Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony
Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony
Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony
RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony
Waiting for SIPO Anthony Public Inquiry >>
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Julian Assange is finally free ! Tue Jun 25, 2024 21:11 | indy
Stand With Palestine: Workplace Day of Action on Naksa Day Thu May 30, 2024 21:55 | indy
It is Chemtrails Month and Time to Visit this Topic Thu May 30, 2024 00:01 | indy
Hamburg 14.05. "Rote" Flora Reoccupied By Internationalists Wed May 15, 2024 15:49 | Internationalist left
Eddie Hobbs Breaks the Silence Exposing the Hidden Agenda Behind the WHO Treaty Sat May 11, 2024 22:41 | indy Human Rights in Ireland >>
News Round-Up Wed Jul 31, 2024 01:30 | Richard Eldred A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Biden Proposes Sweeping Supreme Court Reforms as He Attacks ?Extreme? Judges Tue Jul 30, 2024 19:00 | Will Jones Joe Biden has proposed sweeping reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court accusing it of making "dangerous and extreme decisions" and losing the public?s trust.
The post Biden Proposes Sweeping Supreme Court Reforms as He Attacks “Extreme” Judges appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Reeves Scraps Winter Fuel Payments for 10 Million Pensioners to Fund Public Sector Wage Rise Tue Jul 30, 2024 17:00 | Will Jones Rachel Reeves is to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners and ditch a cap on social care costs to fund a public sector wage rise, it has been announced.
The post Reeves Scraps Winter Fuel Payments for 10 Million Pensioners to Fund Public Sector Wage Rise appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
A Summary of Why the Czech Republic Vaccine Data are So Devastating to the ?Safe and Effective? Narr... Tue Jul 30, 2024 15:00 | Will Jones The Czech Republic record-level vaccine data are devastating to the "safe and effective" narrative, says Steve Kirsch, as he provides a new overview that explains why.
The post A Summary of Why the Czech Republic Vaccine Data are So Devastating to the “Safe and Effective” Narrative appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Keir Starmer?s Anti-Israel Policies Are Now No Different to Jeremy Corbyn?s Tue Jul 30, 2024 13:00 | Will Jones Unlike Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer has never described Hezbollah as his friends. But other than that, when it comes to Israel there is now little of consequence to differentiate them, says Stephen Pollard.
The post Keir Starmer’s Anti-Israel Policies Are Now No Different to Jeremy Corbyn’s appeared first on The Daily Sceptic. Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en
Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en
Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en
Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
USA-Australia Trade Deal on Public Health shows way for Proposed Antidemocratic EU Constitution
international |
eu |
opinion/analysis
Tuesday January 20, 2004 18:11 by Barry Finnegan - personal capacity john.finnegan3 at mail dot dcu dot ie
USA Attacks Australias Right To Bulk Buy Medical Drugs To Supply Public Health System
Current trade negotiations between the USA and Australia shed some light on exactly how the EU Commission and the secretive EU 133 Committee view future international trade deals with regard to our (EU) public health systems.
Basically the USA is trying to force Australia into accepting that when the state bulk buys medicinal drugs it is acting illegally, distorting international trade and creating unnecessarily restrictive trade barriers.
The Australian state bulk buys the medicinal drugs so that it can provide them free and/or sell them cheap to the Australian public.
How did I find this out? Why does it show the way for the Antidemocratic Proposed EU Constitution? Read on ... Well, before the USA or Australia sign an international trade deal, (1) the full details of the deal must be made public so the people can read it and (2) their respective elected assemblies must vote yes or no.
Whereas if this Antidemocratic Proposed EU Constitution comes in, the EU 133 Committee can sign a trade deal on health matters, like this one, on our behalf. It would be illegal for the members of the Dail, the members of the EU Parliament and the public at large to see the entire details of the deal until after it was signed. Should any of you be sceptical just ask: 'What do they mean when they say "progressive liberalisation"? This, type of thing is 'progressive liberalisaiton', it is exactly what Bertie means when he says (I paraphrase) 'competition will be high on the agenda during our EU presidency ... we must create a level playing field and break down the old monopolies in certain service industries'.
So in effect it would work like this:
1. This Dodgy Proposed EU Constitution comes in.
2. The EU Council of Ministers, through the new QMV, gives the nod to the 133 Committee to enter secret/private international trade negotiations on health.
3. Two years later (I speculate, it could be 1 or 3!) we discover the government is not allowed to bulk buy medicine on our behalf with the intention of keeping prices down for the public at large.
4. If you have a problem with that, the only meaningful legal forum in which to raise it is the DRM (or, court) of the WTO. If a new Irish government wishes to overturn the decision, the USA (for example) would have the legal right to commence a WTO sponsored trade war against us.
So bottom line:
1. Lets educate ourselves as to the effect of this proposed EU Constitution, fight it now, defeat it and continue the battle to retain and improve some sort of democratic accountability in our public health system. Let us have the wherewithal to win a small battle now so as to stop people dying in the very near future.
2. If anyone knows anyone working in the medical field tell them that the supply of public medicinal drugs in under direct attack from this new EU Constitution and to retain democratic control over our health system we must defeat it.
---------------
For further details on the USA attack on the Australian public health system see:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1126657,00.html
For general info on how GATS works [i.e. the WTO global trade deal which relates to services, including health] see:
Title: Behind GATS 2000: Corporate Power at Work
Published By: TNI Briefing Series No. 6, May 2002 [WTO Booklet Series No. 4]
Available At: http://www.tni.org/reports/wto/wto4.htm
BTW:
I am not suggesting that the right-wing Aussie government is doing anything other than using this trade deal with the USA to:
(a) further reduce the states financial liability to public health care, and
(b) further increase the profit margins of the largest companies in the world.
----------------
- Barry Finnegan.
(off my own bat).
|
View Full Comment Text
save preference
Comments (5 of 5)