Trading away the future

When Republicans line up to support President Obama, anyone with half a brain should know it can't bode well for ordinary Americans.  The TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) or as its opponents call it "NAFTA on steroids" is moving toward a vote to give the president fast track authority to negotiate a deal with no input from US consumers or labor.   Most of the provisions were set in place by US corporations for their benefit.  The actual sovereignty of nation states can be overridden by the terms of this deal.  If a corporation feels the environmental rules of a state are impinging on its ability to make what it considers a fair profit, it can take this grievance to a tribunal which has the power to levy fines and nullify legislation passed by duly elected national legislatures.  Naturally, most of the time, the complainants will be multi-national corporations headquartered in the US and the defendants will be other signatories of the deal.  However, there is no provision to prevent them from suing the US government and winning multi-billion dollar damages if our environmental regulations or worker protection provisions are deemed to be a hindrance to profit.  As one commentator opined, it is a race to the bottom with little or no protection for American workers.  This deal if of the corporations, by the corporations and definitely for the corporations.  Everyone with a shred of patriotism should oppose the fast track authority and demand the document be debated before anyone signs off on this blatant power grab by the 1%.