http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=ecb_1339945806 Items in channel 'Bensestito' Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:18:54 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=ecb_1339945806 Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:29:52 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=cc5_1366133281 Bensestito The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a massive new trade and investment pact being pushed by the U.S. government at the behest of transnational corporations, threatening the economy, environment and public health both at home and abroad. The TPP is currently being negotiated behind closed doors by the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam - but it is also specifically intended as a "docking agreement" that other Pacific Rim countries will join over time, with Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea and others already expressing some interest in doing so. Negotiations are scheduled to conclude in October 2013. International campaigners are fighting hard to prevent the deal from going through. The TPP is said to contain 29 separate chapters, covering everything from food safety standards to banking regulations. Here are some of the many reasons activists are fighting the current direction of the TPP: read full article http://www.cipamericas.org/archives/9349 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=cc5_1366133281 Bensestito Seven Reasons to Fight the TPP Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:27:48 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e5b_1366133159 Bensestito As closed-door negotiations concluded in Singapore on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, opposition begins to build in many countries. At the urging of the United States, Canada and Mexico have joined the nine countries in the talks and now Japan has announced it too wants to be part of this new free trade pact of Pacific rim countries, described by its critics as "NAFTA on steroids".Going into its 17th round of negotiations, the Obama administration aims to wrap up an agreement by October, hoping to push ratification through the Senate on a fast- track basis. Called Trade Promotion Authority, fast track would mean an up or down vote without amendments or even hearings on the agreement presented to it. It is a profoundly anti-democratic procedure because it shuts down debate. But from start to end, TPP has been thoroughly anti-democratic. On the first day of the Singapore talks a broad range of civil society organizations issued an open letter to Congress calling for greater transparency in the proceedings. The agreement is being hammered out in secret discussions among trade ministers. Even Senators have been denied a look at its draft provisions. read full article http://www.cipamericas.org/archives/9355 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e5b_1366133159 Bensestito Trans-Pacific Partnership: Free Trade vs. Democracy Trans-Pacific Partnership Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:44:20 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2c7_1364315015 Bensestito In a recent article, Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians described how CETA negotiations have laid the groundwork for a U.S.-EU free trade zone. She insisted that it would be a mistake for all three NAFTA countries to be a part of a transatlantic agreement. Barlow warned about some of the same dangers found in CETA that the U.S. could face in their own trade deal with the EU. She stressed how opening up local procurement to the EU should be of great concern to U.S. states and municipal governments. In Canada, a number of municipalities have passed motions demanding that they be excluded from the procurement rules in CETA which would restrict local hiring and purchasing initiatives. Barlow also cautioned that an investor protection chapter like the one in CETA would allow European multinationals to sue for any potential profit losses related to U.S. government policies and regulations. This would be worse than NAFTA's Chapter 11 and as a result, the U.S. would lose more sovereign rights. The Australian government has already stopped the practice of including investor-state dispute resolution procedures in trade agreements and now it's time for other countries follow suit. In Canada, opposition to CETA continuous to grow. There are deep concerns over the expansion of NAFTA-like investor rights, the dismantling of supply management in agriculture and the negative impact that CETA would have on local public procurement. It could also serve to further empower Big Pharma by extending monopoly drug patents which would lead to higher costs. Just like any of the other so-called next-generation trade and investment deals, CETA is based on the failed NAFTA model with the same false promises. These secretive and binding international agreements are not really about trade, but are in fact designed to reshape regulatory and policy frameworks to further increase the rights of corporations and investors. read full article http://beyourownleader.blogspot.ca/2013/03/final-push-for-canada-eu-ceta-and.