1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: So I wonder how many people in know about the 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: Trans Pacific Partnership or the t p P. Wow. You 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: know what, Ben, I am going to have to re 4 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: listen to this episode with you and everyone listening right now, 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: just to remind me myself exactly what it is, because 6 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: it's been a while and people haven't really been talking 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: about it hasn't been making the news rounds as of late. Yeah, 8 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: when we recorded this episode, the Trans Pacific Partnership with 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: something kind of sounded like a snooze fest, like a 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: lot of government initiatives or international initiatives. It has a 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: name that feels like it's designed to put you to sleep. 12 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,919 Speaker 1: But this agreement was also pretty secretive, and so you 13 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: and I investigated to see whether there was any truth 14 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: to the allegations of conspiracy. Yeah, it has to do 15 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: with I believe, the United States and a bunch of 16 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,040 Speaker 1: other partners working with as you can imagine across a 17 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: Pacific Ada Asian countries. Let's find out together what this 18 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: thing is and why we should care. From UFOs, two 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: ghosts and government cover ups, history is riddled with unexplained events. 20 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: You can turn back now or learn the stuff they 21 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: don't want me to now. Hello, welcome back to the show. 22 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: My name is Matt, and I am Ben, and I 23 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: have a question for you. Ben, lay it on me, brother, 24 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 1: you're done with T P P. Oh you know me whole. 25 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: If we're talking on a personal note, then I would 26 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: say that I'm very, very skeptical about T p P. 27 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations to you and to us if 28 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: you caught our reference to O P P U a 29 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: pretty pretty fantastic song from back in the day, right Matt? 30 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: And it's other people's property? Is that actually what it 31 00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: stands for? Is that just something I learned through the 32 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: grape vine? Do you know other people's something? Oh? There 33 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: are various interpretations, but we we are talking about today 34 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: and this week entirely is not O P P but 35 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: t p P, which stands for the trans Pacific Partnership. Alright, first, yeah, yeah, 36 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: First question? Why why should I care? This sounds like 37 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: a snooze fast? What the heck is it? You probably 38 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,519 Speaker 1: shouldn't care. What I would do is turn this off 39 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: and just go back to watching football. Oh yeah, yeah? 40 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: Or maybe um, what what is a celebrity doing that's 41 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: not important or matters? Did somebody maybe say something about 42 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: a different celebrity that is a throwaway line that could 43 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:48,119 Speaker 1: be interpreted or confused with news, because I have that's 44 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: what people like to watch, right. All I know is 45 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: that my character needs to level up and right now, 46 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: so I'm going to get on the game and just 47 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 1: do that for all Just grind, you know what I mean, 48 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: That's what it's about. So aside from our fairly cynical 49 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: portrayal of what people confuse with news and productivity, let's 50 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: talk about Transpacific Partnership, which if you follow some news 51 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: sources you may have heard about. If you're on Reddit, 52 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: of course, then you know about this. It is a 53 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: free trade agreement. So what is free trade? That's something 54 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: we hear a lot in the news sometimes sometimes we 55 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: just read it on Reddit. Well, free trade is in itself, 56 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: this sexy buzz word. It just sounds so good, right. 57 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: People love free stuff. Man, who doesn't love free stuff 58 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: and trading. I mean, that's what makes the world go around, right, 59 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: uhh yeah, So let's trade for free. Okay, I'm down. 60 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: But it isn't really free in the way you might think. Now. 61 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: It only means that different countries In this example here 62 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: with the t PP, different countries can agree to trade 63 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: goods and services all the things that they trade without tariffs, 64 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: which are taxes and quotas, which would be, you know, 65 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: you have to create a certain amount or you have 66 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: to buy or sell a certain amount in order to 67 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: make the trade occur, and all these other trading constraints 68 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: that you'd have to go through when you're making just 69 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: a simple transaction from one country to another. So one 70 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: of the big questions is why is this a big deal. 71 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: The majority of countries in the world today participate in 72 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: some kind of protectionism, and what this means is that 73 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: they impose those barriers that Matt is talking about here, 74 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: like tariffs or quotas on exports or imports, and they 75 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: do this to support their domestic businesses and arguably the 76 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: domestic economy. That's right. And one of the biggest examples 77 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: of this would be agricultural subsidies or food subsidies, where 78 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: government is essentially paying a farmer or a large agribusiness 79 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: corporation to make food and then they supplement the income 80 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: of that company or a group of farmers so that 81 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: they can sell in trade at a lower price for 82 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: these goods. Now, this affects global trade. Of course, if 83 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 1: there is a country that's able to produce corn at 84 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: a cheaper rate than of course people in country B 85 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: will buy the cheaper corn. Sure. But what happens here 86 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: is is pretty smart because