The text of the Trans-Pacific "Partnership" finally came out last week, and America's Greatest Citizen, Ralph Nader, calls it "the most brazen corporate power grab in history," one that will, as we already knew, give corporations the power to nullify our laws and run roughshod over our democracy by suing to overturn our laws in "investor-state tribunals," and these tribunals certainly won't be evaluating lawsuits by the people against the corporations. And it not only violates the rule of law in this nation and in other nations, not only attacks the worker and clean air and water protections we've fought for and won, not only reduces our access to drugs and a free, open internet, but it could even allow corporations to nullify our financial regulations, putting us all at risk to have banksters crap all over our economy again. I wonder if Mr. Obama will say these things are "just not true" now that the text is out and anyone can read it. I kid, of course -- he'll keep saying these things are "just not true" because he's counting on you not having read it, since you have a job and a family and such. Don't let him cow you: both Public Citizen and Food and Water Watch help you tell your Congressfolk to reject the Trans-Pacific "Partnership."
Meanwhile, the Senate still hasn't considered H.R. 1599, the so-called Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, but word on the street is that Sen. Stabenow (D-MI) is trying to put together a GMO food-labeling bill that can attract bipartisan support. Whenever Congress tries to do something "bipartisan," you should be suspicious, since experience tells us that our government thinks "bipartisanship" means Democrats and Republicans coming together to give corporations whatever they want. But they don't get all the say around here; we do. Hence Consumers Union helps you tell your Senator what you want from a GMO food-labeling bill: a strong mandatory GMO label on all food that's easy to read and comprehend. In other words, not a UPC-style barcode, because not everyone has a smartphone. You'll also demand that Congress stop trying to keep states from passing strong GMO labeling laws, as a few states have done. The Consumers Union tool says, fairly succinctly, "I should have the right to make my own decisions about the food I buy and eat, and not have those choices taken away by Congress." Congress should never take away your rights in order to appease their big corporate donors.
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