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2c7_1364315015 Bensestito Final Push for a Canada-EU CETA and the Coming NAFTA-EU Free Trade Zone CETA, NAFTA-EU Free Trade Zone, Globalization, Trans-Pacific Partnership Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:29:04 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=86c_1361906803 Bensestito Political pundits are comparing Senator Chuck Hegal to former Representative Paul Findley. Hegal, like Findley, is a politician who dared to speak out against the influence of the AIPAC in Congress. Paul lost his job in the 80s because he challenged the Israeli lobby, and now Chuck is having a tough time becoming Secretary of Defense. Their willingness to oppose neoconservative thought is not their only philosophical bond. Chuck Hegal and Paul Findley share another commonality-they are both Atlanticists. Findley championed the Atlantic Union idea during his best years in Congress, and now Hegal and friends at the Atlantic Council of the United States are advancing the "Economic NATO" idea. It would be easier to call this idea what it truly is, a resurrection of the Atlantic Union idea-but that would open up a can of worms as well as inconvenient history. Few Americans realize that the Atlantic Council of the United States was spawned by the Atlantic Union Committee. The AUC was established in 1949 under the leadership of former Under Secretary of State Will Clayton (Marshall Plan, GATT, ITO), former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts, and author of Union Now, Clarence K. Streit. By 1955, the AUC membership roster read like a who's who list of leading globalists within the entertainment, industrial, and academic industries. The Atlantic Union Committee, with the assistance of a bipartisan movement in the United States Congress, helped inspire the Atlantic Convention of 1962, which drafted the Declaration of Paris. In 1960, Congress passed a watered-down version of the Atlantic Union Resolution under the leadership of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Vice President Richard M. Nixon and Secretary of State Christian A. Herter. After Kennedy defeated Nixon, Democrats in Congress oversaw the appointment of delegates to the U.S. Citizens Commission on NATO. Not surprisingly, the Commission was led by proponents of Atlantic "Federal" Union of the Free. read full article http://www.blacklistednews.com/Economic_NATO_%E2%80%93_or_Atlantic_Union%2C_Federal_or_Otherwise%3F/24414/0/38/38/Y/M.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=86c_1361906803 Bensestito Economic NATO - or Atlantic Union, Federal or Otherwise? Economic NATO Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:50:18 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c1c_1361893600 Bensestito The U.S. and EU have agreed to launch negotiations on what would be the world's largest free trade deal. Such an agreement would be the basis for the creation of an economic NATO and would include trade in goods, services and investment, as well as cover intellectual property rights. There are concerns that the U.S. could use these talks to push the EU to loosen its restrictions on genetically modified crops and foods. In addition, the deal might serve as a backdoor means to implement ACTA which was rejected by the European Parliament last year. A U.S.-EU Transatlantic trade agreement is seen as a way of countering China's growing power and is the foundation for a new global economic order.In the coming months, you can expect the anti-corporate globalization movement on both sides of the Atlantic to mobilize against the U.S.-EU trade agreement. It is big business and financial institutions who are pushing this deregulation agenda which threatens health, environmental and food safety standards. Just like NAFTA, the proposed U.S.-EU trade deal is also likely to include an investor-state dispute process which would give corporations the right to challenge government policies that restrict their profits. A trade agreement between the U.S. and EU is the building blocks for a new global trading system. If you combine NAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and a U.S,-EU Transatlantic trade deal, you have the makings for a global free trade area.read full article http://beyourownleader.blogspot.ca/2013/02/us-eu-trade-deal-is-foundation-for-new_25.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c1c_1361893600 Bensestito U.S.-EU Trade Deal is the Foundation For a New Global Economic Order U.S,-EU Transatlantic trade deal, NAFTA, GMOs, ACTA Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:46:32 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e13_1361893212 Bensestito Even as the European Union continues to pursue ever-closer "integration" in the name of "global governance," Obama is now working to form a "Trans-Atlantic partnership" between the U.S. government and the EU under the guise of a so-called "free trade" agreement. Formally announced in the United States during the president's State of the Union address, the highly controversial deal - a scheme that has been under discussion since before the current administration came to power - is expected to take at least 18 months to complete. It also has the backing of both Big Business and Big Labor. The "Transatlantic Partnership," of course, is just one of the major sovereignty-threatening international schemes being pursued by the Obama administration simultaneously - closer North American integration and the so-called "Trans-Pacific Partnership" are two of the most prominent efforts. The latest plot, though, has far-reaching, global implications that critics argue represent a serious threat to America and freedom. If the U.S.