The Ttip Question...what The Hell Is Ttip?

[Marshwarble]

How is the UK meant to make decisions about trade agreements they don't know about? http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html

[Togo]

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is a series of trade negotiations being carried out mostly in secret between the EU and US. As a bi-lateral trade agreement, TTIP is about reducing the regulatory barriers to trade for big business, things like food safety law, environmental legislation, banking regulations and the sovereign powers of individual nations. It is, as John Hilary, Executive Director of campaign group War on Want, said: “An assault on European and US societies by transnational corporations.”

I did mention some weeks back Mw that our NHS was in peril if we signed up to this "secret agreement". The American private health companies want to get their hands on the procurement process and milk it once it is declared illegal, in its present form, by the EUSSR.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html

[Peter Pedant]

TTIP is a particularly crap possible agreement
that your MPs are already revolting about

start reading the grauniad .....

[Old_Geezer]

TTIP has been around being discussed for a long while now. There are even petitions against it. Obviously the detailed documentation is not something the individual in the street would, or possible could, examine in detail, but the word from those who can read these things and interpret them seems to claim they contain a set of conditions that cause a massive switch of power from democratically elected governments to unaccountable to the public merchants as a condition of setting up a trade agreement.

If you thought the EU by itself was undemocratic and forced things upon you, this demand from the US of A seems to be an order worse: and yet they are still discussing it.

Woe betide you if you are still in the EU when they cave in and accept it, because "it will be good for the economy" and no one give a four x for the rights of the people. Time for quotes re "It's the economy, stupid" and the people only, "hopes for just two things: bread and circuses". After all, no one has the sense nor courage to put the well-being of the population first.

[ToraToraTora]

Yet another reason to vote out.

[TheChair]

Boris Johnson wrote a an article for the Telegraph, singing the praises of TTIP.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11173369/This-trade-deal-with-America-would-have-Churchill-beaming.html

[Bertrum]

David Cameron wants to sign up to it as well so were stuffed either way
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/what-is-ttip-and-why-does-cameron-want-to-sign-the-biggest-trade-agreement-in-history-10247456.html

[Old_Geezer]

One can only hope that in the two years since he has seen the error of his ways. Someone posted yesterday that he has seemed to change his mind before, although I didn't bother to check that. Mind you, right wing politics seem to favour business attracting wealth over all, including citizens' right to have their representatives decide what goes on and be accountable to the people, so maybe he still likes the idea.

[Gromit]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/search/?q1=tTIP

[Old_Geezer]

So we have to vote Corbyn in, in next election then ?
Unsure we'd want another referendum to get out of TTIP, and hang the consequences, as soon as some idiot signed up to it.

[lindapalmara]

Another reason to be against it is that the US want to flood our markets with their beef stuffed with growth hormones, illegal in Europe.

[Togo]

The TTIP aims to open Europe’s public health, education and water services to U.S. businesses to encourage competition and transnational trade. Opponents warn that the deal could open up public services, such as Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), to irreversible privatization. The TTIP would allow multinational health care corporations to sue national governments if government policies (such as the crucial preservation of public health services) mean the companies lose money when doing business with that country.

I posted this on the 27th April but was roundly ridiculed by some.

[Peter Pedant]

I remember your post Togo
I dont remember you getting scrambled for it

[Old_Geezer]

Perhaps you didn't bump it into the 'Latest Posts' enough.

[Old_Geezer]

Here ?

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1487334-6.html

[Marshwarble]

How can an agreement of "good trade" that is between the EU and the US be a reason to vote out?

[Old_Geezer]

Because it isn't a good deal is a trade agreement results in your government losing more power to do what the electorate voted them in for. It is debatable that it even amounts to good trade, we already trade perfectly well with the States without their demand for power.

Standards and rules are a national decision, saying you are happy to let another country control it and be powerless is not worth any minor economic improvement. It's capitulating to another country. Or more accurately as that other country has already foolishly put themselves in that mire chasing the almighty $, capitulating to it's merchant class.

It's throwing away your democratic rights and control; and if we are in the EU and the EU comes to an agreement then we will be stuck with it. Outside we only have the likes of Cameron to keep in check and not give away our sovereignty, as he seems to like to do.

[Old_Geezer]

... good deal if a trade ...
like I typed >:-(

[atalanta]

As far as I can see, this agreement gives many advantages to the US, and none to UK. If anyone can see any advantages for UK, please find them and let me know.

[Baldric]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/11664750/What-is-TTIP-and-why-is-it-so-controversial.html

[Marshwarble]

This is the problem with negotiating with a big player. It will still exist after we leave the EU.