But this trade pact is more than a political chess move. It is, at its base, a corporate takeover plan.
While the terms have been negotiated in secret from the public that will be affected, 560 corporate representatives and lobbyists in the US have been given access and, if the process is in any way typical, the actual terms are being written by the corporations.
That's certainly the way corporations have operated in the US legislative process, especially where regulatory issues are involved.
My misgivings stem from the fact that while corporations have increasing control and power in the US, their interests are not identical with those of American citizens generally. Far from it.
While their headquarters may be in the US - particularly Delaware for regulatory convenience - these companies are multi-national in scope and fundamental loyalty.
By law, their fundamental obligation is to the profit of investors. In practice, in recent decades, the major profits have gone to senior management with shady practices such as backdating options to purchase stock at favourable prices.
Inimical interest of management and investors has been spectacularly demonstrated in corporate failures, especially in the finance industry.
Chief executives have walked away with millions with investors left with losses. Workers, of course, suffer the greatest loss - jobs and pensions.
The threat to New Zealanders from corporations exerting their power under TPPA inheres in several major areas, subsumed under the heading of intellectual property. Even farming can be affected through patentable seeds and farming practice.
The financial meltdown of 2007-8 did not directly affect banks in New Zealand, Australia and Canada due to their stricter regulation, avoiding speculation. The TPPA would overcome those regulations and create the possibility of the sale of speculative mortgage-backed asset packages to bring similar disaster to our shores.
Some analysts estimate billions of toxic assets exist in some large financial portfolios just waiting to be off-loaded in a new convenient place.
I've written about the effect of imposition of international Big Pharma's strategies on our generic drugs, which would be devastating - increasing costs of medication through extension of length of patents and the requirement to purchase brand-name drugs.
A further threat consists of the legal capacity of medical corporations to patent not only drugs, but medical procedures and even tissues. A stark and telling example can be found in Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Yes, these warnings sound Cassandra-like, but the danger is real.
Corporations have morphed from a limited lifespan to eternal life. The US Supreme Court has granted them many of the rights of persons - only a conscience is missing.
What do you call a conscienceless entity with great power that lives forever?
Wanganui District Council will be presented with a local initiative to safeguard ourselves from these vampires on May 19 at 2pm.
All sentient beings of conscience are welcome.
Jay Kuten is an American-trained forensic psychiatrist who emigrated to New Zealand for the fly fishing. He spent 40 years comforting the afflicted and intends to spend the rest afflicting the comfortable
