Captured U.S. Trade Agency Resorts to Bullying Again in 2016 Special 301 Report by Jeremy Malcolm.
Jeremy does a great job dissecting the latest tantrum-by-proxy of U.S. industry, delivered by the United States Trade Representative. But, it’s hardy news that the USTR is a captive of the U.S. entertainment and Big Pharma.
No, the news waits until the last paragraph of Jeremy’s post:
… the foreign press often wrongly reports on the Special 301 as if it were more than just a unilateral wish-list from certain U.S. industries. The result is foreign governments coming under unfair pressure to amend their laws and to divert enforcement resources, without any international obligation for them to do so….
That’s news and it is something that can be addressed, by ordinary readers.
First, readers fluent in languages other than English should seek out non-U.S. news reporting on the most recent U.S. industry tantrum-by-proxy report.
You can refer to it by its formal title, 2016 Special 301 Report, but always include (U.S. industry tantrum-by-proxy report) as an alternative title.
Second, use the Jeremy’s post and compare the resources he cites to non-U.S. press reports. Contact reporters to correct stories that don’t point out entertainment or big pharma origins of those claims.
Reporters are always over-worked and under-resourced so be polite, brief and specific about your corrections and how they can verify the correctness of your statements.
It may well be that the same actors who have corrupted the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are the same ones putting pressure on a foreign government. Which makes reporting of undue influence on trade issues even more important.
Third, remember that taking legal advice from the world’s largest arms dealer, the architect of trade agreements that favor corporations over natural persons, the tireless servant of U.S. business interests, is like getting career counseling from a pimp. Your best interest isn’t upper most in their mind.