I first started thinking about 87 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: this when the European Union was forming. One of the 88 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 1: big fights people had was over agricultural subsidies. France had 89 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: quite quite a lot, and the United States and Japan 90 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: actually have quite a lot right now too. We are 91 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: the home of big corn, after all. So there's a smart, 92 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: almost a real politic thing here, which is that if 93 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: you have these sorts of subsidies or some sort of 94 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: governmental support for your agribusiness, then you are taking out 95 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 1: insurance on your domestic ability to produce use food. So 96 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: that means that you'll survive your industry rather will survive 97 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: despite international competition. And it can mean that you won't 98 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: become dependent on imports for food. But and I know 99 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: I wrote this in such a crappy way here, but 100 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: it can be bad because it prevents global trade, and 101 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: people in favor of global trade, well you know that 102 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: bothers them written. I love it always my best defense. 103 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: But so that's a free trade agreement. It doesn't quite 104 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: mean what it sounds like it means. It is really 105 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: what is called a liberalization of trade. Now, Uh, can 106 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: I take a soapbox? Just real quick and all right? 107 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: So another thing that is tricky, These these buzzwords in 108 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: these terms can be so misleading. All right, listeners inside 109 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: and outside of the United States. You know that the 110 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: United States is roughly divided between Democrats and Republicans or 111 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 1: people who call themselves conservatives or liberals or something like that. 112 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: The thing here is that liberalization of trade does not 113 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: mean what you would think it means if you associate 114 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: it with what are called liberals in the United States. 115 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: What it means is that there is more liberty for 116 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: these actors, these uh companies, really and that there is 117 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: less state level restraint on them. So it's more of 118 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: a free to do what you will, uh in a 119 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: economic sense, whereas liberal in the United States is usually 120 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: taken to mean free to do what you will in 121 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: some sort of social sense. Right. And I'm not I'm 122 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: not picking a horse in that race. I am just 123 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: saying that's what it is, and and don't let it 124 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: be confused. But with this free trade agreement stuff. Right. Uh. 125 00:07:55,120 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: People who are fans of trade liberalization love it. But 126 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: people are just hearing about it or going okay, so 127 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: what what? What is this? Is it our first time 128 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: doing this as a country. Yes, this is not the 129 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: first time one of these free trade agreements has occurred, 130 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: especially with the United States. You might have heard of 131 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: something called NAFTA or the North American Free Trade Agreement, 132 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: which came into playing the I believe about twenty years 133 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: ago as we record this, and it was kind of 134 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: the same thing. It dealt with North America and some 135 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: of South America. Um, well, I guess it was just 136 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: North America, wasn't It was Mexico, Canada and the U S. 137 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:38,199 Speaker 1: So this arguably had some adverse effects on a couple 138 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: of things, a couple of markets, especially the Mexican agricultural markets. 139 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 1: Opponents said that NAFTA moved the US manufacturing overseas and 140 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: it cost hundreds of thousands of jobs inside the US 141 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: because there was this, uh motivation to lower the prices 142 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: of or excuse me, lower the costs of manufacturing. Well yeah, 143 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: and then also if there is less of a barrier 144 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: for importing goods from another country, right, yeah, it's cheaper 145 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: to make it over there. There you go, and even 146 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: what it costs you on shipping to get it on 147 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:18,439 Speaker 1: a cargo ship still leaves you with a wider profit margin. 148 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: Then of course you'll do it. That's just good business. Uh. 149 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: In fact, the US has had trade agreements with twenty 150 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: nations as of October, and there are more on the 151 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: table and in the works today, including the Trans Pacific Partnership. Right, 152 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: and just the point in fairness here, NAFTA is not 153 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: universally criticized. The United States Chamber of Commerce and other 154 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:47,199 Speaker 1: supporters say that NAFTA has led to a booming economy 155 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: and trade relationship, and that's why they're so gung ho 156 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: about t p P. Here's how it started. It was 157 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:58,839 Speaker 1: first called the Pacific three Closer Economic Partnership or P 158 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,679 Speaker 1: three step as in the international sphere and especially at 159 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,719 Speaker 1: the government level, people just love acronyms, The more nonsensical, 160 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: the better. Uh. This happened during the two thousand to APECK. 