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from the more-secret-negotiations-violate-democracy dept.
NAFTA's Digital Trade chapter could be finalized next month all before the public has seen a single word of it. The fifth round of re-negotiations for NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) finished last week in Mexico and the Digital Trade section might be forced through, unseen by the public, during the next round on December 11th in Washington, DC.
The fifth round of negotiations over a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) wound up last week in Mexico. Following conclusion of the round, Mexican Trade Minister Ildefonso Guajardo told reporters that he hoped that the next round, to be held in Washington, DC in the week of 11 December, could see sufficient progress made that the agreement's Digital Trade chapter could be closed... all before the public has seen a single word of it.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Arik on Friday December 01 2017, @08:28AM (8 children)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 01 2017, @09:05AM (1 child)
You mean like pretty much every other trade agreement ironed out in secrecy has been in the last decade or so? Color me surprised.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Friday December 01 2017, @10:01AM
All of them, without exception.
If you really hate free trade but the public loves it, what do you?
Call your protectionism 'free trade.' Stick it in the title.
After a few decades of getting screwed by 'free trade' those nasty little people won't want it anymore.
Free trade isn't something you write a treaty or an agreement for, that should be the first red flag.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by canopic jug on Friday December 01 2017, @09:48AM (3 children)
I'd just like to point out that, despite the deceptive name, this has nothing whatsoever to do with free trade.
And, being developed in near-total secrecy, it has nothing whatsoever to do with an agreement. It's just a corporate scam and elected officials should shoot down such sectretive proposals as soon as they are presented, just based on principle alone. However, I expect that instead we'll hear more pleas from the officials to vote to pass the proposals so that they can "see what's in it".
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Thexalon on Friday December 01 2017, @01:23PM (2 children)
What principle? The only principles it seems a majority of elected officials have is "for sale to the highest bidder"!
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 01 2017, @02:57PM (1 child)
US style democracy: one dollar one vote
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 01 2017, @06:01PM
Sung to the the Guess Who's, No Time
There's no democracy left for you
No democracy left for youoouuuuu,
On our way to plu-toc-racy
Ah who am i kidding, we're already there and been there for a long time, never mind.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 01 2017, @06:13PM
Not that it's anything new.
.
I'm not sure how much this proves our (the US's) absolute ignorant gullibility or absolute corruption, probably both.
(Score: 2) by dry on Saturday December 02 2017, @03:10AM
Of course it has to do with free trade. As usual, American corporations get what they want for free.