Despite the many unconstitutional provisions purportedly contained in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, the mainstream media has ignored the subject almost entirely.
A survey of television news coverage of the TPP reveals that a:
transcript search of CBS Evening News with Scott Pelly, ABC's World News with Diane Sawyer, and NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams from August 1, 2013 through January 31, 2014 found no mention of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP received one mention on PBS' Newshour, when Doug Paal of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argued that approving the TPP would improve relations with Asian nations.
The 24-hour cable news channels have been almost as silent. The report indicates that “the three largest cable networks — CNN, MSNBC, Fox News — covered the ongoing negotiations 33 times during their evening programming. The overwhelming majority of these mentions (32) originated on MSNBC and aired during The Ed Show.”
That the pro-Establishment media should ignore a threat to the Constitution is no surprise, particularly since their political patrons do likewise. The problem with the information embargo on the TPP is that there are millions of Americans who still rely on the so-called “mainstream media” for their news.
Perhaps this is the precise purpose behind the decision to keep the TPP out of the headlines and off the nightly news.
The “Fast Track” to Tyranny
Forbes reports, for example, that only President Obama can close the deal on the TPP. Part of that includes persuading Congress to “fast track” negotiation of the TPP, in the form of a Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill.
The TPA is a tool that the president demands be in the U.S. trade representative’s bag when he sits down with his colleagues from the other TPP participants. Again, from Forbes:
TPA or “fast track” is essential for the President to complete negotiations. Negotiators for our trading partners would be foolish to sign off on a treaty unless they knew that the Congress could not amend it.
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