161 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: That's another acronym, leaders meeting. Yes, APEX stands for Asia 162 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: Pacific Economic Cooperation And in two thousand five Brunei joined 163 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: full time and the trade group became known as the 164 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: P four because see they added one. Get it, get 165 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: it guys. Okay. Official agreements were concluded by Brunei, Chile, 166 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: New Zealand, and Singapore in June of two thousand five. 167 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: And what this means is that this didn't start with 168 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: the United States as a member. Now currently, right, there 169 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: are twelve members in this and Matt, maybe we can 170 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: alternate and just name them Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, 171 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: United States, Australia, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, Canada, Japan, the 172 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: Republic of China or Taiwan, and Republic of Korea. And 173 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: they're hoping so many more will join. So if you 174 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: are the head of a Pacific rim government and happened 175 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: to be listening to our show, hey thank you. And uh, 176 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:19,079 Speaker 1: here's looking at you, Indonesia, what's going on? Get at 177 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: me or you know, get at someone in charge of 178 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: making that uh decision. They are hoping more people joined soon, 179 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 1: and they're especially hoping a certain country will join because Matt, 180 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: some people are missing from the table, right. Yeah, there's 181 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: one in particular that you mentioned in the vlog from 182 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: this week that is super surprising. The biggest player over 183 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: there in the Asia Pacific area, China. Who you know, 184 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: we're talking about the largest population. We're talking about massive, 185 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: a massive economy, second largest in the world. Uh, the 186 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: United States is currently still first. Spect Relation around the 187 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: Western speaking world leads us to believe that China, at 188 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: least factions of the Chinese government see this free trade 189 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 1: agreement as an attempt to contain China's growth internationally. And China, 190 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: it's true, has uh several other free trade initiatives of 191 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: their own that they have been pushing that they want 192 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,320 Speaker 1: the US not to really mess with, and the US 193 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: is telling them not to mess with that and to 194 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 1: join their organization. It's like two people holding a party 195 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: at each at different houses on the same night and 196 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: saying no, no, you're welcome, I really want you to 197 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 1: come to the party, but come to my house. Let's 198 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: let's hang out at my house. And that's that's on 199 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:48,719 Speaker 1: a basic level. But we've talked about how the t 200 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: p P came to be, we've talked about the countries involved, 201 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 1: we've talked about free trade and what that means, and 202 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: now it's time to actually talk about what the t 203 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:12,079 Speaker 1: p P says. After a word from our sponsored and 204 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: we're back. So Ben, We've gone over a lot of 205 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: the stuff about the TPP, but I'm not really sure 206 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: exactly what, Like, what's the big issue here? What is 207 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,560 Speaker 1: it's say, that's a great question, and it's when we 208 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 1: didn't answer during the break, So let's get right into it. 209 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: One trippy thing about this agreement is although it affects 210 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 1: literally millions of people, over three million in the United 211 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 1: States alone, this is something we only know about because 212 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: there were leaked drafts that came out courtesy of some 213 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: of our buddies on the internet. And and these leaked sections, 214 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: which are to be fair certainly not the entirety of 215 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: the agreement, nor they have the final version. They have 216 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff that most of our listeners would 217 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: disagree with, like language that resurrects the SOPA, which was 218 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: the Internet Rights Act and an act in several of 219 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: the other versions of it basically attempts to control the 220 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: way the Internet is used. Right, And we won't bog 221 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: you down too much with reading the dry language of this, 222 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: but we will tell you where you can read more. 223 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: And there's a number one place to read the actual text. Yeah, 224 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: I was on WikiLeaks just before this going through some 225 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: of the documentation. They've put out some really great press 226 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: releases trying to explain exactly what some of the language means. Again, 227 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: wiki leaks dot org is a place where you can 228 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: go and get this and there are the initial people 229 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: who are they're the way that I found out about it, right, Yeah, 230 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: whomever that whistleblower was that sent the early drafts. They 231 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: also updated these drafts. And of course if you don't 232 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: want to stumble through this dry international text, then you 233 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: can go to online analysis. You can read both the 234 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: left and the right sides of the political sphere for 235 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: the best picture. That's what I would say. Yeah, and 236 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: there's one more place you can go to, and that 237 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: is the official Office of the United States Trade Representative website. 238 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: They've got I guess a pr version of what the 239 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: TPP might be mm hmm. Yeah. It's it's weird when 240 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: you read that official language because one thing I found 241 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: that was strange there is that people were quoting internal 242 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: buzzwords and I couldn't determine where that buzzword originated. One 243 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: of them was the phrase high standard. Whenever you read 244 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: the Office of the Trade Representatives official statements or other 245 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: countries official statements. They have all agreed on the phrase 246 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: high standard. No one has really defined what high standard means. 