(On topic) TTIP: Corporatocracy in action
In the recent years, we've been hearing increasingly frequently various calls for further integration of the "developed" world in its attempts to counter the emerging markets, some of which have already attained quite solid geostrategic positions in the last few decades. One of the major efforts in that direction is the preparation for the signing of the so called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and EU, whose purpose is to finalize the unification of the economic space at the two sides of the Atlantic.
Many are concerned that the so called "Partnership" is an attempt by the Bigger Bro to get unlimited access to the European markets, in the conditions of a halved overall consumption on both sides of the Atlantic, the production capacities of just one of the two "partners" being fully capable to meet the combined demand of the new trade entity. Given the full subordination and timidity of the Brussels elites, the dropping energy prices and the lower tax burden on producers at the western side of the Big Water, I suppose you've already guessed which of the two partners will have by far the greater benefit from a trade agreement in the presently proposed form.
Today, as Europe has started realizing what this is actually all about, in some parts a powerful backlash against proceeding with the negotiation process has begun, an increasing part of Europe growing discontent with the prospect of being turned into a mere resource appendix to the powerful US mega-corporations, and a market where they could easily dump their produce.
Taken on its own, the treaty is dedicated to mutual lowering of the barriers to market penetration and product realization, as well as decreasing the scope of regulation within the respective countries involved. Which is fine. The problem is, there has been so much lobbyist activity surrounding these negotiations that in result, the European public has started sniffing the stinky smell of dishonesty all around the future fate of the weaker of the two sides - and is feeling increasingly nauseated by it. Especially after some cracks have appeared in the secrecy of these negotiations, and the public has finally been able to acquaint itself with the true depth and scope of the planned takeover.
The European Commission is already proposing to add a Cooperation Council to the TTIP, which could ensure proper regulation - but that also poses the threat that the already existing EU regulations could be subject to various backstage negotiations, readjustments, reviews and outright bargaining, without the involvement of the so called "democratic control" and oversight, which Europe likes to think it is enjoying.
Such sort of "mutual standard harmonization" and "cutting the non-tariff barriers", etc, means that the EU would have to adopt the US standards in many areas, including on the questions of essential goods and agriculture. In reality, here we're talking of an expansion of the US GMO producers into the EU markets, something the EU has been able to resist for the most part so far - despite all the hysterical lobbyism from across the Pond. What's more, the companies investing in Europe will be allowed to bypass the local courts on those aspects that they deem necessary, thus rendering the particularly inconvenient laws of public health, ecological and social security and many others irrelevant to their bottom-line, namely: profit. In turn, the European companies investing in the US will theoretically have the same privileges, but you may imagine why that "advantage" isn't being met with a lot of enthusiasm by the EU public - especially given the unequal status of the two sides of the proposal.
Some of the most candid analysts are already directly speaking of the TTIP's function as a tool that would ensure a mandate for open corporate plunder, through bypassing the democratic procedures and through the inevitable erosion of the civil rights of ordinary citizens, and the dismantling of national sovereignty. They argue that the treaty is a de facto program for privatization, which would fortify the privileged position of the most powerful global transnational corporations at the expense of ordinary non-billionaire people.
Practically, such a treaty would ensure a long-time lowering of the efficiency of national states, erase any chances for opposing or competing with the major corporations, for the sake of guaranteed profit for the latter - an effect that economists have been warning about for ages. In this case, we're not talking of the outdated form of traditional lobbyism, but of a direct (as opposed to concealed) integration between corporations and states, between business and bureaucracy - and ultimately, the birth of something completely new. And as we know, (to Godwin this a little bit), the merging of state power with big business is an essential feature of a fascist economy. Only, this time global.
Of course, the details of that new form of corporate/state power are yet to be finely tuned. But we should also note that this process appears to be natural, given the already existing reality of mutual transformation and interaction between big money and big power. In other words, the EU is about to again become the testing ground for a new social system that, at least in terms of scope, is different from much of what has existed until now throughout history (although some parallels with the age of the various West India companies is obviously yelling into our faces). Ultimately, the losing ones will again be you, me, everyone who isn't in the 1% of the 1%.
There's discontent brewing, and it could send quite a few heads rolling downhill in Brussels. This could become the straw that'd break the camel's back. Unless people turn out to be too preoccupied with their everyday nonsense to even notice it.