In what is being described as the largest German protest in recent years, hundreds of thousands of enraged citizens descended upon Berlin over the weekend to voice their collective displeasure at the government’s attempt to consolidate corporate dictatorship by passing a democracy killing agreement being marketed as a “free trade” deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

The TTIP is basically the TPP but between the U.S. and Europe as opposed to the U.S. and Asia and parts of Latin America. Like the TPP, it further consolidates corporate power, destroys consumer protections and has been negotiated entirely in secret. For prior articles on the TPP, see:

How the TPP Could Lead to Worldwide Internet Censorship

U.S. State Department Upgrades Serial Human Rights Abuser Malaysia to Include it in the TPP

Julian Assange on the TPP – “Deal Isn’t About Trade, It’s About Corporate Control”

Trade Expert and TPP Whistleblower – “We Should Be Very Concerned about What’s Hidden in This Trade Deal”

As the Senate Prepares to Vote on “Fast Track,” Here’s a Quick Primer on the Dangers of the TPP

It seems the Germans aren’t prepared to take this assault lying down. We learn from Reuters that:

At least 150,000 people marched in Berlin on Saturday in protest against a planned free trade deal between Europe and the United States that they say is anti-democratic and will lower food safety, labor and environmental standards. Organizers – an alliance of environmental groups, charities and opposition parties – said 250,000 people had taken part in the rally against free trade deals with both the United States and Canada, far more than they had anticipated. “This is the biggest protest that this country has seen for many, many years,” Christoph Bautz, director of citizens’ movement Campact told protesters in a speech.

That’s all well and good, but does it even matter? Japan recently saw its largest demonstrations in a generation against Abe’s “war legislation,” and he passed it anyway. Citizen opinion simply doesn’t matter in a neo-feudal oligarchy posing as a democracy.

Opposition to the so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has risen over the past year in Germany, with critics fearing the pact will hand too much power to big multinationals at the expense of consumers and workers. “What bothers me the most is that I don’t want all our consumer laws to be softened,” Oliver Zloty told Reuters TV. “And I don’t want to have a dictatorship by any companies.”

Now here’s the most interesting part. Merkel was completely caught off guard. As such, her government immediately rushed to propagandize via the media.

The level of resistance has taken Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government by surprise and underscores the challenge it faces to turn the tide in favor of the deal which proponents say will create a market of 800 million and serve as a counterweight to China’s economic clout. In a full-page letter published in several German newspapers on Saturday, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned against “scaremongering”.

Personally, I would have gone with “scaremongering, conspiracy theorist, racist, sexist, anti-semitic, kooks.”

“We have the chance to set new and goods standards for growing global trade. With ambitious, standards for the environment and consumers and with fair conditions for investment and workers. This must be our aim,” Gabriel wrote. Businesses hope the trade deal will deliver over $100 billion of economic gains on both sides of the Atlantic.

Even if that number proves to be true, we all know where 99.9% of that $100 billion would go. Straight to the bank accounts of the oligarchs, just like the trillions of dollars in central bank “stimulus” did. That’s just how rigged, neo-feudal oligarchies work.

Now for a few photos from the rally:

This will give you a sense of its size:

Now here’s Merkel blowing up democracy with a TTIP bomb:

Finally, nothing gets you in the mood like a little make out session between Merkel and a horned Obama.

In Liberty,

Michael Krieger



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