1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: From UFOs two, ghosts and government cover ups, histories where 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: look with unexplained events, you can turn back now or 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: learn to stuff they don't want you to now. Hello, 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: welcome back to the show. My name is Matt and 5 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: I am Ben, and I have a question for you. Ben, 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: lay it on me, brother, you're done with T p P. 7 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: Oh you know me? If we're talking on a personal note, 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: then I would say that I'm very, very skeptical about 9 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 1: T p P. Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations to you and 10 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: to us if you caught our reference to O P 11 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: P U a pretty pretty fantastic song from back in 12 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: the day, right Matt? And it's other people's property? Is 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 1: that actually what it stands for? Is that just something 14 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: I learned through the grapevine? Do you know other people's something? Oh? 15 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: There are various interpretations, but we we are talking about 16 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: today and this week entirely is not O P P 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 1: but t p P, which stands for the Trans Pacific Partnership. Alright, First, yeah, yeah, 18 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: First question, why why should I care? This sounds like 19 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: a snooze fest. What the heck is it? You probably 20 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: shouldn't care. What I would do is turn this off 21 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: and just go back to watching football. Oh yeah yeah, 22 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: or maybe, um, what what is a celebrity doing that's 23 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: not important or matters? Did somebody maybe say something about 24 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: a different celebrity that is a throwaway line that could 25 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: be interpreted or confused with news because that's what people 26 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: like to watch, right. All I know is that my 27 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: character needs to level up and right now, so I'm 28 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: going to get on the game and just do that 29 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: for all Just grind, you know what I mean, that's 30 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: what it's about. So aside from our fairly cynical portrayal 31 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: of what people confuse with news and productivity, let's talk 32 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: about Transpacific Partnership, which if you follow some news sources 33 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: you may have heard about. If you're on Reddit, of course, 34 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: then you know about this. It is a free trade agreement. 35 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: So what is free trade? That's something we hear a 36 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: lot in the news sometimes sometimes we just read it 37 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: on Reddit. Well, free trade is in itself, this sexy 38 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: buzz word. It just sounds so good, right. People love 39 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: free stuff. Man, who doesn't love free stuff and trading? 40 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: I mean that's what makes the world go around, right, Yeah, 41 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: so let's trade for free. Okay, I'm down, But it 42 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: isn't really free in the way you might think. Now, 43 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,959 Speaker 1: It only means that different countries in this example here 44 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: with the t PP, different countries can agree to trade 45 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: goods and services all the things that they trade without tariffs, 46 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: which are taxes and quotas, which would be you know, 47 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: you have to create a certain amount or you have 48 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: to buy or sell us certain amount in order to 49 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: make the trade occur, and all these other trading constraints 50 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: that you'd have to go through when you're making just 51 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: a simple transaction from one country to another. So one 52 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: of the big questions is why is this a big deal. 53 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: The majority of countries in the world today participate in 54 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: some kind of protectionism, and what this means is that 55 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: they impose those barriers that Matt is talking about here, 56 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: like tariffs or quotas on exports or imports, and they 57 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: do this to support their domestic businesses and arguably the 58 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: domestic economy. That's right, and one of the biggest examples 59 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: of this would be agricultural subsidies or food subsidies, where 60 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: government is essentially paying a farmer or a large agribusiness 61 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: corporation to make food and then they supplement the income 62 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: of that company or a group of farmers so that 63 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: they can sell and trade at a lower price for 64 00:03:55,120 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: these goods. Now this affects global trade, of course, Uh, 65 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: if there is a country that's able to produce corn 66 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: at a cheaper rate than of course people in Country 67 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: B will buy the cheaper corn. Sure. But what happens 68 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: here is is pretty smart because I first started thinking 69 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: about this when the European Union was forming. One of 70 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: the big fights people had was over agricultural subsidies. France 71 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: had quite quite a lot, and the United States and 72 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: Japan actually have quite a lot right now too. We 73 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,559 Speaker 1: are the home of big corn, after all. So there's 74 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: a smart, almost a real politic thing here, which is 75 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: that if you have these sorts of subsidies or some 76 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: sort of governmental support for your agribusiness, then you are 77 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: taking out insurance on your domestic ability to produce food. 78 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: So that means that you'll survive your industry rather will 79 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: survive despite international competition. And it can mean that you 80 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: won't become dependent on imports for food. But and I 81 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: know I wrote this in such a crappy way here, 82 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: but it can be bad because it prevents global trade 83 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: and people in favor of global trade. Well you know 84 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: that bothers them. I love it, always my best defense. 