White House bribes private companies not to oppose TPP

From Fight For The Future:

A major corporation just revealed that the U.S. government literally offered them a bribe if they’d stop opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP.) [1]

This type of corruption is what we’re up against in the fight to stop the TPP. We’re battling the most powerful and politically entrenched forces in the world.

They have billions to spend on lobbying and influence. But we have real people like you who understand what’s at stake. We know people power can win, but we still need resources to make our campaigns possible. Will you stand up to the bribes and corruption and chip in?

Yes! I’ll chip in $5 to fight corruption and stop the TPP!

New Balance, a U.S.-based shoe company, opposed the TPP for years, echoing the concerns of experts who say it will hurt jobs and the economy.

But last year, the company suddenly went silent on the TPP. And now we know why––the U.S. government bribed them to shut them up. [2]

The Boston Globe reports that the White House straight up promised New Balance a big money contract supplying shoes to the Department of Defense, as long as they either supported or remained neutral on the massive trade deal.

This latest scandal has more to do with the TPP’s economic impact, but as Internet and free speech advocates, we have deep concerns with this agreement’s impact on our digital rights.

The TPP was negotiated in complete secrecy by lobbyists and government bureaucrats––including some of the same ones that were behind SOPA and the DMCA––and it contains extreme copyright provisions that threaten to expand Internet censorship worldwide. [2]

It reads like a wish list for monopolistic corporations and like a death sentence for the future of innovation, our Internet freedom, and our basic democratic process.

The giant corporations pushing the TPP have billions of dollars in potential profits on the line. They’re fighting dirty and there’s nothing they won’t do to get this deal passed.

We’ve still got a chance to stop this deal. But we can’t do it without your help.

We’ve already been successful in delaying the TPP for years. But now we need to crush this terrible idea once and for all. Here’s what we’ll use your donations for:

The TPP Roadshow! We’re partnering with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine’s record label to organize a series of large-scale events featuring high profile artists and celebrities who will help us reach tens of thousands of people who don’t know about the TPP yet, and get them engaged in fighting it.

An online campaign to stop the TPP. We’ve already launched an action site at FightTheTPP.org, but we need to update it and add educational materials to help new people understand the dangers of the TPP.

A coordinated media strategy. We’ve been working hard to cut through the media blackout around the TPP. With more funds we’ll be able to spend more time reaching out to journalists and creating actions and campaigns that get mainstream media attention.

This fight is not going to be easy. It’s hard to imagine that New Balance is the only corporation that the U.S. government has attempted to bribe into supporting the TPP.

But if we come together, we can overcome entrenched political corruption and stop the TPP before it becomes law. Can you help make it possible?

Yes! I’ll chip in $5 to stop the TPP.

I’m so proud of all the work we’ve done so far. Thanks for being part of this movement.

For the Internet,
-Evan at FFTF

P.S. If you can’t donate right now, please click here to TAKE ACTION right now by telling major tech companies to drop their misguided support for the TPP! But we can only run these campaigns with your support, so if you can spare a even just few dollars, please click here to chip in!

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