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from the secret-negotiations-are-always-good-for-the-people dept.
Apparently, Greenpeace got their hands on a version of the TTIP documents and plans to release them to the public at today, Monday 2nd of May, 11:00am (UTC+2) from Netherlands, while at the same time giving a press conference at the re:publica. While Greenpeace is apparently mainly concerned about the loss of the precautionary principle (in Europe, if a product is thought to pose a risk to the population or environment, it is prohibited until proven safe, as opposed to the US where it is permitted until proven harmful. According to Greenpeace (sorry, only in German), this is a reason that in US, 170 genetically manipulated plants are in the agricultural market, while in Europe it is only one.
While these mainly environmental concerns deserve some consideration, the more fundamental issue is that such a far-reaching contract, invalidating many of hard fought-for consumers rights in one coup and affecting half a billion people alone in Europe, is negotiated secretly. This is entirely unworthy of any democratic government system.
The documents are available for download.
(Score: 2) by https on Monday May 02 2016, @03:09PM
On occasion, yes, but it's a defeatist idea. If you are thinking of new institutions to replace the old, try credit unions instead of banks. If you're completely unable to get around the notion of lending institutions being needed or not in the first place, you can at least stop the profits from concentrating in the hands of an extremely small number of people. "The difference between having an account at a bank and an account at a credit unions? At a bank, things are set up to profit the owners. At a credit union, the owner is you."
Offended and laughing about it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 02 2016, @03:30PM
Well, ideally you'd want a bloodless revolution, but I have doubts that those in the seat of power would be willing to share it without a fight.
Or that revolution looked like an inevitability and they were at least securing some seat at the table.
Always fancied the idea of public banks, but I'm not versed enough in economics to even be incompetent.