Green World Edition 90: letter about staying in the European Union

Asking why the Greens support staying in Europe - a good point by Harold Immanuel

"The punishment of both Greece and Syriza demonstrates that solidarity - social, economic or political - is not what the EU is fundamentally about. Rather, it is about the three pillars of free movement of capital, goods and labour. Supporting free movement of capital is not a sustainable position for a radical party. Nor do arguments about keeping the peace, free movement of people, social policy, taxation, subsidiarity and solidarity stand up to serious scrutiny. Within the EU, it's difficult to see how many of our policies could be implemented."

I like the idea of being in a group with other Europeans because of our shared history and values and actually, practical intelligence! (I mean, common sense not spying). I feel that with so many groups and leaders, one or two of them must have some good ideas. I mean, put into practice,  good for the people of Europe, and indeed, the rest of the world. But I am absolutely repelled by the idea of TTIP and how it is being discussed in secret. What is going on in the EU?? Some failure of basic democratic principles.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership - as it says in The Week, Boring but Important

The Members of the European Parliament have held up this trade deal, much to the annoyance of the capitalists of two continents. But they can only do so much because it is being negotiated IN SECRET -why??? by the European Commission and ???some body from the USA.

The idea is that Europe will be tied in to a free trade area with the United States. As far as I can see it makes Europe part of the United States, as far as business is concerned, and the Tory government is all in favour of this. But let's look at the downside.

Yes, it would reduce trade tariffs. But trade tariffs are there to protect local economies. For example, US orange juice may be cheaper to produce than Spanish orange juice, (let's say). So to protect Spanish orange growers, there may be a tariff on US orange juice. Is this such a bad thing? Isn't it good to see a traditional fruit being grown in the place it's always been grown? Better than seeing nothing at all being grown.

The treaty also bans state monopolies. Yes, it is completely against state-run enterprise such as the NHS, or any state-owned utilities - gas and water, for example, which always seem to me to be in need of state ownership to be efficiently and fairly distributed. So the current operation of the NHS would become illegal under this treaty.

there will also be, under this treaty, an Investor-State dispute settlement, which founds a SECRET COURT to allow businesses to sue states that "hinder potential profits". this sounds to me like selling the population down the river to be slaves to the profiteers.

That sounds potentially worrying. What else is in the treaty?

Environmental campaigners have raised concerns: TTIP would bring the EU's food and environmental safety regulations in line with the US's less strict laws.

In order to align the EU and laxer US rules, the agreement could weaken European and UK regulation in areas including genetically modified crops, chemicals in cosmetics and meat treated with growth hormones. There is widespread opposition to this environmental aspect of the treaty, especially in Germany and France which are major opponents of genetically modified products.

For example, the EU bans 1,200 chemicals from cosmetics, whereas the US bans just 12

The above paragraph comes from the Telegraph

So, then. To all intents and purposes the EU becomes part of the US, because all our carefully thought -out protections against this and that chemical are thrown out at a stroke. I can't understand why the EU wants to do this to us??

Of course, the Conservative government can't wait to ratify this treaty because it loves the USA and  enslavement to the capitalist market place. Labour would re-negotiate I think.