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TTIP Is on the Floor, the Referee Is Counting Down...
"TTIP has failed, but nobody wants to admit it." Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel
"France is demanding the pure, simple and definitive halt of these negotiations." Trade Minister of France, Matthias Fekl
We've had an incredible victory this week. Some of the leading proponents of the EU-US corporate trade deal, known as TTIP, have said that the deal is dead.
Sep 03, 2016
" TTIP has failed, but nobody wants to admit it." Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel
" France is demanding the pure, simple and definitive halt of these negotiations." Trade Minister of France, Matthias Fekl
We've had an incredible victory this week. Some of the leading proponents of the EU-US corporate trade deal, known as TTIP, have said that the deal is dead.
We would never have got to this position without the tremendous mobilisation across Europe over the last 3 years. This has been one of the most significant movements in recent European history.
CETA: a new threat on the horizon
Of course, these statements are a ploy. TTIP has become so toxic that opposition is now infecting CETA - the Canada-EU trade deal which is TTIP's little brother. European politicians were scared that opposition to TTIP would prevent the passage of CETA through the European Parliament - which they hope will happen later this year. So they are sacrificing TTIP to save CETA.
That means that we really can beat CETA. And we must, because CETA is simply TTIP by the back door. It includes the anti-democratic 'corporate court' system which allows foreign corporations to sue governments in special courts not open to ordinary people. It's a risk to public services, financial regulation and decent food standards - just like CETA.
We are also working to halt other deals like TISA - the Trade in Services Agreement, which is a super-privatisation deal being negotiated by 50 countries. We are also going beyond opposition, by working up a positive alternative for trade agreements - what would a good trade deal look like? Following Brexit, the UK now needs to negotiate dozens of trade deals, and we want to make sure the debate is not dominated by free market fundamentalists.
In a nutshell, we want to celebrate the victory we have achieved together on the TTIP campaign. But this is not the end - we need to get active now to stop CETA.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nick Dearden
Nick Dearden is the director of Global Justice Now (formerly World Development Movement) and former director of Jubilee Debt Campaign.
" TTIP has failed, but nobody wants to admit it." Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel
" France is demanding the pure, simple and definitive halt of these negotiations." Trade Minister of France, Matthias Fekl
We've had an incredible victory this week. Some of the leading proponents of the EU-US corporate trade deal, known as TTIP, have said that the deal is dead.
We would never have got to this position without the tremendous mobilisation across Europe over the last 3 years. This has been one of the most significant movements in recent European history.
CETA: a new threat on the horizon
Of course, these statements are a ploy. TTIP has become so toxic that opposition is now infecting CETA - the Canada-EU trade deal which is TTIP's little brother. European politicians were scared that opposition to TTIP would prevent the passage of CETA through the European Parliament - which they hope will happen later this year. So they are sacrificing TTIP to save CETA.
That means that we really can beat CETA. And we must, because CETA is simply TTIP by the back door. It includes the anti-democratic 'corporate court' system which allows foreign corporations to sue governments in special courts not open to ordinary people. It's a risk to public services, financial regulation and decent food standards - just like CETA.
We are also working to halt other deals like TISA - the Trade in Services Agreement, which is a super-privatisation deal being negotiated by 50 countries. We are also going beyond opposition, by working up a positive alternative for trade agreements - what would a good trade deal look like? Following Brexit, the UK now needs to negotiate dozens of trade deals, and we want to make sure the debate is not dominated by free market fundamentalists.
In a nutshell, we want to celebrate the victory we have achieved together on the TTIP campaign. But this is not the end - we need to get active now to stop CETA.
Nick Dearden
Nick Dearden is the director of Global Justice Now (formerly World Development Movement) and former director of Jubilee Debt Campaign.
" TTIP has failed, but nobody wants to admit it." Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel
" France is demanding the pure, simple and definitive halt of these negotiations." Trade Minister of France, Matthias Fekl
We've had an incredible victory this week. Some of the leading proponents of the EU-US corporate trade deal, known as TTIP, have said that the deal is dead.
We would never have got to this position without the tremendous mobilisation across Europe over the last 3 years. This has been one of the most significant movements in recent European history.
CETA: a new threat on the horizon
Of course, these statements are a ploy. TTIP has become so toxic that opposition is now infecting CETA - the Canada-EU trade deal which is TTIP's little brother. European politicians were scared that opposition to TTIP would prevent the passage of CETA through the European Parliament - which they hope will happen later this year. So they are sacrificing TTIP to save CETA.
That means that we really can beat CETA. And we must, because CETA is simply TTIP by the back door. It includes the anti-democratic 'corporate court' system which allows foreign corporations to sue governments in special courts not open to ordinary people. It's a risk to public services, financial regulation and decent food standards - just like CETA.
We are also working to halt other deals like TISA - the Trade in Services Agreement, which is a super-privatisation deal being negotiated by 50 countries. We are also going beyond opposition, by working up a positive alternative for trade agreements - what would a good trade deal look like? Following Brexit, the UK now needs to negotiate dozens of trade deals, and we want to make sure the debate is not dominated by free market fundamentalists.
In a nutshell, we want to celebrate the victory we have achieved together on the TTIP campaign. But this is not the end - we need to get active now to stop CETA.
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