The ISDS provisions of TPP are the death knell of local, state and national democracies since they allow corporations to 'sue' governments if they think regulations, such as environmental or safety ones are inhibiting them earning the maximum profits. And then, the 'case' is adjudicated not by a public court, but by corporate-paid 'arbitrators,' and their decision is binding.
Sorry, the TPP is a piece of trash that will finish killing off the American middle class that made this nation great in the first place. It will cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, good ones that have benefits and that you can raise a family on.
If TPP is so great, then why was it negotiated in secret? Why were members of Congress allowed to only read it in a designated room and not allowed to even take notes? Why was a 'fast track' vote rammed down our throats to prevent filibuster and allow a straight up/down vote in Senate? (on edit) Why has there been no platform for public debate?
Sorry, but I'm NOT in consensus around 'free trade' and will never be. It is a disastrous, bad policy. An example? We don't have single payer healthcare even though the Dems had majorities in both Houses of Congress and the Presidency in 2009. We were told that there weren't enough votes, but that could have been changed by the President using the bully pulpit and calling for the millions who campaigned for him, including myself, to march on DC to pressure and shame the Congress into making it happen. Into making the right thing happen! You know why we don't have single payer?
It is against the strictures set forth in another 'free trade' treaty: the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of 1995. That's right. Single payer would have created what GATS calls a 'service monopoly.' Of course, we COULD have negotiated a waiver with the other signatories on the grounds that health care is a basic right ENJOYED BY THE REST OF THE WORLD EXCEPT FOR US. Or we could have simply overturned GATS in favor of DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
Free trade? Bad idea. Bad policy. We already HAD free movement of goods and services over borders. Free trade treaties are about moving capital. Again, bad idea. Bad policy.
Thus I agree with both Stiglitz and Reich. Check out Reich's short video polemic about TPP on You Tube:
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