General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Forget the DU created issues. How does Hillary not have an opinion on TPP? [View all]PatrickforO
(14,570 posts)the TPP is a really big deal. Having worked on both of Obama's campaigns as a volunteer, I am appalled that he is pushing this new trade agreement. I read what came out on WikiLeaks and it is really bad - corporate lawyers trying deliberately to be obtuse and misleading, but once you wade through the thing, you see the bottom line is that Obama and his Republican allies (never thought I'd say THAT) are giving away the power of the United States government to international corporate arbitrators with no recourse in American courts once the decision is made. The TPP has horrible adverse consequences for the American middle class, our environment and the rule of law we depend upon to make life at least somewhat predictable.
Not having a position will seriously hurt Clinton's campaign moving forward.
I mean, think back to 1993 when Bill Clinton sold us on NAFTA. Sounded like a good idea at the time, right? But the USA lost over 800,000 jobs at a conservative estimate. We still have an expensive retraining program called TAA that pays regular unemployment payments and up to $14,000 for two years of postsecondary occupational education for people who can prove they lost their jobs due to NAFTA - and you know what? We're STILL getting those people in!
If you want to make a wise judgment as to the merits of TPP, a good place to begin is to look at who has come out against it and why, and who it for it and why.
At the end of the day, Clinton isn't going to be able to be a mug-wump on this thing. She is going to have to choose a side.