The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade deal among a dozen Pacific Rim countries to lower trade barriers, promote economic growth, promote job creation, etc. It is similar in nature to trade deals like NAFTA. There are other trade deals in the works as we speak:
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP): an agreement between the U.S. and the EU, and a companion agreement to the TPP
Trade in Services Agreement (TISA): a treaty involving the U.S., EU, parts of Latin America, Australia, and a few other countries to liberalize banking, healthcare, and transport, among other services.
Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA): a trade agreement between Canada and the EU.
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These trade agreements have proven controversial. One reason has been because of the secrecyof these agreements. People fear that this will lead to more jobs being moved overseas to lower-wage workers and nations with lax worker protection laws.
Of course, the standout component in these deals is the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). This enables corporations to sue governments that interfere with a business's profits in a discriminatory or unfair manner. NAFTA has one of these, and TransCanada has sued the U.S. over the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline by using this feature. Some people fear that the ISDS provisions in these new trade deals amount to a corporate takeover of the economy and a severe blow to environmental movements, all so the corporations take in more and more profits. I have also heard about a push to ratify the TPP in the Congressional lame-duck session.
I am not sure what to say about these deals. Various sources have conflicting messages either in support or opposition to TPP, TTIP, etc. with various benefits and risks. But a lot of the sources crying "corporatocracy" are less reputable and potentially conspiracy theorist. At the same time, one of the criers is Trump.
Are these trade deals a threat to democracy? Do they favor the 1%? Or are there just a lot of people blowing on trumpets?
I believe in the ultimate triumph of evil over good in this world.
It doesn't help that we keep funding our enemies.