247 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: Matt just means of the standards. Oh okay, well, pardon 248 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: the heck out of me. Right. We should also point 249 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: out that the Office of the US Trade Representative with 250 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: the name we're throwing around, is the part of the 251 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: executive branch that is charged with running the negotiations for 252 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: the US side. Now we have a rough look at 253 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: some of the official statement well here from the Uncle 254 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: Sam side supporting the t p P. They believed as 255 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: the potential to boost US exports and investments by lowering 256 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: tariffs and leveling the playing field air quotes in some 257 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: large or rapidly growing markets. The White House said that 258 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: the tpp would create or could create more US jobs, 259 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: and it could also generate an additional one hundred and 260 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: twenty three point five billion dollars a year in US 261 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: exports by so beyond the ideas here for business, beyond 262 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: the commercial side, there are a lot of experts who 263 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: regard the t p P as a key piece of 264 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: US foreign policy US and amid the rise of China 265 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: and it's increasing let's say, exercise of political and military 266 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: power over in East Asia. The current administration, Obama administration 267 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,719 Speaker 1: said that it would turn its attention more to the East, 268 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,199 Speaker 1: the so called you might have heard this before on 269 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: the news, the pivot to Asia. Yeah, and uh. They 270 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: want to strengthen US influence in that region, which means 271 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: matt essentially that the factions of the Chinese government who 272 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: are saying this was a move to contain China were right, 273 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,359 Speaker 1: because the idea here is to prevent China from becoming 274 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: what's called a hedgemon, and a hedgemon is the top 275 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: dog in an area. Now there are global hedgemons, their 276 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 1: regional hegemons. There hasn't really been a global hedgemon that 277 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 1: lasted for a very long time. The British Empire certainly expanded, 278 00:17:55,800 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 1: uh and owned a great many nations. I feel like 279 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: maybe it's controversial to say owned, but it's true. The 280 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 1: United States right now, being one of the only world 281 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: superpowers that survived and thrived in World War after World 282 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:20,880 Speaker 1: War two, has so many territories and overseas, not quite nation, 283 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: places that a lot of people in the United States 284 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 1: don't know about. Look up Diego Garcia. I think We 285 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: mentioned that in an earlier podcast. Right, When I think 286 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: about a superpower hedgemon in that way, I don't necessarily 287 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: think of it as from the empire perspective of owning 288 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: a bunch of lands. I mean maybe controlling a bunch 289 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 1: of areas. What I think of is just having your 290 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: I was gonna say tentacles, but just hearrency. Maybe currency 291 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: would be a huge way to control certain areas, or 292 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: even just you know, having a military base, yes, in 293 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: or around your area. Now, we've we've talked about that 294 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: a lot too, probably off air. For get. Sometimes when 295 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 1: we're on air, we're off which is something I should 296 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:06,199 Speaker 1: try to remember, say it's important so we don't end 297 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:10,360 Speaker 1: up swearing. But yes, one of the big distinctions here 298 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,200 Speaker 1: is the ability to project force, which is the term 299 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: for your ability to send an army or navy or 300 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: an air strike somewhere. And I think we've talked about brown, green, 301 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: and blue water navies on the show, right, I think 302 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 1: we've mentioned we have not covered it in detail. All right, Well, 303 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: just real quick. Most countries that have a naval force 304 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: have what's called a brown water navy, and what this 305 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: means is that they can only go a few hundred 306 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: miles away from the coast, and then there's a green 307 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: water navy which can go a little bit further out. 308 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 1: And then there's a blue water Navy, which only a 309 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: few nations have, then the United States being one of them, 310 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 1: which can go anywhere in the world. And since the 311 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 1: US has aircraft carriers, if you are another country, you 312 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: want to play nice, because you don't want an aircraft 313 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 1: carrier of all things, running up to your shore and 314 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: then launching air strikes even anywhere too close, right, Yeah, 315 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: And it's it's got to be suspicious for anyone who 316 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 1: follows the news around the world when tensions start building 317 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: between countries. All of a sudden they're doing war games, right, 318 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: And all of a sudden South Korea and the United 319 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,719 Speaker 1: States are just running a regularly scheduled war game. And 320 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,880 Speaker 1: then all of a sudden, oh wait, there's an aircraft 321 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: carrier not too far from our country. Okay, like when 322 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:35,479 Speaker 1: the there was a large summit in Australia recently, and 323 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin, who, as you can recall, is in a 324 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 1: huge not quite cold war, lukewarm war with the West 325 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:49,439 Speaker 1: and economic war really, he traveled down to Australia for 326 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,919 Speaker 1: this meeting, and when he traveled there, he traveled with 327 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: warships and they they docked off the coast while he 328 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: was at the meeting, which some say is paranoid or 329 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:04,919 Speaker 1: someone says showy, but I think it might have just 330 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: been good planning. I don't know how you travel if 331 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 1: you're in charge of a country, especially a country that's 332 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: embroiled in those kind of cold conflicts. So this means 333 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: that this means that if a country achieves hedgemoney, then 334 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:25,919 Speaker 1: it will be able to UH make clients states of 335 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 1: all the other countries in its sphere of influence. One 336 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: of the things that's really big when we hear about 337 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: Middle Eastern conflict is the idea of Saudi Arabia or 338 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:41,919 Speaker 1: Iran UH expanding this sphere of influence and UH toppling 339 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,359 Speaker 1: the United States, which the United States is sort of 340 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: global hedgemon. And we know that China, we being the world, 341 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: not just the West, knows that China is seeking to expand. 