TTIP

Any chance of anyone explaining to me why this isn't important?

Lots of current affairs issues are important and not covered on this site. It is just a question of who feels strongly enough about a topic to start a thread.

I listen to the news (both on radio and TV) and have not heard this covered at all.

So what am I reading that you are not? [url]Here's a link.[/url]

Yes I googled it - that's how I found out about it. I don't read/buy newspapers so rely on radio and TV for news.

I can't cope with a paper every day - I can't get to the paper shop every day. I buy the Saturday Guardian but read it on-line the rest of the week. Are you on Facebook? Or do you sign petitions? My inbox has been full of this for weeks.

No am not on facebook.

Petitions on-line? Because, increasingly, this is a way of finding out what is going on.

Like I say, I hadn't even heard of this issue until your thread here when I googled it. Seems something is amiss somewhere re. it being broadcast. No other posts on it...wonder why?

Like I say, I hadn't even heard of this issue until your thread here when I googled it. Seems something is amiss somewhere re. it being broadcast. No other posts on it...wonder why?

I would say that the government (all main parties) doesn't want us to know. Therefore the BBC are keeping quiet. And, as far as I can tell, the Tory press are doing the same.
I guess there are no other posts because either no one else has discovered it either or they don't care.
A couple of years ago I suggested that we were no longer a democracy. I was strongly disagreed with - but I wasn't offered much evidence to the contrary.

Any chance of anyone explaining to me why this isn't important?

No mention. True. Internet is so busy with information, trivia and chatter, the vital stuff is all going on underground....under the radar of people. They are busy posting photos and singing their songs. Rest of blah blah. Fascism is creeping in at some speed.

I would say ignorance, apathy and general lack of interest in well fare of our communities, us as a whole...sits at the root of such lack of interest and engagement.
As a genertion our priorities have changed radically. We are not a collective anymore. We behave as though we are enough unto ourselves. Pretty smug and thick. Insensitivity is modern disease of the collective.
We are as a collective, we have become airy fairy, wrapped up either in metaphysical bullshit, or our own amazing feats as spiritual beings' or just ended up as overtly intellectualized, dry of wisdom, foresight to care two hoots about anything but our own puny lives.
As long as I am ok....to hell with my neighbor , my community, my town, other countries.

Otherness is killing us. We have forgotton that it is one family one home, one heartbeat through the entire planet.

You are surprised about this topic. I am shocked at the Collective apathy of fracking in BLIGHTY, especially when all major countries have seen it off for good.

Spiritless, spineless and too gormless to see what is really cooking....

"If it doesn't hurt me, I am not concerned" Before soon the flames of the distant fire catch us all. Be too late then!
Until then, stay smug in your own tiny little perfect world....

If good people don't speak bad things happen.

Cannot depend on politicians, media. They all have their own agenda. People just need to learn say boo and raise hell when the govt, policy, councils are even slightly out of line. Something that happens less and less. People are losing their say, corporates are gaining more and more control over their lives.

Deep slumber it is.

Crowan - thank you for starting this important thread. It is worrying that it is being politically swept under the carpet. I have posted your link (in #4) to 2 other sites! 😉

Just in case anyone thinks that allowing companies to sue nations (one of the things TTIP covers) isn't likely to make it happen, here are a few examples that are a result of other such, arranged in secret, trade deals.

• Vattenfall (Swedish energy company) is suing Germany for €3.7 billion after the closure of nuclear plants when Germany decided to phase out nuclear power.
• Veolia (Utilities) is suing the Egyptian government over the raising of the state minimum wage.
• Phillip Morris (Tobacco) is suing Uruguay for compensation over health warnings on cigarette packets.
• Lone Pine (oil and mining company) is suing Canada for CA$250 million over Quebec’s decision to place a moratorium on fracking.

You are surprised about this topic. I am shocked at the Collective apathy of fracking in BLIGHTY, especially when all major countries have seen it off for good.

