So TTIP has been defeated has it?
Well, before BREXIT there was a move in Europe to embrace the Transatlantic deal that would put the corporate leaders controlling most of the food chain above the rule of law. But satisfyingly there was much public opposition (especially on the mainland). This of course was dependent on the amount of information available. For years the media in the UK was completely silent - no mention on this move to make what we eat unaccountable to our democracy - to remove any checks & balances emanating from the citizenry about our food. Pretty basic stuff - even our politicians wouldn't be able to hold those 'providers' to account - and any issues would be settled behind closed doors without public access in special 'super courts'.
For those who are still unaware of this type of deal (and with good reason - there had deliberately been almost no publicity except for a few whistle blowers who are rapidly looking at being criminalised for alerting us to any such truths) - these are the types of deals that have led to Governments being sued for 'loss of earnings' for *shock* enacting public health campaigns to try and curb smoking (Aus) and *yikes* promoting solar power rather than nuclear (Ind).
So hoorah one might think - we've divorced from Europe - and reclaimed our sovereignty - the public voted for May (well in fact no-one voted for her) - voted for the PM to be in charge of our own affairs - so we're in a much stronger position now, right? Wrong. Sadly those campaigning loudest in Europe to push ahead with these Trans-Atlantic Corporatocracy deals were our government - again and again pushing for weakening safeguards and doing their best to usher this new layer of un-democracy in. Released from the shackles of the other European states - and desperate for friends - the pace has picked up.
But over the pond, '45' has dismantled the TTIP - hasn't the war been won? Well again - it seems that, though the specific agreement has been shelved, the 'special relationship' (often symbolised - in the kind version - as the UK being a lap dog) means that we are laying back and being dictated terms to. So eager are we to try and mitigate the disastrous economic impact of withdrawal from Europe - we are putting a gloss on any 'friendship' that might mean exports - whatever the terms, it seems. So TTIP is dead - long live the implications of TTIP.
Trade is good - The US is our friend? Leaving aside the type of friends one would wish to cultivate, this trade is not necessarily good or friendly. European partnership wasn't a panacea but did bring human rights, ecological safeguards, legislation on many aspects of life for the individual - as well as exchanges of goods, information and people with skills. The standards in the US are nowhere near as positive for humans, animals, food, working conditions, health - the list goes on.
So much waffle - how about an example:
Food imports.
This article outlines many of the risks:
Don't think all this fuss about chemically cleaned chicken is worth any fuss - here's a bit more detail on this specific process.
If we are to be trading partners with America - it has been stated that we would have to swallow their standards. Such standards have long been held too low for us to stomach - from GM crops, to feedlot agribusiness and farming practices using huge amounts of chemicals long since prohibited here (82 pesticides for a start). Our countries are very different - so to compete - farmers would possibly try to adopt the same model - and fail. Antibiotic usage is a major issue - yet this US agricultural model is the best at breeding resistance - and resigning us all to potential, untreatable epidemics in the future. A woman has just died of such a superbug.
Food is one example - and a huge one - but that's one piece of this nauseating puzzle - we could also lose our environmental safeguards - and the NHS is clearly already being dissected and sold off to the highest bidder after lacking investment and strategic support - by the party who announced that the NHS would be safe in their hands. This isn't even touching on the implications of Climate Change and the dire need to all pull together to stop the largest threat that as a planetary population we all face together..
Being aware is all very well - and obviously the first step - but in parallel to the NoDAPL protectors - we have to stand up and make our voices heard, we have to Divest - from companies that sell the cheap 'ask no questions' foods and embrace those that do guarantee a provenance - a trace-ability to real farmers, real soil, real food, real life.
The future is in our hands - and minds. We have to buy it back from those who would control the system by supporting ourselves and those who believe in a better way.
