Tom Friedman: No TPP and ISIS will prevail, the world will slip into anarchy and China

[cali]

will menace us all.

Wow, talk about a hard sell with bullshit.


<snip>

Given the premise of that book (and he's apparently working on a followup), it's little surprise that he's now stepped up to defend the TPP in his NY Times column space. Of course, he's going to do that, because he has a kneejerk reaction to defend "free trade deals" based on his book -- and he doesn't even seem to recognize that the TPP isn't really about free trade, other than at the margins. At least his colleague, Paul Krugman, seemed to immediately recognize that the TPP couldn't possibly help much on trade (because most trade barriers are already gone), and after talking to lots of folks realized that the TPP was likely dangerous.

Friedman, on the other hand, insists it's necessary, because without it... ISIS wins. Or something like that. Honestly, it's hard to parse out what he's actually saying because the broad meaningless platitudes just take over:

Because these deals are not just about who sets the rules. They’re about whether we’ll have a rule-based world at all. We’re at a very plastic moment in global affairs — much like after World War II. China is trying to unilaterally rewrite the rules. Russia is trying to unilaterally break the rules and parts of both the Arab world and Africa have lost all their rules and are disintegrating into states of nature. The globe is increasingly dividing between the World of Order and the World of Disorder.

When you look at it from Europe — I’ve been in Germany and Britain the past week — you see a situation developing to the south of here that is terrifying. It is not only a refugee crisis. It’s a civilizational meltdown: Libya, Yemen, Syria and Iraq — the core of the Arab world — have all collapsed into tribal and sectarian civil wars, amplified by water crises and other environmental stresses.

From there, he wanders through random musings about the collapse of civilization in the Middle East that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with a trade agreement concerning countries in the Pacific Rim. Then he magically brings it back around to the TPP by arguing "something something New World Order World of Order."

<snip>

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150429/05485830831/tom-friedman-if-we-dont-sign-tpp-agreement-world-will-be-overtaken-isis-anarchy-china.shtml

[cascadiance]

1. So Tom Friedman now has officially become a corporatist fear monger!

I can't believe I once made a point a long time ago to buy one of his books then. So much now I've learned since that time about how neo-liberal crap gets spun in front of us.

[cali]

4. ugh, me either.

in fact, that reminds me that I have a copy of his craptastic "The World is Flat", that needs to go to the dump.

[cascadiance]

8. Yep, that's the book I have hidden in a box somewhere...

Probably would only get me about 15 cents now if I tried to sell it on half.com. Would be worth more to have it at a protest to symbolically burn it on video somehow.

[Eleanors38]

18. Too many olives.

[BainsBane]

2. He was a big supporter of the Iraq war

and he'd keeping up his same bullshit.

[hifiguy]

17. Friedman is the "Old Faithful" of bullshit.

The regular eruptions never stop.

[Eleanors38]

19. Oh, the vision!

[Oilwellian]

34. Old Faithful or...

just a plain old case of constant flatulence. LOL

[KoKo]

3. Freidman for it and Dana Milbank against TPP....

Friedman...

[tularetom]

5. Nice to know he's still out there and still propagating utter drivel

I hadn't heard anything from him for a while and I thought that he was hiding in the shame of being the second most wrong pundit in the world, trailing only William Kristol.

[cali]

13. lol. utter drivel hits the nail smack on the head.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. If all else fails, erect a scary bogeyman. K&R

[GeorgeGist]

7. Why is Friedman still a thing?

[sendero]

27. Exactly......

.... his ideas are fanciful and anti-prescient. He don't know the alphabet but he keeps on talking.

[Fumesucker]

9. So how many FU's* will it take before this happens?

*Friedman Units, 1 FU = 6 months.

[JHB]

10. I notice something missing when he mentions disintegration in the ME

Guess that whole "suck on this" thing didn't work too well, did it Tom?

Not that he seems to remember anyone saying that.

[Hoyt]

11. I think you've mischaracterized Krugman's comments in his latest wishy washy editorial.

He says thumbs down, then immediately says--

"I don’t think the proposal is likely to be the terrible, worker-destroying pact some progressives assert, but it doesn’t look like a good thing either for the world or for the United States, and you have to wonder why the Obama administration, in particular, would consider devoting any political capital to getting this through."

And, I think Krugman has failed to see the importance of trade alliances vs China and their explotation of labor, the environment, desire to control world trade, etc.

Mostly, I think Krugman decided his earlier position that trade deals like NAFTA haven't been responsible for job loses, and the like, wasn't worth fighting with short-sighted "progressives."

As to Friedman, screw his warmongering.

[cali]

15. I'm flattered that you think I wrote that piece, dear

though I do think the link should have given you the tiniest bit of a hint.



Oh, and one thing: What in the TPP prevents China from forging its own trade agreements with the tpp nations- or any other?

[Hoyt]

22. You posted it, did you not?

As to China -- of course they could seek an Asian-Pacific agreement, but what if ours is better. Who do you think most of those countries would rather trade with?

Of course, there may be no "ours" because of people too myopic to see the advantages long-term.

As one commentator put it: "Beijing may now sense that the recent stalling of the TPP negotiations offers a potential window of opportunity to advance the Asia-Pacific free trade pact."

[hughee99]

12. If we don't sign the TPP, the terrorists win.

I don't think digging up and misusing memes from 14 years ago is going to work for this one.

[AzDar]

14. Anyone having any lingering doubts about this monstrosity... Hopefully the King Of Fools, Friedman's

unwavering support (along with Paul Ryan), should clear that right up.