85 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: But so that's a free trade agreement. It doesn't quite 86 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: mean what it sounds like it means. It is really 87 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: what is called a liberalization of trade. Now, Uh, can 88 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: I take a soapbox? Just real quick and all right? 89 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 1: So another thing that is tricky, These these buzzwords in 90 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: these terms can be so misleading. All right, listeners inside 91 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: and outside of the United States. You know that the 92 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 1: United States is roughly divided between Democrats and Republicans or 93 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: people who call themselves conservatives or liberals or something like that. 94 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: The thing here is that liberalization of trade does not 95 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: mean what you would think it means if you associate 96 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: it with what are called liberals in the United States. 97 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: What it means is that there is more liberty for 98 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: these actors, these uh companies, really and that there is 99 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: less state level restraint on them. So it's more of 100 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: a free to do what you will, uh in a 101 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: economic sense, whereas liberal in the United States is usually 102 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: taken I mean free to do what you will in 103 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: some sort of social sense, right, And I'm not I'm 104 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 1: not picking a horse in that race. I am just 105 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: saying that's what it is, and and don't let it 106 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: be confused. But with this free trade agreement stuff, right, Uh, 107 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: people who are fans of trade liberalization love it. But 108 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: people are just hearing about it or going okay, so 109 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: what what? What is this? Is it our first time 110 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: doing this as a country. Yes, this is not the 111 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: first time one of these free trade agreements has occurred, 112 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: especially with the United States. You might have heard of 113 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: something called NAFTA or the North American Free Trade Agreement, 114 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: which came into play in the I believe about twenty 115 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: years ago as we record this, and it was kind 116 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: of the same thing. It dealt with North America and 117 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: some of South America. Um, well, I guess it was 118 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 1: just North America, wasn't It was Mexico, Canada and the 119 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: U S. So this arguably had some adverse effects on 120 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: a couple of things, a couple of markets, especially the 121 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: Mexican agricultural markets. Opponents said that NAPTA moved the US 122 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: manufacturing overseas and it cost hundreds of thousands of jobs 123 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: inside the US because there was this uh motivation to 124 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: lower the prices of or excuse me, lower the costs 125 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: of manufacturing. Well yeah, and then also if there is 126 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: less of a barrier for importing it's from another country, right, Yeah, 127 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: it's cheaper to make it over there, and even what 128 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: it costs you on shipping to get it on a 129 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:12,239 Speaker 1: cargo ship still leaves you with a wider profit margin. 130 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: Then of course you'll do it. That's just good business. Uh. 131 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: In fact, the US has had trade agreements with twenty 132 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: nations as of October, and there are more on the 133 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: table and in the works today, including the Trans Pacific Partnership. Right, 134 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 1: and just the point in fairness here, NAFTA is not 135 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: universally criticized. The United States Chamber of Commerce and other 136 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: supporters say that NAFTA has led to a booming economy 137 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: and trade relationship, and that's why they're so gung ho 138 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: about t p P. Here's how it started. It was 139 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:52,599 Speaker 1: first called the Pacific three Closer Economic Partnership or P 140 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: three step. Because in the international sphere and especially at 141 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: the government level, people just love acronyms. The more non 142 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:04,439 Speaker 1: sensical the better. Uh. This happened during the two thousand 143 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: to APECK. That's another acron leaders meeting. Yes, APEX stands 144 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: for Asia Pacific economic cooperation, and in two thousand five, 145 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: Brunei joined full time and the trade group became known 146 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: as the P four because see they added one get it, 147 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: get it guys. Okay. Official agreements were concluded by Brunei, Chile, 148 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: New Zealand, and Singapore in June of two thousand five. 149 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: And what this means is that this didn't start with 150 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: the United States as a member. Now currently, right, there 151 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: are twelve members in this and Matt, maybe we can 152 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: alternate and just name them Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, 153 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: United States, Australia, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, Canada, Japan, the 154 00:09:56,040 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: Republic of China or Taiwan, and Republic of Korea. And 155 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: they're hoping so many more will join. So if you 156 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: are the head of a Pacific rim government and happened 157 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: to be listening to our show, hey, thank you, and 158 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 1: uh here's looking at you, Indonesia, what's going on? Get 159 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: at me or you know, get at someone in charge 160 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: of making that uh decision. They are hoping more people 161 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: joined soon, and they're especially hoping a certain country will 162 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 1: join because Matt, some people are missing from the table. Right, Yeah, 163 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: there's one in particular that you mentioned in the vlog 164 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: from this week that is super surprising. The