-EU deal ends up becoming reality, the regulatory regime governing the new bloc, which accounts for about half of global GDP, would become the de-facto standard-setting entity for the entire planet. "To boost American exports, support American jobs and level the playing field in the growing markets of Asia, we intend to complete negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership," Obama said during his SOTU speech. "And tonight, I am announcing that we will launch talks on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union - because trade that is free and fair across the Atlantic supports millions of good-paying American jobs." Vice President Joe Biden, meanwhile, hinted at the plan even earlier, and since at least 2007, governments on both sides of the Atlantic have been formally working on the scheme. The New American magazine first warned of EU-U.S. integration in a 2009 in-depth cover story by author James Perloff, who concluded that the economic alliance would eventually and inevitably lead to a political merger. More recently, critics of the "partnership" have also blasted the proposed plan, highlighting everything from concerns over national sovereignty to the fact that supposed "free trade" deals tend to be less about real free trade and more about transnational regulation of commerce by unaccountable bodies. The so-called NAFTA "tribunals" that overrule American laws and courtsrepresent just one example of the dangers of "integration," according to opponents of the plan. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is another. read full article http://www.prisonplanet.com/obama-pushing-trans-atlantic-union-with-eu.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e13_1361893212 Bensestito Obama Pushing Trans-Atlantic Union with EU EU-US trade deal, Globalization Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:23:32 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=950_1360106370 Bensestito The Obama administration's decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline will not be made until at least June, a U.S. official said, which would delay the project for months and frustrate backers of Canada's oil sands. "We're talking the beginning of summer at the earliest," said the source, who did not want to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the TransCanada Corp project, which has been pending for more than four and a half years. "It's not weeks until the final decision. It's months." ... "The fact the administration is taking its time suggests ... that it wants to succeed with an airtight story that pleases the primary concerns of both sides," said Kevin Book, an analyst at ClearView Energy Partners in Washington. - Reuters Dominant Social Theme: Fracking is the most important technology since the advent of the oil drill. Free-Market Analysis: Reuters is signaling that a Keystone Pipeline decision is coming soon. Turning the United States into two separate countries (metaphorically anyway) is an ongoing option that looks to become reality. Looked at this way, we have a solution to our "fracking dilemma." In several articles we've raised the point about why fracking - a way of unlocking oil - has become a recognized solution to the world's artificial oil crisis. It seems to weaken another elite dominant social theme, which is that the world is running out of oil and authoritarian governmental measures must be taken to conserve what we have. This supports various justifications for more global government, as well. And now it seems that the fracking boom could be partly intended to create what conspiracy theorists call the North American Union. The North American Union is a union between Canada, Mexico and the United States. This makes sense within the context of the gigantic Keystone Pipeline that is intended to run from Canada down the length of the United States, from Alberta to Texas, virtually bisecting the US. We went looking for information about the Pipeline and its applicability to the NAU. read full article http://theintelhub.com/2013/02/05/real-reason-for-fracking-boom-is-to-build-north-american-union/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=950_1360106370 Bensestito Real Reason for Fracking Boom Is to Build North American Union? Keystone XL Pipeline, North American Union Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:18:23 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=426_1360106040 Bensestito The U.S. and Canada have made significant progress in advancing the Beyond the Border deal and continue to implement various perimeter security initiatives. Without much fanfare, they have signed an immigration agreement that would allow them to share biographic and at a later date, biometric information. As part of a North American security perimeter, both countries are further harmonizing border security and immigration measures. Canada is further taking on U.S. security priorities and this could include a bigger role in the war on terrorism. In December of last year, the U.S. and Canada signed the Immigration Information Sharing Treaty which is tied to the Beyond the Border deal. Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney stated that the, "agreement builds on our countries' mutual efforts to protect our common borders and the surrounding perimeter, through improved screening of immigrants and visitors." He went on to say, "Enhanced information sharing of foreign nationals will protect the safety and security of Canadians by helping us prevent terrorists, violent criminals, and others, who pose a risk, from entering Canada or the United States." Under the treaty, Canada and the U.S. will share biographic information from third country nationals who apply for a visa, a travel permit or claim asylum. In 2014, it will also include the sharing of biometric information. There are privacy concerns on how far-reaching the data collected will be shared. This threatens the sovereignty of Canada with regards to retaining control over information at its