Push-back to Pope Francis’ Illustrate Need for TPP and TAFTA Transparency
Philadelphia, Pa., son of a Steelworker
CNBC’s report, Pope's sharp words make a wealthy donor hesitate, highlights the pontiff’s criticism of what he calls "an economy of exclusion and inequality," blaming ideologies that "defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation."
Defense of the marketplace was an aim of the Confidential Memorandum: Attack of American Free Enterprise System sent by Lewis Powell to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Powell listed the pulpit as among the perfectly respectable elements of society attacking the marketplace. His August ,1971 memorandum was keep secret until long after Powell was confirmed as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, not unlike the secrecy surrounding the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA).
Any doubt about the need for transparency in connection with TPP and TAFTA has been dispelled by the current push back to Pope Francis’ remarks. Attempts to get Pope Francis to back down on his assessment of 'tyranny' of unfettered capitalism, 'idolatry of money' in return for donations can only be viewed as pale in comparison to the behind-the-scenes intimidation of governmental officials by Crony Capitalists to reverse over a century of progressive accomplishments.
Upton Sinclair’s 1906 book, "The Jungle," depicted poverty, the absence of social programs, unpleasant living and working conditions, and the hopelessness prevalent among the working class, contrasted with the deeply-rooted corruption of people in power. TPP & TAFTA can be best described as “NAFTA on crack,” with the Crony Capitalists feathering their nests at the expense of the underclass.
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