342 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: China is building islands. It's literally building islands in what 343 00:21:58,320 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: we call the See of China. Here in the state 344 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: are the South China Sea, excuse me, so that it 345 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,639 Speaker 1: can make better claims to these to these islands, to 346 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: this maritime property. So it's not just the United States 347 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: being paranoid. It's there's paying attention and it's got extensive 348 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: intelligence agencies that look at this kind of stuff. Oh yeah, 349 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: what do we always call it an alphabet soup? Right? 350 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: But we we know that there is probably all to say. 351 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: There is probably a valid point there about an ulterior 352 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: motive beyond the economy, and there's a there's a cynical 353 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: perspective about this too. Yeah, there's a way to look 354 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 1: at this and go, oh god, well that that perspective 355 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 1: would entail looking at the benefits that companies and wealthy individuals, 356 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 1: wealthy persons which are company has been um just the 357 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: benefits that they're getting at the expense of ordinary citizens 358 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: on either side of these trading deals. So if you 359 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: look at a massive corporation coming in and wanting to 360 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: trade let's say there, let's say corn, a huge amount 361 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 1: of corn. Let's say Japan just really has been liking 362 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: corn lately, and they want to get some of this 363 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:26,159 Speaker 1: American corn, and they want it cheap. So these massive 364 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: corporations that are mass producing corn, say the subsidized farmers 365 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 1: all that stuff, they're gonna get benefits over you know, 366 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: somebody who is not producing that crop for the US government. 367 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: That's a great point because there's a fantastic example, and 368 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: by fantastic, I don't mean good for the people involved. 369 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 1: I mean it hits almost letter to letter what you're saying. 370 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 1: One country was different. NAFTA lead to was called dumping 371 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:59,439 Speaker 1: for corn in Mexico because these subsidized corn growers in 372 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 1: the Unite and States were able to make more, much, 373 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,120 Speaker 1: much cheaper. And then with a free trade agreement, there 374 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: was not really a way for Mexico to protect its 375 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: domestic industry. So it was bad news for a lot 376 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: of Mexican farmers. But again, supporters of this stuff would say, 377 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: great news for the Mexican economy. Not to mention things 378 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: where you overproduce a crop because you're getting so many subsidies, 379 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 1: then you just burn it. It's so strange the way 380 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,920 Speaker 1: that trade works domestically and internationally. You know, one thing 381 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: I always remember from growing up and breeding about the 382 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,439 Speaker 1: Great Depression in the United States is that due to 383 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: price drops and fluctuations, people were starving in the cities, 384 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:42,640 Speaker 1: you know, and farmers in rural areas were throwing milk 385 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 1: into the creek because it was worthless. It's strange because 386 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:51,960 Speaker 1: it means that we can, through the we can, through 387 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: the use of speculation and the use of money and 388 00:24:56,040 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 1: goods as an abstract rather than a concrete um asset, 389 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 1: we can engineer these situations where people are starving and 390 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: throwing away things that would keep them alive. It's just weird, 391 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:14,439 Speaker 1: but okay, so sorry, I digress. Uh. Politicians in the West, 392 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:19,359 Speaker 1: the cynical would say, generally represent moneyed interest And it 393 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: is also true that in many Asian economies, governments openly 394 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: own what would function as a corporation, like Brunei for instance. Right. 395 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 1: So this leads the cynical to conclude one thing, Right, Yes, 396 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,919 Speaker 1: this deal will pass. It will be negotiated, probably for 397 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: a while longer, but it will pass because those in 398 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 1: charge of negotiating they don't really answer to anybody but 399 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: the moneyed interests. Yes, And we're going to come back 400 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 1: to some specific things, which I believe we talked about 401 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 1: in the videos a little bit, right, Uh, some of 402 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 1: the specific problems or concerns or dangers with this, And 403 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: again these are the words of critics we are going 404 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:07,439 Speaker 1: to talk about the stuff they don't want you to 405 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: know about the TPP. But first a message from our sponsor. 406 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:25,000 Speaker 1: All right, So let's get into what the critiques are 407 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 1: so far of the Transpacific Partnership. Yeah, there are a few. 408 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: The biggest one that I've read thus far, and that 409 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: I think holds the most weight, is that it's secretive. 