biggest player 165 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: over there in the Asia Pacific area China, who you know, 166 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: we're talking about the largest population. We're talking about massive, 167 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:50,079 Speaker 1: a massive economy, second largest in the world. Uh, the 168 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: United States is currently still first. Speculation around the Western 169 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: speaking world leads us to believe that China, at least 170 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: factions of the and these governments see this free trade 171 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: agreement as an attempt to contain China's growth internationally. And China, 172 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: it's true, has uh several other free trade initiatives of 173 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 1: their own that they have been pushing that they want 174 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: the US not to really mess with, and the US 175 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: is telling them not to mess with that and to 176 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: join their organization. It's like two people holding a party 177 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:32,599 Speaker 1: at each at different houses on the same night and saying, no, no, 178 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: you're welcome, I really want you to come to the party, 179 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 1: but come to my house. Let's let's hang out at 180 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: my house. And that's that's on a basic level. But 181 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: we've talked about how the t p P came to be, 182 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 1: We've talked about the countries involved, We've talked about free 183 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: trade and what that means. And now it's time to 184 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: actually talk about what the TPP says. After a word 185 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: from our sponsored and we're back. So Ben, We've gone 186 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: over a lot of the stuff about the TPP, but 187 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 1: I'm not really sure exactly what, Like, what's the big 188 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: issue here? What does it say? That's a great question, 189 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,559 Speaker 1: and that's when we didn't answer during the break, So 190 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: let's get right into it. One trippy thing about this 191 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: agreement is although it affects literally millions of people, over 192 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: three million in the United States alone, this is something 193 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: we only know about because there were leaked drafts that 194 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: came out courtesy of some of our buddies on the internet. 195 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: And and these leaked sections, which are to be fair 196 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: certainly not the entirety of the agreement, nor they have 197 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: the final version, they have a lot of stuff that 198 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: most of our listeners would disagree with, like language that 199 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: resurrects the SOPA UH, which was the Internet Rights Act 200 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: and an act in several of the other versions of it, 201 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: basically attempts to control the way the Internet is used. Right, 202 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 1: And we won't bog you down too much with reading 203 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 1: the dry language of this, but we will tell you 204 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: where you can read more. And there's a number one 205 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: place to read the actual text. Yeah, I was on 206 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: WikiLeaks just before this going through some of the documentation. 207 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: They've put out some really great press releases trying to 208 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: explain exactly what some of the language means. Again, Wiki 209 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: leaks dot org is a place where you can go 210 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: and get this. And there are the initial people who 211 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: are they're the way that I found out about it, right, Yeah, 212 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: whomever that whistleblower was that sent the early drafts. They 213 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: also updated these drafts. And of course if you don't 214 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: want to stumble through this dry international text, then you 215 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,840 Speaker 1: can go to online analysis. You can read both the 216 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: left and the right sides of the political sphere for 217 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: the best picture. That's what I would say. Yeah, and 218 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: there's one more place you can go to, and that 219 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: is the official Office of the United States Trade Representative website. 220 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: They've got I guess a PR version of what the 221 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: TPP might be. M h. Yeah, it's it's weird when 222 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: you read that official language because one thing I found 223 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: that was strange there is that people were quoting internal 224 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: buzzwords and I couldn't determine where that buzzword originated. One 225 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: of them was the phrase high standard. Whenever you read 226 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: the Office of the Trade Representatives official statements or other 227 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: countries official statements, they have all agreed on the phrase 228 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: high standard. No one has really defined what high standard means. 229 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: Matt just means that the standards. Oh okay, well, pardon 230 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: the heck out of me. Right. We should also point 231 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: out that the Office of the US Trade Representative is 232 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: with the name we're throwing around, is the part of 233 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: the executive brand Itch that is charged with running the 234 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: negotiations for the U S side. Now we have a 235 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: rough look at some of the official statement will here 236 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: from the Uncle Sam side supporting the t p P. 237 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: They believed as the potential to boost US exports and 238 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: investments by lowering tariffs and leveling the playing field air 239 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 1: quotes in some large or rapidly growing markets. The White 240 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: House said that the tpp would create or could create 241 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: more US jobs, and it could also generate an additional 242 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty three point five billion dollars a 243 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: year in US exports by so beyond the ideas here 244 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: for business beyond the commercial side, there are a lot 245 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: of experts who regard the t p P as a 246 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: