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In reply to the discussion: Why Do You Think President Obama Supports The TPP? [View all]leftstreet
(38,739 posts)27. Nonsense. That's not what it's about
It's got 29 chapters and only 5 of them are related to actual 'trade'
As the federal government shutdown continues, Secretary of State John Kerry heads to Asia for secret talks on a sweeping new trade deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP is often referred to by critics as "NAFTA on steroids," and would establish a free trade zone that would stretch from Vietnam to Chile, encompassing 800 million people about a third of world trade and nearly 40 percent of the global economy. While the text of the treaty has been largely negotiated behind closed doors and, until June, kept secret from Congress, more than 600 corporate advisers reportedly have access to the measure, including employees of Halliburton and Monsanto.
"This is not mainly about trade," says Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizens Global Trade Watch. "It is a corporate Trojan horse. The agreement has 29 chapters, and only five of them have to do with trade. The other 24 chapters either handcuff our domestic governments, limiting food safety, environmental standards, financial regulation, energy and climate policy, or establishing new powers for corporations."
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/10/4/a_corporate_trojan_horse_obama_pushes
"This is not mainly about trade," says Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizens Global Trade Watch. "It is a corporate Trojan horse. The agreement has 29 chapters, and only five of them have to do with trade. The other 24 chapters either handcuff our domestic governments, limiting food safety, environmental standards, financial regulation, energy and climate policy, or establishing new powers for corporations."
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/10/4/a_corporate_trojan_horse_obama_pushes
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Then you aren't listening, at all. NAFTA (and now TPP) and immigration are their two bete noires
Recursion
Oct 2013
#65
It only undermines the higher worker standard of living and replaces it with less.
Enthusiast
Oct 2013
#66
Korea had picky safety regulations that kept my employer's electronics out of their market...
Kolesar
Oct 2013
#10
First: He is the first US president truly oriented toward Pacific/Asia, due to his upbringing
Hekate
Oct 2013
#13
I also spent part of my childhood in Hawaii as well as my college years.
PragmaticLiberal
Oct 2013
#15
Right. He's not doing this to spite the American worker. He's trying to make the US engage with...
Hekate
Oct 2013
#17
He doesn't have much choice, we make hardly anything and we need to trade to exist.
CK_John
Oct 2013
#24
"corporate Trojan horse" - which pretty much describes our gov't at this point. Thanks for this post
polichick
Oct 2013
#106
Nonsense. The policy of shipping US manufacturing jobs to foreign countries has reduced our ability
AnotherMcIntosh
Oct 2013
#31
The answer "Jobs" was given to the question "Is the US currently unable to import something in
AnotherMcIntosh
Oct 2013
#38
Free trade agreements are the cause of wholesale job loss to other countries.
Enthusiast
Oct 2013
#71
I'm not convincing anyone? The millions of us that lost jobs due to NAFTA need no convincing.
Enthusiast
Oct 2013
#91
As you said, manufacturing jobs have declined since the 1950's - long before NAFTA - while output
pampango
Oct 2013
#112
OH's manufacturing output has held steady at about $80 billion per year for over a decade
Recursion
Oct 2013
#70
Good question. Here's another: Why is No One on MSNBC besides Ed talking about it?
whathehell
Oct 2013
#52
Ed will stop talking about TPP in a negative way or join Olbermann on ESPN......nt
Enthusiast
Oct 2013
#98
Because corporations run this country, not whatever figurehead we elect every four years.
marmar
Oct 2013
#54
I agree - and it'll take a lot of clear-eyed, determined people to change that.
polichick
Oct 2013
#107
Pres. Obama is serious on climate change. He is convinced we need action.
raouldukelives
Oct 2013
#118
In my belief that the President is a good & honest person. He feels we have a moral obligation
raouldukelives
Oct 2013
#121
Oh that's why even Congress is left out of the loop, that being the case,
orpupilofnature57
Oct 2013
#120