Despite all consultations on the huge trade deal being secret, 92 per cent of those involved have been corporate lobbyists.
TTIP is a Trojan horse, with an immeasurable number of corporations hidden inside of it, and it’s slowly but gradually rolling our way. That’s why the European Parliament is running scared.
But why? What’s actually so bad about TTIP? It all goes back to what corporations want, and what they’re willing to do to get it. And I know what this is.
I once sat next to a big oil company executive on a long-haul flight, after an explosion at one of his company’s refineries, which killed a number of people. I was on my way to speak at an event that his company was banned from. I asked the man how he felt about this. He gave a refreshingly frank answer. “Corporations are driven by one thing, making as much profit as possible. If they’re socially responsible in the process, that’s dandy. If not, too bad. Either way profit comes before people and planet”. That’s why the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is so toxic.
A vote on the TTIP in the European parliament was postponed yesterday, sparking protest amongst MEPs who are against it. Earlier in the week, protesters gathered in Bavaria (despite aggressive police tactics) to protest against the fact that it will hand yet more powers to corporations at the expense of citizens. However, despite over 2 million Europeans signing a petition to stop it, the G7 leaders have announced their intention to forge ahead with it anyway.