European Union officials are furious about revelations that the US is spying on them and on Continental Europeans as vigorously as it spies on China. Their anger derives in part from their negotiations over a free trade agreement with the US, given that they now believe their negotiating positions may have been penetrated by US surveillance. The speaker of the European Parliament suggests that the scandal could derail the agreement.
The story broke this weekend in Der Spiegel, based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden.
This is the first time I have heard about this bi-lateral agreement between the U.S. and the E.U. Given the trend of these large agreements usually leading to exploitation by large corporate entities it seems to me that this wake up call may be a positive development, similar to how the Fukushima disaster affected the outcome of the elections in Germany back in 2011.
Sad how many people are unaware how deeply the corporate fix is in under these BS “free trade” agreements. Basically, they do away with national sovereignty when it comes to regulating the insatiable greed of that parasitic breed of tapeworms known as “post-trans-supra-national corporations.” And signatory states will find themselves using their monopoly-of-violence to enforce the “rights” of these corporate creatures against their mere-mortal citizens in their own courts and administrative proceedings and in their streets too…
A primer of sorts: link to nakedcapitalism.com
Oh please, God, let it be the case that this set of revelations undoes the opening of the Third Seal that is this next set of “agreements,” being concluded (can’t say “negotiated,” since all sides of the table are in complete agreement and it’s just about how much they can get away with in one grab) about as “anti-democratically” as such things are possible, where our own freaking wholly-almost-owned subsidiary Congress is “not allowed” to know the details of what is being done to us…
It may indeed be a positive development. Yves Smith at nakedcapitalism.com has been writing about this, and another “free trade” agreement with Japan, for quite a while. One of the key features is international trade agreements trumping national (and state and local) environmental and financial regulations, with provision for suing and collecting damages from national governments.
France 24 is reporting the party leaders across the political spectrum and proposing that France give Snowden political asylum.
I haven’t had a chance to check this out, but I’m sure the NYT and WaPo have this on their front pages.
If it is true that the Europeans are really offended it will be remarkable if they have sufficient independence to act accordingly.
Dear Professor Cole
As it happens we are discussing new standards and regulations for Cybersecurity in the EU this year.
link to gov.uk
As the heard of MI5 said ina radio interview on Radio Four last night, “there are three things in life that are certain. Death, Taxes and finding a Foreign Intelligence Agency in your network.”