At last, some news coverage of TTIP Talks

I don't understand why the media haven't picked up on it - unless it's because the press bosses are involved in getting a cut.

The way it's being slid in makes it feel similar to that money making scheme the bankers had when they bought debts from each other. The rich get richer and we all pay.

Feeling thick now, I had know idea what TTIP was

Some of us have been talking about it for what seems ages, Nina. Others have been ignoring it, a bit like the political parties. Here's a link from the NHA party, the one that wants to save your NHS.
nhap.org/nhs-safe-ttip-despite-headlines-contrary/

I've just had an invitation to a meeting of our local Labour party to discuss this.

Hurray, iam.
So far the Labour party has been all for the TTIP, and not even exempting the NHS. Do hope you can get them to change their minds before the TTIP gets accepted.
Nina, here's another good link for you. The first link in the article is a George Monbiot article in the Guardian in 2013.
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2014/07/08/ttip-legalising-the-global-race-to-the-bottom/
It's not that it hasn't been talked about in the media. Just that people haven't been listening. Teresa May might have inadvertently helped to stop TTIP.

I haven't noticed much on the tv/radio. But so much has been on the Middle East I fear I've been mentally switching off. We only have a local newspaper and there's been nothing in that.

An interesting take on Cameron's reshuffle. Like you say Nfk, I never saw it in any other papers.
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/14/cameron-ken-clarke-nhs-ttip-trade-deal_n_5677984.html&sa=U&ei=DjH5U7jmLums0QXriIHQCw&ved=0CAwQFjAD&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNG4OF6eXEGP5ip02uGLgU6H6xutPQ

I went to great lengths to only get the huffpost link on that. Do not know why I bothered.

NfkD - I suspect you've got it in one, the news media is dominated by the Middle East, for understandable reasons. Meanwhile, back in the UK, we're in danger of missing out on TTIP, and tracking for example

War on Want is worried about it.
www.waronwant.org/campaigns/trade-justice/ttip

Hopefully the Tories will take notice of this poll before the TTIP becomes fact.
www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/07/voters-want-nhs-exempt-us-trade-pact-ttip-eu-privatisation

Thanks for the links durhamjen.

At my last hospital review, the senior practitioner commented that he didn't believe the public (that is those of us who have paid for the NHS) are aware just how far down the irreversible path to privatisation our health service is.

It's not just the NHS that needs to be excluded, I think farming may have major problems. Farming acquaintances are concerned about GM and the American way of keeping livestock being imported. At the moment the EU is much more strongly regulated and these regulations (especially animal welfare) could be challenged.

I agree Nfk.

Similar ISDS (investor state dispute settlement) arrangements contained in previous trade agreements have been and are being used to sue governments. Tobacco companies tried and failed to get compensation through the Australian High Court regarding the passing of plain packaging legislation and its effect on future profits. So another approach was tried. A Hong Kong-Australia Investment Treaty is still in existence from 1993, so Philip Morris moved some of its investments to Hong Kong to enable it to use that agreement to sue the Australian government through the international investment tribunal. Even if the Australian government wins, the legal costs will be enormous. There are many more examples.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), is believed to be the likely model for the TTIP Agreement. NAFTA was presented as an agreement that would increase employment and stability in the countries which were party to it. However, it in fact massively increased unemployment, impoverished small farmers in Mexico and led to rising illegal immigration between Mexico and the US.

I hope that the anti-TTIP campaigners are not satisfied with an assurance that the NHS will be protected. The whole agreement should be opposed, particularly in view of the fact that EU and US citizens (and most politicians) are being denied any information about the agreement and no input or influence on what is being decided.