Trans-Pacific Partnership: “NAFTA on Steroids”

I haven’t followed this issue at all, but MSNBC host Ed Schultz is warning everyone about President Obama’s intent to enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  Then again, I also wasn’t paying much attention when Bill Clinton got us into NAFTA, which has been a disaster.  And CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) was even worse.  It was rammed through Congress during Dumbya’s presidency, with absolutely zero coverage from the “media.”

The Trans-Pacific Partnership includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the U.S. and Vietnam.  This agreement will jeopardize workplace safety and international copyright law, among other issues.  Obama wants to fast-track this agreement through Congress so there’ll be less scrutiny.

Describing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Ed Schultz said:

“This isn’t about being against President Obama.  This is about being for American workers. There is no way the Democrats can go around this country and claim that they are supporting the middle class and let this go untouched.”

He also said Democrats and Tea Party Republicans should work together on this issue:

“I find it very interesting how the Tea Party is so silent about the national sovereignty issue.  This might even qualify for a march. Where are all these radical right-wing talkers who claim that they’re for America? ‘Oh, this is free markets’? No.”

Labor unions have been publicly opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  Schultz said:

“Labor carried President Obama to two terms in the White House.  And I think you can make the case that if it weren’t for labor, President Obama might not even be in the White House.”

OK, we’ve been warned.

FDA, You're Doing a Heckuva Job

It shouldn’t be surprising any more when this kind of shit happens. We found out three years ago that FEMA is just a useless empty shell. And the Environmental Protection Agency now exists for the sole purpose of protecting corporations from those #$%&!# environmentalists.

And now we find out the true purpose of the Food and Drug Administration: coddling the pharmaceutical industry and promising them there won't be any mean old competition for their products.

Wyeth Pharmaceutical instructed their prostitutes at the FDA to ban the use of Estriol. Estriol is chemically identical to human estrogen. The FDA even admitted (while they were banning it) that it has no side effects. Wyeth wants the “free market” to be safe for their own similar product. Unlike Estriol, Wyeth’s product is derived from animal hormones. And unlike Estriol, Wyeth’s product has some serious health risks, including blood clots and cancer.

Like the old saying goes, what's good for Wyeth is good for America.

I got this information from the Libertarian organization, Downsize DC. Here's the link.

Doesn’t this make you feel all warm and fuzzy, knowing that the FDA is watching out for you? At this rate we’ll probably find out the Homeland Security Department is protecting Osama bin Laden.

When the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) was approved three years ago — just barely, and only after several hours of threats and arm-twisting from Tom DeLay ("who???") — there were all kinds of rumors going around. The pharmaceutical industry was going to start banning (through their government stooges) most vitamin and herbal supplements so they wouldn’t have any competition. This would be done gradually of course. The peons might get a little restless if Vitamin C and Goldenseal disappeared off the shelves overnight. So we’ll just do it slooowly.

This action by the FDA gives a lot more credibility to those rumors.

cross-posted at Bring It On!