Well, being sued is going to make even fewer ban it. However, I’m not sure that “all major countries have seen it off for good” As far as I know, Bulgaria, Eire and France have done so. A few others have declared a moratorium. Canada (Quebec; see above – I think Nova Scotia has banned it also ), the USA, Switzerland and many others have regions that have banned it at a local level – it’s ‘wait and see’ as to whether these are judged legal or not.

is a link to David Babbs of 38 Degrees being shouted down by MPs when he tried to explain people's worries about TTIP.

I have been aware of TTIP for quite a while. But I follow the more alternative media 🙂

The Independent have written an article today about one of the more controversial aspects of TTIP being scrapped:

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Thanks for this. What alternative media? (I'm assuming you're not including The Independent in this category.)

Alternative may not be the right word, just helps to differentiate from the MSM.

I get news/info from RT, like the Kaiser Report and Breaking the Set. RT has it's Putin biases (like he can never be wrong) but they do report on stuff that isn't often in the MSM. Add to this Al Jazeera, some stuff from the Guardian and Independent, as well as journalists and activists that blog a lot. Much of that comes through Twitter and Facebook. I try to fit the pieces together and draw my own conclusions as much as possible. I try to double check what I hear and read these days as it so easy just to believe what has been told. Followers of the news can be just as lazy as the journalists that write it!

Easier said than done, but we have to be our own filters and our own pundits. I don't think you can rely on the media to help understand the world that we are living in. That's too much information and too much disinformation, and we have to fine tune both our logic and intuition!

Reasons to be worried about TTIP -

And here is some good news re. halting its development

I hope it has some effect. But, of course, TTIP is only the latest in a long line of trade agreements that have lessened democracy and have weakened the green movements' abilities to help the planet.

About 10 years ago, a WTO official was quoted as claiming that the organisation enabled challenges against almost any measure to reduce greenhouse emissions. We should have taken to the streets then.

You, me, ReikiPixie, Jnani. The most important thing towards the destruction of our planet and only four participants. In the words of the great Rupert Giles, "The Earth is doomed." I'll be Giles. Who'll be Buffy?

You could be Bluffy, the TTIP slayer!! lol 😀

Time to take action....

and

and

Thanks, Amy.

For the latest news about the campaign to stop TTIP

At least a bit of good news from the USA.

I don't want to sound cynical, but I have a feeling our government, along with the rest of the countries that are allied (subservient) to USA, will give greater power to corporations and in so doing will undermine our rights and our democracy.

I don't want to sound cynical, but I have a feeling our government, along with the rest of the countries that are allied (subservient) to USA, will give greater power to corporations and in so doing will undermine our rights and our democracy.

Yes that's how it will play out unless enough people object. With raised awareness and publicity about what is proposed, they cannot get away with as much as if it were all done in secrecy.

Yes that's how it will play out unless enough people object. With raised awareness and publicity about what is proposed, they cannot get away with as much as if it were all done in secrecy.

I remember the protest in London before the Iraq invasion. If I recall, it was around a million people, but it made no difference to the government policy. I think we are in a situation where the government can and will do whatever they want and we (the people) are powerless to stop them. We are I fear nothing more than virtual slaves to a corrupt system.

I remember the protest in London before the Iraq invasion. If I recall, it was around a million people, but it made no difference to the government policy. I think we are in a situation where the government can and will do whatever they want and we (the people) are powerless to stop them. We are I fear nothing more than virtual slaves to a corrupt system.

Yes I recall that protest and that Blair said he would not go to war....3 days on there was a turnaround. Obviously Bush had a word with him and twisted his arm on the matter.

Whilst I share some of your apathy, I am not down for the count yet and I believe that doing something is FAR better than laying down and being a passive doormat. At least you can then look back and say "well, I tried". If enough people get behind this matter (and the numbers are swelling - in important places too) then who knows what could happen? Not saying it can be stopped totally but even a compromise would be some kind of success.