Stop Calling the TPP A Trade Agreement – It Isn’t

[pampango]

22. The EU is composed of many nations but it was created along "FDR" principles - strong unions,

high taxes, strong safety net, better regulation, etc.

Uniting many sovereign nations with different laws is not impossible. History (the EU) proves that. France and Germany have fought more wars against each other than the US has with any of the TPP countries. They get along better now than they have for decades and no Germans or French have been killed fighting on behalf of 'national sovereignty' as have in the past.

The question is how are countries united and is it beneficial. If the TPP does not meet a standard of a 'progressive partnership' because corporations are too strong and liberals are too weak, it will never be what the EU is.

We are one nation now. We weren't one nation in any meaningful way under the Articles of Confederation. States had many different laws and resisted subjugating their sovereignty to a larger national entity. With the coming of the Constitution, the states lost the ability to regulate interstate commerce (tariffs, quotas, regulatory standards), just as happened with European countries with the advent of the EU.

To me the loss of sovereignty - state sovereignty here 225 years ago, national sovereignty in Europe 50 years ago - is not as significant as who or what sets the new rules and how effective are they are respecting and protecting our rights and prosperity. Our government has not done a very good job of that in recent decades. The EU has done much better but none of them are perfect.