STOP THE TPP!!

[Hoyt]

24. Tbaggers are against it. That tells me something too.

[neverforget]

41. And the US Chamber of Commerce, Paul Ryan, Orin Hatch, John Boehner are all for it

while unions, environmental groups and most Democrats in Congress are against it. That tells me something too.

[Hoyt]

42. Not as much as racist, xenophobic, greedy, nationalistic, tbaggers.

[neverforget]

43. are those of us Democrats opposed to the TPP what you

describe?

[neverforget]

44. I really hope you answer post #43 but i

don't expect one.

[Hoyt]

45. Tbaggers are against it, that should tell you something. And TB

tend to be be what I wrote. I suspect most would say they are fine with letting poor people starve abroad if it means US wages might not increase as rapidly. Personally, I don'tbelieve the TPP will hurt us, but folks gotta have something to blame.

[neverforget]

47. Ok. So because I don't want the TPP means I am fine letting poor people starve?

Do you really think corporations are going to pay them more so they're not poor? Really? Because corporations care about their employees. Give me a break. They pay as little as they can because it's the profit that matters, not the workers.

Why do you think Republicans and American corporations fight tooth and nail against a minimum wage increase? They don't want ANYTHING to get in the way of increasing profits. They are being FORCED to pay more by the government.

[Hoyt]

48. Actually, there is plenty of evidence Multinational Corporations pay more and are good for poor

countries. I'm not saying the couldn't pay more and do more, but they do help. Governments can also force other improvements over time.

There is plenty of info if you care to search. Here is just one discussing the worst of poor countries:

" Most scholarly work by economists related to sweatshops has focused on the wages multinational firms pay. Several econometric studies demonstrate the benefits multinational firms provide. Aitken, Harrison, and Lipsey (1996) and Lipsey and Sjoholm (2001) both find that after controlling for other factors, multinational firms pay higher wages than domestic firms in Third World countries. Feenstra and Hanson (1997) find that multinational firms improve the lives of workers by increasing the demand for labor. Budd and Slaughter (2000) and Budd, Konings, and Slaughter (2001) find that as multinational profits go up, multinational firms share gains with Third World workers. Brown, Deardorff and Stern (2003) summarize the literature documenting the benefits multinational companies provide to Third World workers."

"
Few dispute that multinational firms tend to pay their workers more than domestic firms in the Third World. Critics of sweatshops maintain that because subcontractors make many products for multinational firms, measuring only multinational firm wages does not address critics' complaints against sweatshops. We have addressed the deficiency in the literature by comparing apparel industry wages in countries that supposedly have sweatshops and the wages of individual firms accused of being sweatshops to measures of average standards of living in these countries. The data clearly show that overall, apparel industry workers are far better off than most people in their economies. However, while the best available, the data used was far from perfect. Biases are likely causing us to understate earnings as a percent of living standards. Despite data limitations, individual firms accused of paying sweatshop wages often still compare favorably with other standard of living measures."

http://www.independent.org/publications/working_papers/article.asp?id=1369

Of Obama can build in standards that force companies, and maybe governments, to do better, it's hard to argue trade won't help. Although I'm sure folks will anyway, trying to protect their earnings which are the envy of poor countries.

[hifiguy]

16. Friedman really needs to lay off huffing gas.

There's nothing left of his brain anymore.

[Arugula Latte]

20. In Friedman's defense,

his ever-growin' mustache has usurped oxygen that should be going to his brain cells.

[hifiguy]

21. I think you may be on to something here.

Or on something.

[appalachiablue]

38. Thread Winner, First Rate!

[JCMach1]

23. Yemen has spent most of the last 30 years in one civil war, or another

Friedman, as usual, shows his ignorance.

[HughBeaumont]

25. This is the guy that once said . . .

. . . that a perfect example of a "well regulated economy" was North Korea.

Further down the thread is a link to an overseas interview of Friedman regarding his views on Free Trade and Globalization that doesn't throw him the pre-screened, underhand softballs he's used to at his CNBC/Fox safehouses. It's 49 minutes of sheer uncomfortable comedy!

[bullwinkle428]

26. Friedman is the new Judith Miller. Which makes sense, given both

of their feelings on the Iraq war.

[frylock]

28. and it will happen within the next 6 months

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedman_Unit

[madinmaryland]

29. The moustache of understanding strikes again...

[cali]

30. that is just delightful- and hysterical. thanks

[DisgustipatedinCA]

31. Glad to see someone else remembers Get Your War On. nt

[m-lekktor]

32. LOL! nt

[hifiguy]

33. That is classic.

[Marr]

35. Wow, glad I'm not on Tom Friedman's side in the TPP debate. /nt

[pampango]

36. China hates TPP because they don't want someone setting standards that hurt their advantages.

I suspect they would much prefer trading rules that suit their economy.

[cali]

37. I recently read an interesting long article about how China doesn't hate the TPP

and isn't bothered by it at all. I'll see if I can find it for you

[pampango]

39. I was going by what I read a year ago so maybe things have changed. n/t

[MisterP]

40. scare tactics have to, y'know, scare people

Christ, where do they even find these tapioca-brained idiots? either it's him or George Will; even Dennis Prager knows how to make a sentence and he's one of those TFP fruitloops

[Ken Burch]

46. "...and Nazis will ride on dinosaurs..."

Tom Friedman-the"Princess Clara" of political prophecy.