key piece of US foreign policy. Yes, and amid the 247 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: rise of China and it's increasing, let's say, exercise of 248 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: political and military power over in East Asia, the current administration, 249 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: Obama administration said that it would turn its attention more 250 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: to the East, the so called you might have heard 251 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:12,400 Speaker 1: this before on the news, the pivot to Asia. Yeah, 252 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: and uh. They want to strengthen US influence in that region, 253 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: which means matt essentially that the factions of the Chinese 254 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: government who are saying this was a move to contain 255 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: China were right, because the idea here is to prevent 256 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: China from becoming what's called a hedgemon, and a hedgemon 257 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: is the top dog in an area. Now there are 258 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: global hedgemon's, there regional hedgemons. There hasn't really been a 259 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: global hedgemon that lasted for a very long time. The 260 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: British Empire certainly expanded, uh and owned a great many nations. 261 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: I feel like maybe it's controversial to say owned, but 262 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: it's true. The United States right now, being one of 263 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:06,120 Speaker 1: the only world superpowers that survived and thrived in World 264 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: War after World War two, has so many territories and overseas, 265 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: not quite nation places that a lot of people in 266 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: the United States don't know about. Look up Diego Garcia. 267 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: I think we mentioned that in an earlier podcast. Right. 268 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 1: When I think about a superpower hedgemon in that way, 269 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 1: I don't necessarily think of it as from the empire 270 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: perspective of owning a bunch of lands. I mean maybe 271 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: controlling a bunch of areas. What I think of is 272 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: just having your I was gonna say tentacles, but just currency. 273 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: Maybe currency would be a huge way to control certain areas, 274 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: or even just you know, having a military base, yes, 275 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: in or around your area. And we've we've talked about 276 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: that a lot too, probably off air. I forget sometimes 277 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 1: when we're on air, we're off which is something I 278 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: should try to remember saying it's important so we don't 279 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: end up swearing what. Yes. One of the big distinctions 280 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: here is the ability to project force, which is the 281 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 1: term for your ability to send an army or navy 282 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 1: or an air strike somewhere. And I think we've talked 283 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 1: about brown, green, and blue water navies on the show, right, 284 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: I think we've mentioned it. We have not covered it 285 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,680 Speaker 1: in detail, all right, Well, just real quick, most countries 286 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,640 Speaker 1: that have a Naval Force have what's called a brown 287 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: water navy, and what this means is that they can 288 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 1: only go a few hundred miles away from the coast. 289 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: And then there's a green water navy, which can go 290 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 1: a little bit further out. And then there's a blue 291 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 1: water navy, which only a few nations have, then the 292 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: United States being one of them, which can go anywhere 293 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: in the world. And since the US has aircraft carriers, 294 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: if you are another country, you want to play nice 295 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: because you don't want an aircraft carrier of all things, 296 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: running up to your shore and then launching air strikes. 297 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: Are too close, right, Yeah, And it's it's got to 298 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 1: be suspicious for anyone who follows the news around the 299 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 1: world when tensions start building between countries. All of a sudden, 300 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: they're doing war games, right, and all of a sudden, 301 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 1: South Korea and the United States are just running a 302 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 1: regularly scheduled war game. And then all of a sudden, 303 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:21,360 Speaker 1: oh wait, there's an aircraft carrier not too far from 304 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 1: our country. Okay, like when the there was a large 305 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 1: summit in Australia recently and Vladimir Putin, who, as you 306 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 1: can recall, is in a huge not quite cold war, 307 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 1: lukewarm war with the West and economic war. Really he 308 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,439 Speaker 1: traveled down to Australia for this meeting, and when he 309 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 1: traveled there, he traveled with warships and they they docked 310 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: off the coast while he was at the meeting, which 311 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: some would say is paranoid or someone says showy, But 312 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: I think it might have just been good planning. I 313 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: don't know how you travel if you're in charge of 314 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: a country, especially a country that's embroiled in those kind 315 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: of cold conflicts. So this means that this means that 316 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: if a country achieves hedgemoney, then it will be able 317 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 1: to UH make clients states of all the other countries 318 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: in its sphere of influence. One of the things that's 319 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: really big when we hear about Middle Eastern conflict is 320 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: the idea of Saudi Arabia or Iran uh expanding this 321 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: sphere of influence and UH toppling the United States, which 322 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: the United States is sort of global hedgemon. And we 323 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: know that China weaving the world, not just the West 324 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: knows that China is seeking to expand. China is building islands. 325 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:51,440 Speaker 1: It's literally building islands in what we call the Sea 326 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: of China here in the States or the South China Sea, 327 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,199 Speaker 1: excuse me, so that it can make better claims to 328 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: these to these islands, to this maritime property. So it's 329 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 1: not just the United States being paranoid. It's they're paying attention. 