410 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: It's super secret. The only again, the only reason we 411 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 1: know about this is because it was leaked by wiki leaks, 412 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,160 Speaker 1: and it was just a draft version of it. And 413 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: we're talking about you know, some pretty big players, um 414 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: large economies, a lot of people like you said, and 415 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 1: it's a hush hush game. Yeah. Congress members have noted 416 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:02,399 Speaker 1: that the Office of the US AID Representative made it 417 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:06,680 Speaker 1: very difficult for them and their staff to learn more 418 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:10,439 Speaker 1: about the t p P. And you gotta think this 419 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 1: is especially troubling when around seven hundred quote cleared advisors unquote, 420 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,280 Speaker 1: all of whom come from i P rights holders, have 421 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 1: access to the entirety of the text. So there are 422 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: seven hundred cleared people who get to look at this, 423 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,960 Speaker 1: and these are like corporate lawyers right in extence. And 424 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 1: one of the big problems with this is that Congress 425 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: doesn't have access to this agreement, but the private sector does, 426 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:46,199 Speaker 1: and regardless of how carefully that information is handled. It 427 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: seems that this to to many of the critics, it 428 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 1: seems that this should be something Congress is allowed to 429 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: know more about. Now. Don't get us wrong, there are 430 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,359 Speaker 1: quite a few members of Congress who support this so 431 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 1: much so that they want to quote unquote fast to 432 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 1: track it and get it, get it permanent before people 433 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: really well. When I say people, sorry, I just mean 434 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 1: before the average citizen or a voter gets a chance 435 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:16,480 Speaker 1: to say something about this well. And they say that 436 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: the secrecy is highly important because they're making these deals 437 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 1: that are very sensitive. We're talking about I want I 438 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: don't even I can't tell you the percentage change in 439 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: the dollar signs and everything that would make a deal 440 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: go through or not go through. I have no idea, 441 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 1: but I have a feeling that these little bits and 442 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: pieces that are traded there, it's like this Jenga game 443 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: where little one pieces taken out, but then people are 444 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 1: putting another little piece back in, and it's really sensitive. 445 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: If one person gets it wrong, or one party gets 446 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: it completely wrong, then the whole thing is done. You know, 447 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: that's not a bad comparison at all, because we do 448 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,719 Speaker 1: know that the following example could happen. All right, so 449 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,959 Speaker 1: we know that all of the states are not seeing 450 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: eye to eye on the agreement. Right, There's some things 451 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: that the United States really wants that no other country wants. 452 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: There's some things that three other countries want that no 453 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 1: other country wants, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Let's take this for 454 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: an example. Let's say that, uh, the part of the 455 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: copyrighting stuff which was a version of what was published. 456 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: Let's say that this being published shows the United States aims, 457 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: which are to completely uniformly regulate copyright law. Right. Intellectual 458 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: property is a huge part of what we've read about 459 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: the TPP. So if you're a country that disagrees with 460 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:44,479 Speaker 1: the US position and you see documents indicating that that 461 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 1: is the biggest thing for the United States in this agreement, 462 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 1: then you know that you can push the negotiators to 463 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 1: cave on some other stuff because their one priority is 464 00:29:57,040 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 1: going to be that thing. So there's a validity to that, 465 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 1: But that is by far not the only issue people 466 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: have with this agreement. You know, like we said before, 467 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: there is a huge danger to Internet freedom. The Internet 468 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: is something that is international. It exists across the world, 469 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: is not just a one country thing. And it's the 470 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 1: same stuff that made most of the Internet revolt against 471 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 1: the legislation that was trying to be pushed through United 472 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 1: the United States, the Actor and the what was the 473 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 1: other one? The SOAPA, all that stuff. If you just 474 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: have a barrage of vague enough acronyms, eventually people will 475 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: stop paying attention, Right, that's the idea. There's another thing 476 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 1: here similar to this, the idea that having such active, 477 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: uniform i P regulation would restrict innovation. And we have 478 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: seen this happen before with software patents. Right when you 479 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: patent an idea, and now there are companies that just 480 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: exist as software trolls. They just own patents and sue people, 481 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: whether or not the people purposely we're using that patent, 482 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: or whether it's really something that you can patent. But 483 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: that's a whole different podcasts here. One one thing that 484 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 1: I do think is important to point out is that 485 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 1: there's nothing really wrong with regulating internet or intellectual property. Uh, 486 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: but the way that this could be done can be damaging. 487 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 1: And here I think is one of the more damaging things. 488 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: Critics say that this could potentially remove the rights of 489 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,920 Speaker 1: state legal systems, of a nation's ability to enforce its 490 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: own regulations, because there's a there's this idea that companies 491 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 1: would be able to resolve disputes or like investors quote unquote, 492 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 1: would be able to resolve disputes with an international tribune 493 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: of the tribunal excuse me of the t PP. So 494 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: that means that, if, for instance, you are a large 495 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 1: company that violates some sort of regulatory standard in I 496 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: don't know, Uruguay, Bolivia or something like that, then under 497 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 1: this you would not necessarily have to go to court there. 