![]() ![]() The PR machine continues to churn out lies even under the glaring reality of today’s obscene wealth disparity. The following are just a few of the cases that corporations have brought to the investor-state dispute settlement tribunals: …” – link A golden age for corporate lawyers beckons! ConDem Coalition government Minister without Portfolio Ken Clarke explained, ‘Investor protection is a standard part of free-trade agreements – it was designed to support businesses investing in countries where the rule of law is unpredictable, to say the least.’ Of the world’s ten biggest law firms, ranked by revenue, four are British and six are US. The compensation is taken from the taxpayers. Tribunals are currently organised under World Bank and United Nations rules. Any health or environmental policy that conflicted with corporate interests would be subjected to these extra-judicial tribunals. UNCTAD reports a tenfold increase in such cases since 2000. Even if a government wins a case it must pay the tribunal’s costs and legal fees – averaging $9m a case. There are no limits on the awards that can be claimed against governments and very limited rights of appeal for governments. These lawyers have no conflict of interest restrictions on their operations. When a corporation considers its expected future profits are being harmed by a government it can lodge a case before these tribunals consisting of three lawyers who represent corporate interests. The TTIP and TPP are intended to include investor-state dispute settlement clauses. ![]() For example, health and safety regulations and food standards between the US and the EU will be made ‘compatible’, or more simply put, downgraded or removed. “ proposes to establish a Regulatory Co-operation Council combining US and EU regulatory agencies with the purpose of working towards deeper ‘regulatory co-operation and increased compatibility for future and existing regulatory measures’. No illusions of democracy should be maintained in a world of corporate feudalism where gross social inequality will have become irreversible and the will of common people smothered by the abuses of great wealth: ![]() Any last vestiges of environmental protection, worker rights, and sovereignty will be shredded. As discussed before, the TTIP and TPP are the latest maneuvers in this corporate grab for power, wealth, and resources. While the false debate continues in mostly right-wing circles that today’s Capitalism is some aberrant form of “true” Capitalism, the end game and final victory of Capital continues to play out with multinational corporations becoming the ‘winner take all’ in their complete takeover of the world’s economies and governments. ![]()
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