330 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 1: And it's got extensive intelligence agencies that look at this 331 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. Oh yeah, what do we always call 332 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: it an alphabet soup? Right? But we we know that 333 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: there is probably all to say, there is probably a 334 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: valid point there about an ulterior motive beyond the economy, 335 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,360 Speaker 1: and there's a there's a cynical perspective about this too. Yeah, 336 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: there's a way to look at this and go, oh god, 337 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 1: well that that perspective would entail looking at the benefits 338 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: that companies and wealthy individuals, wealthy persons which are company 339 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:53,719 Speaker 1: has been um, just the benefits that they're getting at 340 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: the expense of ordinary citizens on either side of these 341 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: trading deals. So if you look at a massive corporation 342 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 1: coming in and wanting to trade let's say there, let's 343 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: say corn, a huge amount of corn. Let's say Japan 344 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: just really has been liking corn lately, and they want 345 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: to get some of this American corn, and they want 346 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 1: it cheap. So these massive corporations that are mass producing corn, say, 347 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 1: the subsidized farmers all that stuff, they're gonna get benefits 348 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 1: over you know, somebody who is not producing that crop 349 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 1: for the US government. That's a great point because there's 350 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: a fantastic example. And by fantastic, I don't mean good 351 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,640 Speaker 1: for the people involved. I mean it hits almost letter 352 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: to letter what you're saying. One country was different. NAFTA 353 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:49,159 Speaker 1: lead to was called dumping for corn in Mexico because 354 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: these subsidized corn growers in the United States were able 355 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: to make corn much much cheaper, and then with a 356 00:22:55,840 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: free trade agreement, there was not really away from Mexico 357 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: to protect its domestic industry. So it was bad news 358 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,679 Speaker 1: for a lot of Mexican farmers. But again supporters of 359 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: this stuff would say, great news for the Mexican economy. 360 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 1: Not to mention things where you overproduce a crop because 361 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,400 Speaker 1: you're getting so many subsidies, then you just burn it. 362 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,439 Speaker 1: It's so strange the way that trade works domestically and internationally. 363 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: You know, one thing I always remember from growing up 364 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: and breeding about the Great Depression in the United States 365 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: is that due to price drops and fluctuations. People were 366 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: starving in the cities, you know, and farmers in rural 367 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: areas were throwing milk into the creek because it was worthless. 368 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: It's strange because it means that we can, through the 369 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 1: we can, through the use of speculation and the use 370 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: of money and goods as an abstract rather than a 371 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: concrete um asset, we can engineer these situations where people 372 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: are starving and throwing away things that would keep them alive. 373 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: It's just weird, but okay, so sorry, I digress. Uh. 374 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 1: Politicians in the West, the cynical would say, generally represent 375 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: moneyed interest and it is also true that in many 376 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: Asian economies, governments openly own what would function as a corporation, 377 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: like Brunei for instance. Right. Uh, So this leads the 378 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: cynical to conclude one thing, Right, Yes, this deal will pass. 379 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 1: It will be negotiated, probably for a while longer, but 380 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: it will pass because those in charge of negotiating, they 381 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: don't really answer to anybody but the moneyed interests. Yes, 382 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: And we're going to come back to some specific things, 383 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,199 Speaker 1: which I believe we talked about in the videos a 384 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: little bit, right, Uh. Some of the specific problems or 385 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: concerns or dangers with this, and again these are the 386 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: words of critics. We are going to talk about the 387 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 1: stuff they don't want you to know about the t 388 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:11,879 Speaker 1: p P, But first a message from our sponsor. All right, 389 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: So let's get into what the critiques are so far 390 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 1: of the Transpacific Partnership. Yeah, there are a few. The 391 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: biggest one that I've read thus far, and that I 392 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: think holds the most weight, is that it's secretive. It's 393 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,679 Speaker 1: super secret. The only again, the only reason we know 394 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: about this is because it was leaked by Wiki leaks, 395 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: and it was just a draft version of it. And 396 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: we're talking about, you know, some pretty big players, large economies, 397 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: a lot of people like you said, and it's a 398 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: hush hush game. Yeah. Congress members have noted that the 399 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:54,119 Speaker 1: Office of the US Trade Representative made it very difficult 400 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,200 Speaker 1: for them and their staff to learn more about the 401 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 1: t p P. And you gotta think this is especially 402 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: troubling when around seven hundred quote cleared advisors unquote, all 403 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: of whom come from i P rights holders, have access 404 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: to the entirety of the text. So there are seven 405 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: hundred cleared people who get to look at this and 406 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: these are like corporate lawyers right in. And one of 407 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: