By Sanskriti Pandey:
Granted political asylum in Ecuador’s London Embassy, Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange has been attempting to release further chapters leaked from drafts of the single largest economy treaty of the world ever – the Trans Pacific Partnership treaty.
The TPP is being spearheaded by the US under Obama, and if fast-tracked by the US Congress, will have ramifications affecting nearly 800 million people. Widespread protests have marked the debate around TPP, which have a lot to do with how the agreements under the deal have not been made public, how corporations under the treaty can sue entire countries solely motivated by loss in profits under current laws, and the fact that the TPP can directly affect the environment, increase medical costs, demand compliance to stringent Intellectual Property rights from member countries thus regulating the internet, and forward corporate control over world economics.
In this video by Democracy Now, Assange delves into the enormity of the treaty’s potential due to its sheer size in terms of member economies, as well as its scope in regulating labour, medical care, transport and other industries. With clear examples of potential scenarios, he explains who can sue whom and when, the economic repercussions from this power, as well as the vulnerability of a humongous section of the world under the thumb and whims of Multinational Corporations! Skip to 22:40 in the video.
