The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Letter to editor

Letter+to+editor

Stop the trade partnerships

I write to you on a matter of utmost importance. There exists in the halls of our government legislation to undermine the very sovereignty of this nation. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is nothing but shackles sold as beneficial trade-language. Historically, agreements like these hurt the countries involved in terms of job loss and lost production capabilities. Developing countries suffer the brunt of colonialism after agreements like these leave them out. Places where wages are not guaranteed get invaded by corporations and people become factory live-in workers to feed the supply demands of member countries.

Trade agreements surrender the power to corporate interests, specifically like the TPP does. Among other confining language, there is an agreement called Investor State Dispute Settlements. This special assemblage of trade jargon allows for multinational corporations to sue governments that have agreed to these terms, based on the possibility of lost revenue because of legislation changes that might be passed to curb the progress of said multinational-corporations. This type of agreement was first adopted in the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, and nearly all U.S. trade agreements have allowed this since.

The TPP is the final nail in the coffin for the free rights of the citizenry. It would allow the corporations to fully strangle the governments of these included signatures in lawsuits as we the people pass laws to protect the environment. Currently TransCanada has a standing suit against the U.S. government in regard to denying the expansion project on the Keystone pipeline. This is a $15 billion lawsuit not attempting to recoup lost investments in equipment. Instead, it seeks to leach $15 billion in lost potential earnings, because the citizens said they didn’t want another pipeline moving toxic liquids across the land we all live on. Through NAFTA, we the people would shoulder the costs of such lawsuits against their governments. The TPP just compounds this syndrome of corporate welfare from the people’s coffers.

This issue is important enough to reach out through these channels, so I hope to have raised some concern. In regard to our failing environment and our poor political landscape, we need to be the change we seek. We need to reclaim responsibility for our actions, and not pass them off to people who would sell them for favors. Please take a few moments to look into the Trans-Pacific Partnership. If any of this has bothered you, I urge you to write your legislative representative in regard to this.

— Robert Frazier

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