Occupy San Diego STOP TPP Counter-Conference Invitation
http://www.sandiegooccupy.org/node/309
our new website just launched www.stoptpp.org
Recently, Inside U.S. Trade reported that Australia, New Zealand and Singapore have proposed replacing some elements of the U.S. proposed TPP chapter on IP with provisions from ACTA. The table below compares the provisions from the two texts (as well as with TRIPS and the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement). Overall, the comparative analysis shows that TPP contains a plethora of TRIPS-plus provisions as well as ACTA-plus and Chile FTA-plus provisions.
The chart is organized in the following order of categories: General Provisions; Scope; Special Measures Relating to Enforcement in the Digital Environment; Technological Protection Measures; Criminal Enforcement; Provisional Measures; Civil and Administrative Procedures and Remedies; Special Requirements Related to Border Enforcement; Rights Management Provisions.
This table is the product of work by multiple PIJIP fellows, including myself, Carrie Ellen Sager, and Sophia Castillo.
Free Trade Agreements Kill People!
We, representatives of peasants, workers, consumers, urban and rural poor, social movements and civil society organizations are gathering in Chiba and Tokyo, Japan from 12 to 15 October 2011. La Via Campesina South East and East Asia region with FTA Watch (Thailand), Shokkenren (Japan) and Task Force against Korea-US FTA (Republic of Korea) organize a strategic meeting to discuss Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This is to express our alarm on the implementation and pursuing of the agreements across Asia. Currently there are dozens of FTAs between countries and/or regions and they have been threatening peoples’ livelihood in the region.
At present, the world is still experiencing food, energy, financial and environmental crises. Corporations and capitals who cause these crises are trying to fill their already-full pocket by pushing FTAs and TPP. Only 1 percent of the world’s population are practicing and reaping benefits from free trade. This attempt will exacerbate the current crises and sacrifice the people, especially the poor.
TPPA New Zealand Forum
The TPP Forum was a public meeting about the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. It was held in Wellington on July 7th, 2011.
http://tppwatch.org/
http://techliberty.org.nz
TPPA - Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement or Toxic Profiteers Plunder Aoteaora?
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is a “free trade” currently under negotiation between NZ and 8 other countries, including the U.S. The countries want to complete negotiation by the end of 2011.
Trade is only a minor part of the agreement. That’s just a clever branding exercise. A TPPA would be an agreement that guarantees special rights to foreign investors. If these negotiations succeed they will create a mega-treaty across 9 countries that will put a straight jacket around what policies and laws our governments can adopt for the next century — think GM labelling, foreign investment laws, price of medicines, regulating dodgy finance firms, NZ content on TV …To find out more go to http://tppwatch.org/what-is-tppa/
What you see happening in Europe is really going to happen in December [in the U.S.], because in December all of these things come together,” Graham said, referring to the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and payroll tax cut, the approach of the debt limit, and the kicking in of automatic cuts mandated by the previous budget deal, which will all coincide with the new year. “If in December, we run for the hills as a nation, what’s going on in Europe is coming to our doorstep.”
But politicians are fooling themselves if they think some sort of centrist consensus will save their jobs, said Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.). “European elections should remind politicians here not to worry about the approval of pampered, pompous Washington pundits who think the middle class just has it too good,” Miller said. “Washington pundits love austerity, and they’re all clucking with disapproval for European voters. The pundits always think someone else’s belt needs tightening, and it’s always someone who doesn’t go to the same cocktail parties they go to. But there are a lot more middle-class voters than there are Washington pundits.”
We are going to take jobs back from predatory Capitalists whose rapacious greed has impoverished nations, plundered our resources and polluted the planet. We will create jobs with dignity and democracy as worker cooperatives where the workers own the business, including the means of production, share the profits, and make decisions democratically.
Why Central Banks Should Burst Bubbles by Nouril Rubini
Should monetary policy respond to asset prices and asset bubbles? This is a highly controversial issue, both from an academic research point of view and, more importantly, from a policy perspective. There is broad evidence that asset bubbles do occur from time to time, and that such bubbles may lead to economic distortions as well as financial and real economy instability. Thus, many authors argue that optimal monetary policy requires monetary policy authorities to react to such bubbles over and above the effects that such
bubbles have on current output growth, aggregate spending and expected inflation. Others are of the view that monetary policy should not react to asset prices or bubbles beyond the effect that such asset price movements directly have on inflation, aggregate spending and economic growth. In this paper, I will present the arguments in favor of the view that monetary policy should react to asset prices and asset bubbles; In the process, I will also discuss and refute the arguments against the use of monetary policy to address bubbles.
