Quote:
Originally Posted by stonetools
The first two results on a simple Bing search:
Dunno where you are located , mate. But maybe you just need to pay attention and participate in the political process. Just sayin'.
I would urge everyone reading to do the same. OK, gotta pay attention to the spousal unit. TTFY.
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The first quote refers to the refusal of the Polish government to ratify ACTA, not the ACTA negotiation sessions. One of the reasons they refused it was the fact that it had been a closed door process with no public input or publication of the interim negotiating sessions. The US specifically forbade participants from publishing any of the details of the negotiations.
The second quote refers to Australia's decision to originally participate in the negotiations, and the "several versions of draft text released to the public" were versions that had already been leaked by Wikileaks and others. The Aussies were one of the few that held "public consultations" but the only people who had consistent access to the details of the negotiations were "
an advisory committee of large US-based multinational corporations" and some other US corporations under NDA's.
Australia had already been worked over by the AUSFTA so probably figured they didn't have much to lose anyway. On the other hand the EU negotiator
resigned in protest, his replacement has recommended that it be rejected by the EU Parliament, and at the moment it l
ooks very likely that it will be, which will effectively kill it entirely as no other country has yet ratified it.
"Extending the reach of US LE" may look wonderful from inside the Beltway, but the rest of the world has its own ideas.
P.S. I have voted in every election that I have ever been eligible to do so and I am not, and never will be, your "mate".