In January of this year, TransCanada put the federal government on notice that it was going to sue it (and by that, I mean the taxpayers) for $15 billion for lost "potential" for not approving the Keystone XL pipeline. It is vital that people pause and ponder: TransCanada, in its legally justified yet totally outrageous reaction, is reminding us of the reality of the investment rules our governments, under heavy pressure from global corporations, have inserted into thousands of trade and investment agreements. And contemplate the assault on democracy that NAFTA and the TPP represent.