Here's Why Democrats Don't Believe Obama's Trade Promises

[BlueCaliDem]

13. Neither CAFTA nor NAFTA have any "teeth" to go after violators. That's why we NEED the TPP.

Man! There's so much misinformation and untruths out there about NAFTA and CAFTA that it's no wonder that some American people are against the TPP. If they believed in this president just a smidge, they wouldn't be so terrified about him negotiating another, stronger trade agreement on behalf of the American people. This man is no dummy, and he's always worked in favor of the (ungrateful) American people. Always.

What President Obama seeks to do now is renegotiate weak/unenforceable provisions in past trade agreements via the TPP that will allow other countries to go after violators of the trade agreements. This would go a LONG way in stopping the murder of union workers in Guatemala.

For the life of me, I don't understand why this is a bad thing to Trumka.

CAFTA's labor provision is only enforceable by the respective country itself; there's nothing other countries can do, even the United States, except register diplomatic protest. Sure, the AFL-CIO - just like the U.S. Trade Representative, can and has file suits in those CAFTA countries, but again, labor provisions as written under CAFTA are only enforceable by the respective country itself. Trumka knows this, so why the push of misinformation? What would he have the president do? Declare war on Guatemala and Columbia for violations of provisions of CAFTA? Would you want war over this? Or would you rather choose renegotiating our trade agreements to strengthen worker's rights and environmental protections - which the TPP seeks to do - and then have the "teeth" to really go after these governments for violations of trade provisions?

I choose the latter. And judging by your past posts, I'm certain you do, too, Recursion.