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Comment by eli | Hacker News Reader

The negotiations and drafts are secret (except to Congress), but it's public when it's signed and debated/ratified by Congress.

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The negotiations and drafts are in fact secret even from Congress at this point, and there's a movement underway to give "fast-track authority" to the president which would also remove the debate from the bill.

"Obama has asked Congress to pass so-called Trade Promotion Authority legislation that would prohibit congressional amendments before an up or down vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership"

http://www.abqjournal.com/582278/news/nms-dems-oppose-trade-...

From what I understand, only certain members of congress have access to it before it is finalized.

"Congress, and the American public, will be fully informed of what’s in the Trans-Pacific Partnership before lawmakers vote to make the agreement part of United States law. But he has a point that lawmakers won’t know what’s in the Trans-Pacific Partnership before they cast a separate, precursor vote -- the vote to authorize Obama to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership on a fast-track basis in the first place."

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/apr/...

Congress has access, but it is quite limited. Unlike industry representatives, they are only allowed to read the document in a special sealed room, but may not make copies, may not take notes and may not bring along any staffer, even those would be in a better position to interpret the opaque and complex legal terms used.

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120622/23220319444/ustr-...

[edit for clarity}

>and may not bring along any staffer //

Where are these rules written down, surely such anti-democratic actions have to be unconstitutional?

Plus where does USA get off in trying to impose laws on the rest of the world through secret treaty negotiations the details of which are only open to a very limited and controlled politically chosen group and a second group chosen entirely on wealth.

Land of the Free my arse - plutocratic hegemony more like it.

TPP is the most blatant "we're rich we'll decide the rules" that I think I've ever come across.

From the OP:

>"is there any way to look at this situation and not judge it to be a case of massive corruption?" //

No there isn't.

The drafts will be secret for everyone not involved directly in the negotiations until it'll have to be passed in the national Congresses. Which is of course how things work in a democratic society.

Actually, some parts of TPP won't be public until 4 years after being signed.

http://economyincrisis.org/content/public-wont-be-allowed-to...

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