General Discussion

Babel_17

(5,400 posts)

14. Farcical trade agreements

Sun Oct 25, 2015, 09:48 AM

Oct 2015

King Arthur: I am your king.

Woman: Well, I didn't vote for you.

King Arthur: You don't vote for kings.

Woman: Well how'd you become king then?

<Angelic music plays... >

King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king.

Dennis: [interrupting] Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/quotes

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

60 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

NAFTA's ISDS: Why Canada Is One of the Most Sued Countries in the World [View all] eridani Oct 2015 OP

This is insane. LiberalArkie Oct 2015 #1

Took the words right out of my mouth. +1 tecelote Oct 2015 #3

completely insane n/t uawchild Oct 2015 #19

Jim Hightower wrote about the probability of this years 8-10 years ago. SharonAnn Oct 2015 #53

Trudeau should re-ban all of those things and pull out of NAFTA. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Oct 2015 #2

And the TPP doubles down on this. djean111 Oct 2015 #4

It will be interesting to see if that is true. This article from Japan indicates that it might not. pampango Oct 2015 #7

Those are actual cases that Canada already had to pay out. fasttense Oct 2015 #12

The NSA has special courts. -none Oct 2015 #26

Exactly right dragonlady Oct 2015 #22

Which POTUS passed this with the help of Republicans? Omaha Steve Oct 2015 #5

Exactly and for those who think this kind of thing is not in jwirr Oct 2015 #21

I get so frustrated and annoyed with the people that say that the U.S. has never lost stillwaiting Oct 2015 #6

ISDS is the "get out of jail, collect $2T card" for corporations Demeter Oct 2015 #9

Yet, Canada begged to be part of TPP. Why? It brings jobs and tax Hoyt Oct 2015 #8

Yea, and Santa Clause really exists fasttense Oct 2015 #13

Correct -There is no evidence they bring jobs and tax revenue laundry_queen Oct 2015 #20

Tell that to those in rural South Carolina or Tennessee working for a foreign auto company. Hoyt Oct 2015 #38

That came at the expense of better paying jobs for Americans. But laundry_queen Oct 2015 #39

How, if people want a Toyota, they'd buy them whether built in Japan or Mexico. I'd rather Hoyt Oct 2015 #55

It is true to a degree laundry_queen Oct 2015 #58

That's like claiming credit for feeding the horses because you let them out of the barn. fasttense Oct 2015 #42

"Countries that don't sign as many free trade agreements have better economies overall." pampango Oct 2015 #40

Their better situations have nothing to do with free trade laundry_queen Oct 2015 #56

The majority of the people, or just the government mouthpieces? Babel_17 Oct 2015 #17

Sure, every country in the world -- including Denmark -- are corrupt for signing 2500 similar Hoyt Oct 2015 #18

So it's as popular in Canada as here in the USA, roughly speaking Babel_17 Oct 2015 #25

It's true that huge corporations from all over the world have their tentacles into many countries fasttense Oct 2015 #43

+1000. nt. polly7 Oct 2015 #46

Maybe because American cars suxed for so many years, and Hoyt Oct 2015 #48

Because of Harper is why. -none Oct 2015 #27

Harper is no longer there, do you think it will pass? Nor was Harper there for NAFTA. Hoyt Oct 2015 #28

"Cannada" begged? Whatchu mean "Canada" Kemosabe? eridani Oct 2015 #34

Nearly everyone I've talked to about it hates the idea. polly7 Oct 2015 #47

It does not bring jobs and tax revenue. polly7 Oct 2015 #49

So all these countries that sign these agreements -- including Scandanavian -- are corrupt. Hoyt Oct 2015 #50

WTF said they were 'corrupt'? nt. polly7 Oct 2015 #51

Well they all -- including Denmark -- must be corrupt if they are bowing to corporations. Hoyt Oct 2015 #54

Having to bow to corporations has nothing to do with being corrupt or ignorant. polly7 Oct 2015 #57

Now that sanity has returned to Ottawa, perhaps TPP is toast! Demeter Oct 2015 #10

OOOooo! Just wait for the FUN part! gregcrawford Oct 2015 #11

Exactly. CanSocDem Oct 2015 #16

That's true under NAFTA and almost all trade agreements since 1959. Hoyt Oct 2015 #29

Farcical trade agreements Babel_17 Oct 2015 #14

My favorite line from one of my favorite movies. fasttense Oct 2015 #44

I think 'eminent domain' should work in the opposite direction, too, i.e for. Joe Chi Minh Oct 2015 #15

If IT corporations are broken up NobodyHere Oct 2015 #24

A unified corporation would, I imagine, be easier to control. But Joe Chi Minh Oct 2015 #32

These trade agreements = the world gone nuts! Duppers Oct 2015 #23

http://economixcomix.com/home/tpp/ (Economix explains the Trans-Pacific Partnership) Babel_17 Oct 2015 #30

Excellent reference. Thanks n/t eridani Oct 2015 #31

The article explains 'what', not 'why'. randome Oct 2015 #33

A flat ban on environmental poisons applies to both Canadiean and foreign companies eridani Oct 2015 #35

Not just profits, but under the new trade deals, 'expected future profits'. polly7 Oct 2015 #37

It will be interesting to see if the ISDS rules in the TPP are any better than in NAFTA. pampango Oct 2015 #41

It would be interesting if it weren't so awful fasttense Oct 2015 #45

Thanks Bill Clinton. n/t wildbilln864 Oct 2015 #36

Folks do realize that the filing of a lawsuit does not mean you win? Fred Sanders Oct 2015 #52

Clearly governments have no higher uses for their tax dollars than-- eridani Oct 2015 #60

Here is a more detailed report than Common Dreams which is both short and short on analyisis Monk06 Oct 2015 #59