own borders. On December 28, 2012, President Obama signed into law, the Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act which is designed to curb Iran's presence and activity in the region. The bill calls on the Department of Homeland Security to work with Canada and Mexico, "to address resources, technology, and infrastructure to create a secure United States border and strengthen the ability of the United States and its allies to prevent operatives from Iran, the IRGC, its Qods Force, Hezbollah, or any other terrorist organization from entering the United States." Julie Carmichael, spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews discussed Canada's efforts to counter any perceived hostility from Iran in the Americas. She is quoted in the Globe and Mail as saying, "We continually assess threats while co-operating with international partners, including the U.S., to address threats to our common security." Carmichael added, "The Beyond the Border Action Plan as announced by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama provides a framework to identify threats before they reach North America." Under the perimeter security deal, Canada is further aligning itself with U.S. foreign policy interests and could be expected to play a greater role in the global war on terror. read full article http://beyourownleader.blogspot.ca/2013/02/us-canada-harmonizing-border-security.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=426_1360106040 Bensestito U.S.-Canada Harmonizing Border Security and Immigration Measures Beyond the Border Action Plan, North American Security Perimeter Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:40:30 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d08_1356996929 Bensestito The Arctic has become an important part of North American perimeter security. Recently, the U.S. and Canada signed two new agreements that will expand bilateral military training, security and defense operations in the region. Both countries are working together to prepare for any real or perceived threats and are moving towards merging their Arctic foreign policies. On December 11, 2012, the U.S. and Canada signed the Tri-Command Framework for Arctic Cooperation which will further integrate United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The Tri-Command is part of efforts to merge both countries, security and military priorities under the umbrella of a single, U.S.-dominated North American Command. The U.S. and Canada share similar goals and concerns in the Arctic and are further building up their military presence in the region. With a strategic framework in place, both countries are working towards establishing a North American Arctic foreign policy. At times, Canadian and Russian rhetoric in regards to Arctic sovereignty has been reminiscent of the Cold War era. Rising tensions could further escalate the militarization of the far north. Increasing diplomatic efforts is the key to building the foundation for more multilateral cooperation in the area. read full article @ http://beyourownleader.blogspot.ca/2012/12/the-tri-command-strategy-and-merging-us_30.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d08_1356996929 Bensestito The Tri-Command Strategy and Merging U.S.-Canada Arctic Foreign Policy USNORTHCOM, NORAD Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:38:17 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=563_1355236598 Bensestito The Trans-Pacific Partnership is the most secretive and "least transparent" trade negotiations in history. Luckily for the populations and societies that will be affected by the agreement, there are public research organizations and alternative media outlets campaigning against it - and they've even released several leaks of draft agreement chapters. From these leaks, which are not covered by mainstream corporate-controlled news outlets, we are able to get a better understanding of what the Trans-Pacific Partnership actually encompasses. For example, public interest groups have been warning that the TPP could result in millions of lost jobs. As a letter from Congress to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk stated, the TPP "will create binding policies on future Congresses in numerous areas," including "those related to labor, patent and copyright, land use, food, agriculture and product standards, natural resources, the environment, professional licensing, state-owned enterprises and government procurement policies, as well as financial, healthcare, energy, telecommunications and other service sector regulations." In other words, as promised, the TPP goes far beyond "trade." Dubbed by many as "NAFTA on steroids" and a "corporate coup," only two of the TPP's 26 chapters actually have anything to do with trade. Most of it grants far-reaching new rights and privileges to corporations, specifically related to intellectual property rights (copyright and patent laws), as well as constraints on government regulations. The leaked documents revealed that the Obama administration "intends to bestow radical new political powers upon multinational corporations," as Obama and Kirk have emerged as strong advocates "for policies that environmental activists, financial reform advocates and labor unions have long rejected for eroding key protections currently in domestic laws." In other words, the already ineffective and mostly toothless environmental, financial, and labor regulations that exist are unacceptable to the Obama administration and the 600 corporations aligned with the TPP who are giving him his orders. The agreement stipulates that foreign corporations operating in the