498 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:18,960 Speaker 1: You could have this resolved in this international tribunal that 499 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: I don't know that just has such a gives me 500 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: such a sour taste in my mouth. So it seems 501 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: like the idea of internally regulating yourself inside this group, 502 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: right state sovereignty? Yeah, because then what does the state 503 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 1: do if you if you're a part of this group 504 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 1: and you break some laws there and just take it 505 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,840 Speaker 1: on over. And this is interesting too because you know, 506 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: again this hasn't happened. The states don't all agree. No 507 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: one has officially made the t p P happen yet 508 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 1: as of the time we record this, but people are 509 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 1: certainly trying and the supporters are very wild about it. 510 00:32:56,800 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: I know it seems like we're focusing exclusively on criticisms 511 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: of it, but that is because that's what we're looking 512 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 1: at with the show. We could we could do a 513 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: show where we talk about global trade in a different way, 514 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,040 Speaker 1: but then we also need to talk about fair trade 515 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: and and things like that and how real or not 516 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: real fair trade is. Then this show is called stuff 517 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 1: they don't want you to know, right, Yeah, Okay, I'm back. 518 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: I'm back on TA So with this, with this corporate stuff, 519 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: which does post some scary possibilities, honestly, regardless of what 520 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: you're political ideology or your religious bent is. It is 521 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 1: strange because critics say, well, this means companies might violate 522 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,280 Speaker 1: um the environment, you know, environmental regulations. It might mean 523 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 1: that corporations become more powerful than nations. And with that 524 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 1: tribunal system. Uh, there is Ah, there's a there's a 525 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 1: worry about secrecy overall with this, I think, and about trades, 526 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: like how trading occurs between these countries. I'm trying to 527 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: get on that tribunal. You know what I mean? Oh yeah, 528 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: I don't know what your qualifications have to be. Probably 529 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: not Internet writer, producer, podcaster, video editor. I'll tell them 530 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 1: I'm super producer, Noel. That's I'm probably in. Yeah, okay, 531 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 1: Now all I need is a letter of recommendation from Scalia. 532 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:23,439 Speaker 1: Right done? And uh so now we go into one 533 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 1: of my favorite parts of the show here, and I 534 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 1: know that it might be one of your least favorite parts, Matt. Yeah, 535 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:35,000 Speaker 1: what do you think? Do you personally honestly believe if 536 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 1: you were comfortable with saying it? Yeah? Okay. So I'm 537 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 1: a big fan of a band called Rage Against the Machine, 538 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 1: and because of my like and short term obsession, I 539 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,360 Speaker 1: still am a big fan. But I was obsessed with 540 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:53,279 Speaker 1: him for a while. And I learned a lot about 541 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 1: NAFTA actually because of that band. Yeah, they were very 542 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,920 Speaker 1: active in that in protesting it. They were not supporters. 543 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,319 Speaker 1: I learned, you know, on the I guess the negative side, 544 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: the critics side, a lot about it. I mean, I'm 545 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,760 Speaker 1: sure there are hugely positive things that came out of NAFTA. 546 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 1: I unfortunately don't know them because that my focus was 547 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: on some of the workers rights problems and a lot 548 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:22,359 Speaker 1: of the issues that came out. Um, I feel that 549 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:26,840 Speaker 1: this is representing gosh. I hate being so open about this, 550 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 1: but I feel that this thing, the t p P, 551 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:36,240 Speaker 1: is for corporations by corporations to make profits. It's interesting 552 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: to respond to that. One thing that I often hear 553 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,320 Speaker 1: and you often hear too, when we hear people talking 554 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:46,280 Speaker 1: about expanding global trade networks is that their enormous benefits. 555 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: People take for granted there are differing products, you know, 556 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:56,279 Speaker 1: from from foreign food to technology that we ordinarily would 557 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 1: not be able to get or it would be tremendously 558 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: prohibit of the expensive. And then we also hear that, 559 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 1: you know, this is necessary for the great snowball that 560 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:11,120 Speaker 1: is the world economy to keep rolling without ever quite 561 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:14,480 Speaker 1: hitting the bottom, and just getting bigger and bigger and 562 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:17,680 Speaker 1: bigger as it goes. And one thing that got me 563 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 1: a long time ago, I was talking to one of 564 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:24,319 Speaker 1: my professors who was an expert on this stuff, and 565 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:28,799 Speaker 1: said that, you know, most people don't understand like the 566 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:33,319 Speaker 1: function of a large scale economy. Uh. And then he said, 567 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: and most people who do understand it don't understand that 568 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:41,280 Speaker 1: an economy can be booming while people are starving. And 569 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: that made such an impression on me because I think 570 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:48,239 Speaker 1: that it is I think that it really depends on 571 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 1: which perspective you see as the most worrisome, because there 572 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,719 Speaker 1: are quite a few people, quite a few influential and 573 00:36:55,840 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: very important people in the United States who think that, um, 574 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: there is a desperate moment coming where where in China, 575 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:10,799 Speaker 1: for example, would exceed the United States in terms of 576 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:16,360 Speaker 1: economic influence, and that legislation like this or trade agreements 577 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:20,399 Speaker 1: like this, while not uh perfect by any means, are 578 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: step towards preserving the rest of the nation that can 579 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: be saved, you know what I mean, the powers that 580 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 1: are currently being The thing that worries me Ben right 581 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:38,560 Speaker 1: now is global climate change. Honestly, the thing right now 582 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: that is worrying me the most out of anything in 583 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,879 Speaker 1: the world is that it beat coronal mass ejections just 584 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:49,879 Speaker 1: by a tiny, tiny sliver. Honestly, That's what I'm worried about. 