Latest Breaking News
In reply to the discussion: Obama Dismisses Democratic Foes Of Sweeping Trade Pact, Says It Would Level Global Commerce [View all]JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)"Being opposed to this new trade agreement is essentially a ratification of the status quo, where a lot of folks are selling here, but we're not selling there," Obama said at a news conference alongside Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
Read more: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/d00d76e03696428bbf876f80c680d8ec/US--United-States-Trade
True. That's the problem: "a lot of folks are selling here, but we're not selling there." The solution to that problem is bilateral (our country with each country separately) that insure that we do not buy more from the country with which we are negotiating a trade agreement than it buys from us.
We need more balance in our trade relationships.
Every dollar in our huge trade deficit is a dollar that could have been paid to an American worker, a dollar that could have been taxed to fund our government services including our huge military that insures the freedom of the seas and skies and of trade.
Our trade surplus proves that prior trade agreements which were negotiated in ways very similar to and by the same interests that negotiated the TPP harmed America. They did not help us.
I support Obama on many things. But on the issue of the TPP, he is wrong and out of touch with Main Street America.
We do not want the TPP. We have been duped too many times in the past with the false promises of more jobs and more exports if we only have one more trade agreement.
No. When our balance of payments is out of the red, then maybe Americans will be willing to think about trade agreements.
Obama is trying to cure a hangover from NAFTA and all our other trade agreements with just one more shot glass. Won't work. We are sick of the lies about these agreements. That the TPP will help our economy is a lie.
Obama says, for example:
He (Obama) pointed to the various brands of Japanese-made cars filling the streets of Washington compared to a lack of GM, Chrysler and Ford vehicles in Tokyo.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/d00d76e03696428bbf876f80c680d8ec/US--United-States-Trade
No trade agreement in the world will cause people with deep national loyalty to buy products made in other countries. No trade agreement in the world can make an American company design a car that will appeal to the Japanese or the Germans or the French for that matter. It's not going to happen. A lot goes into purchasing habits that trade agreements cannot change.
If you live in other countries for a while, you understand what I am talking about. Most countries take a great pride in the products their compatriots produce. They will buy foreign-made products but in many areas, just prefer their home-made ones. It's understandable.
No to the TPP.