General Discussion

jeff47

(26,549 posts)

69. We already have free trade with the TPP countries.

Sun May 17, 2015, 10:00 PM

May 2015

So why do we need this deal again?

(For anyone who wants to be pedantic: The countries that make up 80% of the GDP covered by the TPP already have free trade agreements with the US. Japan makes up an additional 12% of GDP, but only has a tariff of 1.2%. If that was such a massive barrier to trade, then the US economy would be getting annihilated by sales taxes many times that. That leaves a whopping 8% of GDP, and none of them have very large tariffs on US goods. In other words, the markets are already open to the US. We don't need the TPP to open those markets.)

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Fiction: Liberal Democratic voters support the TPP. [View all] cali May 2015 OP

"...economic populism is the very DNA of Democrats." RiverLover May 2015 #1

Bill Curry wrote that. He's former WH counsel to Bill Clinton cali May 2015 #2

"The evidence is overwhelming." Except for every poll. I think it is fair to say that pampango May 2015 #3

when was the most recent poll conducted? And ask yourself these questions cali May 2015 #5

The only recent poll I've seen was the one in April but that was done by a group linked to Obama. pampango May 2015 #7

So "every" poll, as you claimed, is one recent poll conducted by a group associated with Obama cali May 2015 #10

There were several polls done earlier this year that show essentially the same thing. You know that. pampango May 2015 #73

I think many on DU still fail to see the difference between the two wyldwolf May 2015 #9

the democratic electorate at large is still largely unaware of the tpp cali May 2015 #11

that's a 'progressive' fallacy - that they are somehow are better informed wyldwolf May 2015 #14

sorry, but of course people who pay more attention to politics cali May 2015 #15

No disrespect but you are no smarter than the average working-class Democrat wyldwolf May 2015 #16

straw, straw and more mouldering straw. cali May 2015 #17

You've never claimed you're smarter that the average Democrat? wyldwolf May 2015 #19

no, I did not. stop making stuff up. Better informed isn't close to being synonymous cali May 2015 #22

So you're drawing a distinction between "smarter" and "better informed and educated" than other Dems wyldwolf May 2015 #25

Get yourself a thesaurus. Use it. truebluegreen May 2015 #26

Sure, why not wyldwolf May 2015 #37

fail again. the tpp is not the only trade deal being discussed cali May 2015 #31

Name them - and show me coverage of them. wyldwolf May 2015 #45

huh. I am not claiming other trade deals are getting more coverage cali May 2015 #50

who said you were claiming that? wyldwolf May 2015 #53

what are you asking for? cali May 2015 #55

It has wyldwolf May 2015 #59

+1, sad attempt at misdirection Marr May 2015 #64

Jesus H Christ on a hitch nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #34

Yes, coverage of TTP has been almost non existent, however TPP is another story Brother Buzz May 2015 #35

Thanks for the traffic nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #36

You neglicted to thank muriel_volestrangler for the traffic Brother Buzz May 2015 #40

How about you look it yourself nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #42

Found it! The alert failed then you fold claiming the 'alert stalkers' win and close the thread Brother Buzz May 2015 #61

Yup nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #62

News.google.com is your friend wyldwolf May 2015 #38

So is media matters nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #39

So mediamatters says there is no coverage. Actual news sites are full of coverage. wyldwolf May 2015 #43

and I can find a million reference for any obscure thing on google news cali May 2015 #51

but the TPP isn't an obscure thing wyldwolf May 2015 #54

no coverage on tv until the Senate voted down the tpa last week cali May 2015 #41

the majority of Americans get their news from NON Broadcast sources wyldwolf May 2015 #44

News alerts from CNN or CBS or NBC nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #56

Yes wyldwolf May 2015 #58

Odd since I subscribe for all of them nadinbrzezinski May 2015 #63

+1. Grassroots activists on the Right think the same YoungDemCA May 2015 #47

exactly wyldwolf May 2015 #48

Yes, shut up and don't think too hard. Just do what you're told and everything will be great. jeff47 May 2015 #68

It's worse than that I think. joshcryer May 2015 #60

I think the UK and Israelis elections prove the polls can't be relied on anymore betterdemsonly May 2015 #4

I question the integrity of anyone that would support the TPP. Enthusiast May 2015 #6

I can't find anyone who supports this pile of dogshit, but then I don't know any Third Way .... Scuba May 2015 #8

There's some room for cutting tariffs without precipitous job losses... shaayecanaan May 2015 #12

Yes, but the tpp is largely not about cutting tariffs. cali May 2015 #13

its about tariff and non tariff barriers as well as ip shaayecanaan May 2015 #65

that's a big chunk, I think cali May 2015 #70

Lori Wallach of Public Citizen in HuffPo, March 2015: Recent polling shows majority support ucrdem May 2015 #18

Nice job. This is Fox News type of spinning. Posting something without proper context. RiverLover May 2015 #20

Lori Wallach of Public Citizen in HuffPo is FOX, okay. ucrdem May 2015 #21

Total BS. Because she's appeared on Fox doesn't mean she IS Fox. Bernie has appeared on Fox. RiverLover May 2015 #23

hey, do you find the Sierra Club suspect? How about the Natural Resources cali May 2015 #24

The most recent Gallup poll shows that 58% of respondents favor free trade. ucrdem May 2015 #29

a general question about free trade is not a poll on opinions of the tpp cali May 2015 #32

If you can find a more recent trade poll that mentions TPP, post it. nt ucrdem May 2015 #33

That's like asking the public if they support the "right to work" or "clear skies"... cascadiance May 2015 #57

We already have free trade with the TPP countries. jeff47 May 2015 #69

Not Japan, and your numbers are sloppy, as I pointed out earlier. ucrdem May 2015 #71

How horrible of me to use the average tariff actually paid. jeff47 May 2015 #72

Agree. ananda May 2015 #27

I don't think many understand what it means to be a liberal Mnpaul May 2015 #28

+1 /nt RiverLover May 2015 #30

What does it mean to be a liberal? wyldwolf May 2015 #46

No True Scots...er, Liberal YoungDemCA May 2015 #49

Google has several good descriptions Mnpaul May 2015 #66

Exactly! Another reason to abandon corporate national party. onecaliberal May 2015 #52

K&R! darkangel218 May 2015 #67

Fuck third way Republican ideology. n/t PowerToThePeople May 2015 #74