To all peace-loving people in Germany, Europe and all over the world! This is the last straw!
As if there weren’t enough horror news stories every day, on Thursday I had to read about something that really is the epitome of impertinence and despotism.
Not only do we have to worry about TTIP, but since 2012 another treaty has been haggled over in „negotiations“. Of course the process had been carried out „democratically“ and – of course – in secret.
Please memorise its name: TISA!
Obviously, TISA is a good thing for Europe and its citizens. There are only advantages, what else could you think? Those who want to donate it to us only have the most altruistic motives! Business and politics stick together and have our best interests at heart. I feel moved to tears in the face of such generosity and care towards the ususally quite bothersome commoners!
But now for the facts:
This agreement is being negotiated between 23 WTO member states, among them Australia, Chile, Canada, Switzerland and Japan. De facto leaders of this group of „really good friends of services“ – which is what they call themselves – are the USA and the EU. They repesent more than two thirds of the service related economic sector.
TISA (Trades in Services Agreement) is a follow-up of the controversial GATS treaty and according to a letter by the EU commission, it is supposed to be even more important to the USA than TTIP. Critics are raising awareness for TISA extending its reach far beyond GATS.
Main features of the draft agreement are the liberalisation and deregulation of public sevices, for example in the health care sector, the water and energy supply sector, the financial sector and education. According to this draft contract other topics can be added at any time, but the ones listed here are of special importance to the public.
The actual contents of the draft contract are unknown, more drastic restrictions and obligations than in GATS can be expected. The moratorium in this contract will cement the level of liberalisation in all sectors so that afterwards it will be impossible to revert back to the state before. The ratchet-mechanism would turn every step of liberalisation into an accomplished fact that cannot be undone, as the trade union organisation Public Services International (PSI) warn.
Privatisations that have become too expensive or that do not work out will be impossible to revoke, as for example the water supply privatisation of communities or things like the renationalisation of British Rail. Governments‘ influence would be severely limited, national regulations concerning the protection of workers, the environment or customers could be leveraged. Binding regulations within TISA would enable corporations to evade new or costly rules.
As could be expected, TISA is being negotiated outside of the WTO. To work out the respective demands and standpoints national parliaments were not required, nor the EU parliament and least of all public discussion. And like with TTIP, the most eager proponents of the treaty are the EU commission and the „widely admired“ trade commissioner Karel de Gucht.
One could come to the conclusion that behind closed doors some kind of „war“ is fought against us, their own people.
The most important facts:
According to PSI, the USA demand: Secret negotiations, no publication of the treaty papers, keeping US demands secret for five years after TISA coming into effect or after negotiations ending inconclusively.
PSI warn against the commercialisation of the public sector and announce protests against TISA.
In this context I am reminded of the New World Order that is supposed to be created in Switzerland (See: Rösler, vom Wirtschaftsminister zum Weltwirtschaftsforum und hilft bei der Umgestaltung der Welt in Davos).
I believe that big business want to establish exactly that in Europe: If we let this happen, there will be a new world order that sees normal citizens as customers and voters only but without any further significance.
Corporations will dominate everything, what we are supposed to do and to say. We will work for them, on their terms and we won’t like those, because they will never be satisfied. We will have to buy and eat and consume what they offer us. This will happen worldwide and they will strive to obliterate anything that is natural. They strive for world dominance, that much is obvious to me. We have to stop them and we can stop them. There is only one possible way to do this.
The people of Europe will have to unite at last and take to the streets in the millions for our rights and against the corporations‘ pursuit of omnipotence, against despotic policies, against Monsanto and their buddies, against the poisoning of all life and this Earth, against TTIP and TISA and for world wide peace. We want to have a say in things concerning our lives and want to be consulted for our opinions on important decisions.
We don’t want to be fed these lies by our politicians any longer. They don’t have the right to push through things we don’t want. They don’t respect their own people. Let us show them that we will not take this any longer. They have forgotten this, we haven’t, let us make them see the meaning of the cry „We are the people!“ on the 24th of May! More about the demonstrations against Monsanto & Co. can be found here.
On the 25th of may, EU election day, let us also show them the power of the people! Please read Informationsreihe zur Europawahl 2014 for further information.
Let us fight by the proper means at last, the means available to millions of us. Let us fight back in all of Europe against despots and exploitation and the destruction of the Earth. Let us prevent this new world order that only serves one purpose: To keep us down and to give power and money to politicians and big business!
Let us also and foremost prevent wars worldwide!
Written by: Netzfrau Patricia Heyl (67)
Translated by: Angela Carstensen
Original: ACHTUNG TISA! Jetzt schlägts dreizehn!
For more information see our articles:
Grüne leaken geheimes TTIP-Mandat
Freihandelsabkommen TTIP: NAFTA, CAFTA…und deren Folgen
Energiehunger in der Ukraine-Krise: TTIP schneller als erwartet? Fracking, Teersand, Iran und Türkei