585 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 1: I was reading about the Antarctic and glacier melting ratio 586 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 1: or what rates that methane release and yeah, I mean, 587 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:06,600 Speaker 1: and if anybody watches the newsroom, you should watch the newsroom. 588 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 1: If you don't, there they had a great small piece 589 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 1: on this, and then Mother Jones looked at it, and 590 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,600 Speaker 1: then I looked at a couple other sites that analyzed 591 00:38:14,719 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 1: their short piece, and I'm actually pretty terrified, and I 592 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,960 Speaker 1: feel like none of any of these things that are happening, 593 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:25,080 Speaker 1: especially a massive trade agreement like this, where it's going 594 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:29,960 Speaker 1: to be corporations probably polluting a lot and sending ships 595 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 1: on a higher frequency across the sea, and airplanes that 596 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:37,480 Speaker 1: are just fully loaded with things. Um, it's scaring the 597 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 1: head Academy because it feels like we're just propelling ourselves 598 00:38:40,239 --> 00:38:43,439 Speaker 1: into the Abyss at a faster and faster rate. There's 599 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: a lot of under reported conflict occurrying are brewing up 600 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,359 Speaker 1: in the north northern part of the world, in the 601 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: North Pole as those ice caps melt and navigable passages emerge. 602 00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,479 Speaker 1: One thing that one thing that's interesting here too as well, 603 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:02,600 Speaker 1: is that, you know, we've got quite a few listeners 604 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:06,640 Speaker 1: who think that climate change itself, the idea of global 605 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:09,040 Speaker 1: warming or whatever you want to call it, is some 606 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:13,279 Speaker 1: sort of um one world order hoax. Uh So, I 607 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:16,920 Speaker 1: you know, I'd be interested to hear both sides of it, 608 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 1: because we've received passionate letters from people who say that 609 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 1: humans are literally ending the world as we know it. 610 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:27,320 Speaker 1: And then we've had people who say that this whole 611 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 1: thing is is bunk of some sort, but right to us, 612 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:33,680 Speaker 1: and let us know what you say. The last word 613 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:37,160 Speaker 1: on the t p P is that supporters say, look 614 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:40,399 Speaker 1: how great NAPTA was, as what's going to happen next, right, 615 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 1: and detractors and critics say, look how terrible NAPTA was, 616 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 1: So let us know what you think. We hope that 617 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:52,240 Speaker 1: we have proven that this free trade agreement stuff does matter, 618 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:56,799 Speaker 1: even if, well even though most people listening to the 619 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,320 Speaker 1: show never get a chance to vote on it. No, no, 620 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,040 Speaker 1: we won't and probably not a chance to read it. 621 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 1: If WikiLeaks has anything to say, hopefully we will. Well 622 00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:09,560 Speaker 1: we'll see if somebody donate something to wickedly that's how 623 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: they worked. Uh. But we hope in the meantime you 624 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:15,560 Speaker 1: will stay tuned for our video on this international trade agreement, 625 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:18,720 Speaker 1: the biggest one in twenty years for the United States actually, 626 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:21,040 Speaker 1: and we hope that you will check us out on 627 00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 1: Facebook and Twitter, and we hope that you will also 628 00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:28,440 Speaker 1: Oh wait, Matt, I forgot we had a caption contest, 629 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,440 Speaker 1: all right, and the winner is for that picture of 630 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: Ben and I from the Snowpocalypse video that all of 631 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 1: you captioned so passionately. Thank you very much everyone who 632 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:43,839 Speaker 1: wrote in commented, Um, some of you are hilarious and 633 00:40:43,920 --> 00:40:46,400 Speaker 1: we appreciate it very much. There were some impressive butt 634 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 1: jokes on that one. Oh yes, But the winner is 635 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:54,400 Speaker 1: you ready for this? I'm ready, Remy Vogeler. You know 636 00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna read it. Yeah, yeah, read it, Remy says Matt. 637 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:00,839 Speaker 1: Actually we could do it as to us, we can 638 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 1: head it. Yeah, this is a dialogue. Yeah, it's a 639 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:09,040 Speaker 1: dialogue between us, so, Remy says, is our subscribe button 640 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:11,440 Speaker 1: floating in the middle of the office, don't look at it. 641 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 1: I think the government put it there or nice. So 642 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:18,360 Speaker 1: thank you so much, I mean thank you to everybody 643 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:22,400 Speaker 1: who dropped a caption for us on the on the 644 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:24,480 Speaker 1: Facebook thread. We wish we could give more than one 645 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:28,560 Speaker 1: winner because we we actually really enjoyed reading these. Uh, 646 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:31,200 Speaker 1: and we might do this again if you are interested 647 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:34,520 Speaker 1: a little later in the future. And that's the end 648 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,920 Speaker 1: of this classic episode. If you have any thoughts or 649 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:41,880 Speaker 1: questions about this episode, you can get into contact with 650 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: us in a number of different ways. One of the 651 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:45,920 Speaker 1: best is to give us a call. Our number is 652 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:50,080 Speaker 1: one eight three three std w y t K. If 653 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:51,880 Speaker 1: you don't want to do that, you can send us 654 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:55,160 Speaker 1: a good old fashioned email. We are conspiracy at i 655 00:41:55,239 --> 00:41:58,840 Speaker 1: heart radio dot com. Stuff they don't want you to 656 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:01,640 Speaker 1: know is a production of I heart Radio. For more 657 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:04,439 Speaker 1: podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 658 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.