(Dallas, TX) Prankster group The Yes Men disrupted a meeting of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations in Dallas by posing as businessmen and presenting Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative with the “2012 Corporate Power Tool Award.”
After Kirk accepts the award, Haversall commends the TPP, saying to applause:
“The TPP agreement is shaping up to be a fantastic way for us to maximize profits, regardless of what the public of this nation—or any other nation—thinks is right.”
The Yes Men also replace the regular toilet paper in the hotel with custom rolls ridiculing the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
What is the TPP? According to the group Public Citizen“It is the dream of the 1%. With 600 U.S. corporations as officials advisors, this stealthy international agreement has been negotiated behind closed doors over the past two years – with talks heading to Dallas in May.
What would TPP mean for the 99%? Millions more American jobs offshored. Backdoor deregulation for financial firms to wreck the economy again. Floods of unsafe food and products. Higher medicine prices. A ban on Buy America policies needed to create green jobs and rebuild our economy. Foreign corporations empowered to attack our environmental and health policies in foreign tribunals.
Closed-door talks are on-going between the U.S. and Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam; with countries like Japan and China potentially joining later.”
Are they right? Is the TPP basically a NAFTA for Asia? Are the Yes Men hippie crazies?
Maybe. I think Trade Rep. Ron Kirk should be glad they didn’t egg the place.
