer is that "major compromises" will likely still be made. In other words: yes we're acting a…

U.S. negotiators have basically functioned as drug lobbyists I made a similar comment a few days ago - what we need is a crowd-funded lobbying platform for everyday people. A kind of Kickstarter for law and policy. If a few thousand or even tens of thousands of people chip in a few dollars to lobby for a change in policy, we can compete with corporations who have bought their way into power. While we're complaining o…

You mean... what voting is supposed to do for free in a normal democracy? Demos Kratos, yeah right, Large Companies Kratos.

Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#165

Post by shoo »

doctorstupid wrote: post #53
dmitrygr wrote: post #11

I, for one, am glad to know that that interests of everyone important are well protected in this treaty. I just wish I knew how to join this class of people who are important. Apparently being a citizen is not enough anymore.

Corporations are the true citizens.

Charlie Stross has a somewhat amusing yet reasonably accurate way of putting it: "we are living in the aftermath of an alien invasion".

http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/12/invaders...

> Corporations do not share our priorities. They are hive organisms constructed out of teeming workers who join or leave the collective: those who participate within it subordinate their goals to that of the collective, which pursues the three corporate objectives of growth, profitability, and pain avoidance.

...

> Corporations have a mean life expectancy of around 30 years, but are potentially immortal; they live only in the present, having little regard for past or (thanks to short term accounting regulations) the deep future: and they generally exhibit a sociopathic lack of empathy.

...

> Collectively, corporate groups lobby international trade treaty negotiations for operating conditions more conducive to pursuing their three goals.

...

> We are now living in a global state that has been structured for the benefit of non-human entities with non-human goals. They have enormous media reach, which they use to distract attention from threats to their own survival. They also have an enormous ability to support litigation against public participation, except in the very limited circumstances where such action is forbidden.

Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#166

Post by benevol »

icanhackit wrote: post #105
themgt wrote: post #34

When the director of policy for Doctors Without Borders tells the public that "U.S. negotiators have basically functioned as drug lobbyists" and "We consider this the worst-ever agreement in terms of access to medicine", there's really little more that needs saying. I love that the best defense unnamed "U.S. officials" can offer is that "major compromises" will likely still be made. In other words: yes we're acting a…

U.S. negotiators have basically functioned as drug lobbyists I made a similar comment a few days ago - what we need is a crowd-funded lobbying platform for everyday people. A kind of Kickstarter for law and policy. If a few thousand or even tens of thousands of people chip in a few dollars to lobby for a change in policy, we can compete with corporations who have bought their way into power. While we're complaining o…

> what we need is a crowd-funded lobbying platform for everyday people

How about https://www.iWouldDo.it ?

Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#167

Post by spacemanmatt »

fixxer wrote: post #52
spacemanmatt wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It still has to get to his desk, and that means a lot of Republican support. There's no dodging that.

So the GOP is forcing his hand? He has no free will? Manchurian candidate?

That's ridiculous, and I didn't say or imply that.

Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#168

Post by TeMPOraL »

hellbanner wrote: post #127
TeMPOraL wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to those conspiracy theorists I mention? Some things that they attribute to NWO and therefore want to fight against are: GMOs, vaccines, (moving away from fossil fuels to) nuclear energy, carbon tax, unified global government. Implementation may be tricky, but if you skip the accusations that They want to depopulate the world using above means, it seems like a bunch of pretty decent ideas for the future.

So the next question is, will these NWO succeed in any of their goals?

It's not certain, but I just am surprised I found myself fighting on their side, at least for the issues mentioned above...

Re: Leaked: What's in TPP’s intellectual property chapter

#169

Post by TeMPOraL »

hellbanner wrote: post #126
TeMPOraL wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I didn't mean to suggest that I like the TPP. You're right about the power given to corporate entities being something to fight against. > the world is certainly largely run by a group of individuals in power This reminds me of an observation I once read - that there's no surprise those on top can look like they form a club even if they represent opposite spectrum on political scene; after all they studied at t…

Oh, that Continuum, not the Time Traveling RPG. Shadowrun's future describes a collapsing of the middle class, combination of corporation & state (zero distinction), lots of poor folks and "shadowrunners" who do the dirty work for the megacorps (stealing data, assassinate, etc). All Megacorps use Shadowrunners but none publically acknowledge their existence or the details of what they do. Sort of like spy agencies.

Yeah, that Continuum, with a pretty girl wearing a touchscreen :). Thanks for the description of Shadowrunner. I wonder how far off we're from it today. Don't corporations already outsource some of their dirty work?
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