the big problems with this is that Congress doesn't have 408 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:32,480 Speaker 1: access to this agreement, but the private sector does. And 409 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 1: regardless of how carefully that information is handled, it seems 410 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: that this to to many of the critics, it seems 411 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: that this should be something Congress is allowed to know 412 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:45,359 Speaker 1: more about. Now. Don't get us wrong, there are quite 413 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:48,360 Speaker 1: a few members of Congress who support this so much 414 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:51,399 Speaker 1: so that they want to quote unquote fast track it 415 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: and get it get it permanent before people really well, 416 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: when I say people, I'm sorry, I just mean before 417 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 1: the average citizen or a voter gets a chance to 418 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: say something about this. Well. And they say that the 419 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: secrecy is highly important because they're making these deals that 420 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: are very sensitive. We're talking about I want I don't 421 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,159 Speaker 1: even I can't tell you the percentage change in the 422 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: dollar signs and everything that would make a deal go 423 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 1: through or not go through. I have no idea, but 424 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: I have a feeling that these little bits and pieces 425 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 1: that are traded there, it's like this Jenga game where 426 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:33,120 Speaker 1: little one pieces taken out, but then people are putting 427 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: another little piece back in, and it's really sensitive if 428 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: one person gets it wrong, or one party gets it 429 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:40,479 Speaker 1: completely wrong, then the whole thing is done. You know, 430 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: that's not a bad comparison at all, because we do 431 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: know that the following example could happen, all right, So 432 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: we know that all of the states are not seeing 433 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: eye to eye on the agreement. Right, There's some things 434 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: that the United States really wants that no other country wants. 435 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,439 Speaker 1: There's some things that three other countries want that no 436 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: other country wants, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Let's take this for 437 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:10,239 Speaker 1: an example. Let's say that, uh, the part of the 438 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 1: copyrighting stuff which was a version of what was published. 439 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: Let's say that this being published shows the United States aims, 440 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:25,360 Speaker 1: which are to completely uniformly regulate copyright law. Right. Intellectual 441 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 1: property is a huge part of what we've read about 442 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: the TPP. So if you're a country that disagrees with 443 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:35,199 Speaker 1: the US position and you see documents indicating that that 444 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: is the biggest thing for the United States in this agreement, 445 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: then you know that you can push the negotiators to 446 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: cave on some other stuff because their one priority is 447 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: going to be that thing. So there's a validity to that, 448 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 1: But that is by far not the only issue people 449 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: have with this agreement. You know, like we said before, 450 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: there is a huge danger to Internet freedom. The Internet 451 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:05,280 Speaker 1: is something that is international. It exists across the world, 452 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: is not just a one country thing. And it's the 453 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: same stuff that made most of the Internet revolt against 454 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 1: the legislation that was trying to be pushed through United 455 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: the United States, the Actor and the what was the 456 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 1: other one? The SOAPA, all that stuff. If you just 457 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: have a barrage of vague enough acronyms, eventually people will 458 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: stop paying attention, right, that's the idea. There's another thing 459 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: here similar to this, the idea that having such active, 460 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: uniform i P regulation would restrict innovation. And we have 461 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 1: seen this happen before with software patents. Right when you 462 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: patent an idea, and now there are companies that just 463 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: exist as software trolls. They just own patents and sue people, 464 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: whether or not the people purposely we're using that patent, 465 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: or whether it's really something that you can patent. But 466 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 1: that's a different podcasts here. One one thing that I 467 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: do think is important to point out is that there's 468 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: nothing really wrong with regulating internet or intellectual property. Uh, 469 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: but the way that this could be done can be damaging, 470 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: and here, I think is one of the more damaging things. 471 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: Critics say that this could potentially remove the rights of 472 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 1: state legal systems, of a nation's ability to enforce its 473 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 1: own regulations, because there's a there's this idea that companies 474 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 1: would be able to resolve disputes or like investors quote unquote, 475 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:43,719 Speaker 1: would be able to resolve disputes with an international tribune 476 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: of the tribunal excuse me of the t PP. So 477 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: that means that if, for instance, you are a large 478 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: company that violates some sort of regulatory standard in I 479 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: don't know, Uruguay, Bolivia or something like that, then under 480 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: this this you would not necessarily have to go to 481 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: court there. You could have this resolved in this international 482 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: tribunal that I don't know that just has such a 483 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: gives me such a sour taste in my mouth. It 484 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: seems like the idea of internally regulating yourself inside this group, 485 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 1: right state sovereignty, Yeah, because then what does the state 486 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: do if