Crosstalk: May 27, 2016

​Alex Newman is an international freelance journalist, educator and consultant. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Florida and has worked for numerous publications. He is the co-author of the book “Crimes of the Educators”. Its subtitle is, “How Utopians Are Using Government Schools to Destroy America’s Children”. As a freelance journalist he writes for The New American. There has been a great deal of concern after a plan to create trans-national agencies that will have authority over national and local laws and regulations, and which essentially will standardize how things are controlled in both the United States and the European Union. Already there are international institutions that operate with the authority of courts, often meeting in secret, that overrule national laws and the rulings of state and national courts, which enable large corporations to get around laws they do not like in a state or country where they operate. The TTIP, or "Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership", is another step towards international consolidation of power, following the TTP, the "Trans-Pacific Partnership", which was announced last year. Like many other proposals, the plan appears to be to somehow place the TTIP in operation without the American people knowing what is going on. In fact, it would not be known now had there not been leaks of information from insiders. Perhaps of most concern in this latest revelation is the plan to eventually merge the United States and the European Union, along the lines of the international trade agreements that have already been negotiated, with the result that the United States will be controlled by these international entities, much as European countries must adhere to the rules of the international European Union. There would be no more national sovereignty. Even in Europe this has not been accepted universally, and Great Britain is preparing for a referendum on whether to withdraw from the EU. Although the EU has been in operation for many years, support in Europe is very low, though most establishment leaders are giving lip service to the idea. Those in control in the European Union see the TTIP as an opportunity for them to increase and consolidate their power. The argument is that if everyone is controlled by the same rules, it will simplify legal decisions. But it goes against one of the main reasons for the U.S. Revolution--preserving the right to govern ourselves. Theoretically, if the American people approved an amendment to the Constitution to allow foreign entities to override American law, it could be done legally. Any other way is an unconstitutional usurpation of power, going against government "of the people, by the people, and for the people". Even those promoting this program realize that there is rising citizen opposition, and it appears that any action in Congress would be delayed until after the November election, so that our Senators and Representatives would not need to face the voters after they make their positions known. It would be a "lame duck" session of Congress where controversial bills can be passed with little recourse for the voters. To become in involved, first become educated yourself, then share that information with other citizens. Then move on with letters to the editor, and contacts with legislators.