I really think the TPP could spawn something huge.

[kelliekat44]

26. Just some thoughts on this. Who are the world's holders of wealth, controlling world-wide jobs,

wages..etc? Most of it is held by our own corporate-person citizens. While we decry the loss of jobs to foreign nations we do so believing that those evil developing countries have done this to us and trading with them is trading with the enemy. When in fact, the jobs and low wages and horrible working conditions are owned and controlled by USA/EU companies whose greedy-corporate-corrupt-persons are the ones who SENT the jobs abroad, who continue to pay low wages in deplorable working conditions.

I contend that they are the same anti-union American and EU 1% who refuse to raise wages in their own country and who do not want to pay taxes for the greater good. And the biggest enabler for all of their economic evilness are the American consumers who really don't give a shit so long as they can get cheap goods, Apple watches and other goods made abroad by those cheap laborers. It is unchecked capitalism itself that continues to perpetrate this system along with the uncritical-thinking consumer.

We can decry TTP all we want and NAFTA and any other trade agreements. So long as the holders of most of the wealth continue to cater to ever more greedy stock holders (again ourselves) and do all that is possible to increase already obscene profits, whether or not TTP passes or fails does not really matter. The wealth-holders will win either way as they gleefully watch us go for each other's throats and place all the blame of either the President or the opposition parties.

And the proof is this...we already have the biggest wealth gap, lowest wages, and least amount of worker protections in over 50 years and the TTP does not exist. And it all started BEFORE NAFTA. It mostly began with "contracting out" government functions in the 80's and setting in motion that private contractors are the best way to screw unions and employees out of decent wages and benefits. Next it was extrapolated to corporations with huge workforces. And yes, automation played a part but not nearly as impactful as cheap labor abroad.

So ...here we are angry with the wrong people and focused away from the real problem.