you if you're a part of this group 487 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: and you break some laws there and just take it 488 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: on over. And this is interesting too, because you know, 489 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: again this hasn't happened. The States don't all agree. No 490 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 1: one has officially made the t p P happen yet 491 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 1: as of the time we record this, but people are 492 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: certainly trying, and the supporters are very wild about it. 493 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 1: I know it seems like we're focusing exclusively on criticisms 494 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: of it, but that is because that's what we're looking 495 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 1: at with the show. We could we could do a 496 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,080 Speaker 1: show where we talk about global trade and into for 497 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: a wave, but then we'd also need to talk about 498 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 1: fair trade and and things like that and how real 499 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 1: or not real fair trade is. Then this show is 500 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: called stuff they don't want you to know, right, Yeah, Okay, 501 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,600 Speaker 1: I'm back back on that. So with this, with this 502 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: corporate stuff, which does post some scary possibilities. Honestly, regardless 503 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 1: of what you're political ideology or your religious bent is. 504 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,320 Speaker 1: It is strange because critics say, well, this means companies 505 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 1: might violate um, the environment, you know, environmental regulations. It 506 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 1: might mean that corporations become more powerful than nations. And 507 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 1: with that tribunal system. Uh, there is Ah, there's a 508 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: there's a worry about secrecy overall with this, I think, 509 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: and about trades, like how trading occurs between these countries. 510 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 1: I'm trying to get on that tribunal, you know what 511 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: I mean. Yeah, I I don't know what your qualifications 512 00:32:53,960 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 1: have to be. Probably not Internet writer, producer, podcaster, video editor. 513 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 1: I'll tell them I'm super producer, Noel. That's I'm probably in. Yeah, okay, 514 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: Now all I need is a letter of recommendation from Scalia. 515 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: Right done? And uh so, now we go into one 516 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 1: of my favorite parts of the show here, and I 517 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 1: know that it might be one of your least favorite parts, Matt. Yeah, 518 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 1: what do you think? Do you personally honestly believe if 519 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: you were comfortable with saying it? I yeah, okay. So 520 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: I'm a big fan of a band called Rage Against 521 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: the Machine, and because of my like and short term obsession, 522 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: I still am a big fan. But I was obsessed 523 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:43,719 Speaker 1: with him for a while. And I learned a lot 524 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:46,600 Speaker 1: about NAFTA actually because of that band. Yeah. They were 525 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 1: very active in that in protesting it. They were not supporters. 526 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: I learned, you know, on the I guess the negative side, 527 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: the critics side a lot about it. I mean, I'm 528 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: sure there are hugely positive things that came out of NAFTA. 529 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 1: I unfortunately don't know them because that my focus was 530 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:08,759 Speaker 1: on some of the workers rights problems and a lot 531 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: of the issues that came out. Um, I feel that 532 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:17,560 Speaker 1: this is representing gosh. I hate being so open about this, 533 00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:19,880 Speaker 1: but I feel that this thing, the t p P, 534 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:26,920 Speaker 1: is for corporations, by corporations to make profits. It's interesting 535 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:29,879 Speaker 1: to respond to that. One thing that I often hear 536 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:32,040 Speaker 1: and you often hear too, when we hear people talking 537 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:37,000 Speaker 1: about expanding global trade networks is that their enormous benefits 538 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:41,880 Speaker 1: people take for granted. Uh, there are differing products, you know, 539 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 1: from from foreign food to technology that we ordinarily would 540 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,840 Speaker 1: not be able to get or it would be tremendously 541 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:54,239 Speaker 1: prohibitively expensive. And then we also hear that, you know, 542 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: this is necessary for the great snowball that is the 543 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:01,879 Speaker 1: world econ to me, to keep rolling without ever quite 544 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: hitting the bottom, and just getting bigger and bigger and 545 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:08,359 Speaker 1: bigger as it goes. And one thing that got me 546 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: a long time ago, I was talking to one of 547 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: my professors who was an expert on this stuff, and 548 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: said that, you know, most people don't understand like the 549 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: function of a large scale economy. Uh. And then he said, 550 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,919 Speaker 1: and most people who do understand it don't understand that 551 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 1: an economy can be booming while people are starving. And 552 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,879 Speaker 1: that made such an impression on me because I think 553 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: that it is I think that it really depends on 554 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:43,719 Speaker 1: which perspective you see as the most worrisome, because there 555 00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: are quite a few people, quite a few influential and 556 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 1: very important people in the United States who think that, um, 557 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:57,840 Speaker 1: there is a desperate moment coming where where in China, 558 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 1: for example, would exceed United States in terms of economic influence, 559 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:07,359 Speaker 1: and that legislation like this, your trade agreements like this, 560 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 1: while not uh perfect by any means, are step towards 561 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 1: preserving the rest of the nation that can be saved, 562 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, the powers that are currently 563 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 1: being The thing that worries me Ben right now is 564 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,600 Speaker 1: global climate change. Honestly, the thing right now that is 565 