United States would no longer be subject to domestic U.S. laws regarding protections for the environment, finance or labor rights, and could appeal to an "international tribunal" which would be given the power to overrule American law and impose sanctions on the U.S. for violating the new "rights" of corporations. read full article http://andrewgavinmarshall.com/2012/11/21/why-so-secretive-the-trans-pacific-partnership-as-global-corporate-coup/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=563_1355236598 Bensestito Why So Secretive? The Trans-Pacific Partnership as Global Corporate Coup Trans-Pacific Partnership Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:05:03 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=044_1355234523 Bensestito In a move that signalled the importance placed on the NAFTA partnership, Mexico's new president visited the U.S. and Canada before his inauguration. This was seen as a step forward in further strengthening political, economic, energy and security ties between all three countries. Other recent high-level meetings and policy papers are also shaping the future of North American integration. Before his recent trip to the U.S., Mexico's new President Enrique Pena Nieto emphasized in a Washington Post editorial the opportunity both countries have to build on their economic partnership. He explained that, "in NAFTA we have a solid foundation to further integrate our economies through greater investments in finance, infrastructure, manufacturing and energy." As part of his government's strategy to reduce violence, he stated that it is, "important that our countries increase intelligence-sharing and crime-fighting techniques and promote cooperation among law enforcement agencies." In a White House press release, Pena Nieto invited President Barack Obama to participate in the next North American Leaders Summit which will take place in Mexico sometime in 2013. With regards to U.S.-Mexico relations, Obama said that he was also looking forward to finding ways, "to strengthen our economic ties, our trade ties, our coordination along the border, improving our joint competitiveness, as well as common security issues." According to the new policy brief, A New Agenda with Mexico put out by the Woodrow Wilson Center, "declines in illegal immigration and organized crime violence in Mexico, open up an opportunity for U.S. policymakers to deepen the economic relationship." The report recommended working, "together with Mexico and Canada to strengthen regional competitiveness and to grow North American exports to the world." It further elaborated on how, "Economic issues can drive the next phase in deepening U.S.-Mexico cooperation. Investments in trusted shipper programs, pre-inspection programs, and enhanced border infrastructure will be crucial." The study called on Washington to offer more, "support for Mexico's criminal justice institutions, and strengthen U.S. anti-money laundering efforts in order to combat organized crime and violence." It also recommended engaging, "Mexico more actively on hemispheric and extra-hemispheric foreign policy issues, ranging from terrorism to international trade and finance, as Mexico's role as a global power grows." read full article http://beyourownleader.blogspot.ca/2012/12/beyond-nafta-shaping-future-of-north_10.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=044_1355234523 Bensestito Beyond NAFTA: Shaping the Future of North American Integration NAFTA, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:00:42 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=141_1355234301 Bensestito n 2008, the United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab announced the U.S. entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks as "a pathway to broader Asia-Pacific regional economic integration." Originating in 2005 as a "Strategic Economic Partnership" between a few select Pacific countries, the TPP has, as of October 2012, expanded to include 11 nations in total: the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia, with the possibility of several more joining in the future.What makes the TPP unique is not simply the fact that it may be the largest "free trade agreement" ever negotiated, nor even the fact that only two of its roughly 26 articles actually deal with "trade," but that it is also the most secretive trade negotiations in history, with no public oversight, input, or consultations. Since the Obama administration came to power in January of 2009, the Trans-Pacific Partnership has become a quiet priority for the U.S., which overtook the leadership role in the "trade agreement" talks. In 2010, when Malaysia joined the TPP, the Wall Street Journal suggested that the "free-trade pact" could "serve as a counterweight to China's economic influence," with Japan and the Philippines both expressing interest in joining the talks. In the meantime, the Obama administration and other participating nations have been consulting and negotiating not only with each other, but with roughly 600 corporations involved. The TPP is accelerating the most dangerous free market policies of previous U.S. administrations, bestowing unprecedented powers and privileges upon Trans-National Corporations (TNCs) while dismantling regulations and laws without any democratic oversight or input. read full article http://andrewgavinmarshall.com/2012/11/19/the-trans-pacific-partnership-this-is-what-corporate-governance-looks-like/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=141_1355234301 Bensestito The Trans-Pacific Partnership: This is What Corporate Governance Looks Like Trans-Pacific Partnership