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,280 Speaker 1: worrying me the most out of anything in the world 566 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:36,600 Speaker 1: is that it beat coronal mass ejections just by a tiny, 567 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:40,799 Speaker 1: tiny sliver. Honestly, That's what I'm worried about. I was 568 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 1: reading about the Antarctic and glacier melting ratio or what 569 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: rates thane release, and yeah, I mean, and if anybody 570 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 1: watches the Newsroom. You should watch the newsroom if you 571 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:00,640 Speaker 1: don't there. They had a great small piece on this, 572 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:02,600 Speaker 1: and then Mother Jones looked at it, and then I 573 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: looked at a couple other sites that analyzed their short piece, 574 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,959 Speaker 1: and I'm actually pretty terrified, and I feel like none 575 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 1: of any of these things that are happening, especially a 576 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: massive trade agreement like this, where it's going to be 577 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:21,640 Speaker 1: corporations probably polluting a lot and sending ships on a 578 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: higher frequency across the sea, and airplanes that are just 579 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 1: fully loaded with things. Um. It's scaring the Heackcademy because 580 00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:31,760 Speaker 1: it feels like we're just propelling ourselves into the abyss 581 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 1: at a faster and faster rate. There's a lot of 582 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:39,920 Speaker 1: under reported conflict occurrying or brewing up in the north 583 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:43,160 Speaker 1: northern part of the world, in the North Pole as 584 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 1: those ice caps melt and navigable passages emerge. One thing 585 00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 1: that one thing that's interesting here too as well, is that, 586 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:53,759 Speaker 1: you know, we've got quite a few listeners who think 587 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 1: that climate change itself, the idea of global warming or 588 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:00,839 Speaker 1: whatever you wanna call it, is some word of um 589 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,919 Speaker 1: one world order hoax. Uh So, I you know, i'd 590 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 1: be interested to hear both sides of it, because we've 591 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:12,279 Speaker 1: received passionate letters from people who say that humans are 592 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 1: literally ending the world as we know it, and then 593 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:18,960 Speaker 1: we've had people who say that this whole thing is 594 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:22,120 Speaker 1: is bunk of some sort, but right to us, and 595 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:24,719 Speaker 1: let us know what you say. The last word on 596 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 1: the t p P is that supporters say, look how 597 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 1: great NAFTA was, as what's going to happen next, right, 598 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:35,880 Speaker 1: and detractors and critics say, look how terrible NAPTA was, 599 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:39,080 Speaker 1: So let us know what you think. We hope that 600 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: we have proven that this free trade agreement stuff does matter, 601 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,520 Speaker 1: even if, well even though most people listening to the 602 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:50,080 Speaker 1: show never get a chance to vote on it. No, 603 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:52,759 Speaker 1: we won't and probably not a chance to read it. 604 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:57,319 Speaker 1: If Wikiliks has anything to say, hopefully we will. Well, 605 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:00,160 Speaker 1: we'll see if somebody donate something to Wicked Lis that's 606 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,600 Speaker 1: how they work. H But we hope in the meantime 607 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: you will stay tuned for our video on this international 608 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:08,160 Speaker 1: trade agreement, the biggest one in twenty years for the 609 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:10,759 Speaker 1: United States, actually, and we hope that you will check 610 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,440 Speaker 1: us out on Facebook and Twitter, and we hope that 611 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: you will also, Oh, wait, Matt, I forgot. We had 612 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 1: a caption contest, all right, and the winner is for 613 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:25,279 Speaker 1: that picture of Ben and I from the Snowpocalypse video 614 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 1: that all of you captioned so passionately. Thank you very 615 00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:33,400 Speaker 1: much everyone who wrote in commented, Um, some of you 616 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:36,319 Speaker 1: are hilarious and we appreciate it very much. There were 617 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: some impressive butt jokes on that one. Oh yes, but 618 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:44,280 Speaker 1: the winner is you ready for this? I'm ready, Remy Vogeler. 619 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:46,680 Speaker 1: You know I'm gonna read it. Yeah, yeah, read it, 620 00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:50,520 Speaker 1: Remy says Matt. Actually we could do it as it 621 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 1: just us. We can read it. Yeah. This is a dialogue. Yeah, 622 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: it's a dialogue between us, so, Remy says, is our 623 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:01,600 Speaker 1: subscribe button voting in the middle of the office. Don't 624 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:03,680 Speaker 1: look at it. I think the government put it there. 625 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:08,120 Speaker 1: Doctor nice. So thank you so much, I mean thank 626 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:12,080 Speaker 1: you to everybody who dropped a caption for us on 627 00:40:12,239 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 1: the on the Facebook threat. We wish we could give 628 00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:18,240 Speaker 1: more than one winner, because we we actually really enjoyed 629 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:20,799 Speaker 1: reading these. Uh, and we might do this again if 630 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:23,840 Speaker 1: you are interested a little later in the future. But 631 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:26,480 Speaker 1: in the meantime, remember this show does not just belong 632 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:29,719 Speaker 1: to Matt, Noel and me. This is your show and 633 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:34,200 Speaker 1: our best topics come from you, the listener. So if 634 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:36,879 Speaker 1: you would like to help us out and give us 635 00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:39,919 Speaker 1: a lead on something that you think all the other 636 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 1: listeners to this show should hear about very soon, then 637 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,640 Speaker 1: send us an email. We are conspiracy at how stuff 638 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:55,279 Speaker 1: works dot com. From more on this topic another unexplained phenomenon, 639 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:59,600 Speaker 1: visit YouTube dot com slash conspiracy stuff. You can also 640 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:03,160 Speaker 1: get an touch on Twitter at the handle at conspiracy stuff.