People Are Stopping The TPP; Time To Finish Off Corporate Trade

[eridani]

http://www.mintpressnews.com/people-are-stopping-the-tpp-time-to-finish-off-corporate-trade/213620/

First, in order to eke out a legislative victory, Obama and his shrinking number of allies in Congress had to compromise and make the TPP public for 90 days before it was signed. Originally, the trade negotiators planned to keep the TPP secret for four years after it was signed. This has been a costly compromise, as people now know what is in the agreement and the U.S. trade representative and the president can no longer deny it.

Second, the Toxic Political Poison of the TPP ended the career of Boehner, a long-time corporate trader. In order to get the agreement through the House he had to twist the arms of dozens of Republicans who opposed fast track. And, after the vote, he sought retribution against the leaders of the revolt against fast track by removing them from committees and leadership positions. This led to a counter-revolt that ultimately ended his political career. When a speaker of the house is defeated over an issue, everyone in Congress will step lightly to avoid that political poison.

<snip>

On Feb. 9, Rep. Ryan told The Racine Journal Times that there is bipartisan skepticism of the agreement. He said that if Obama pushed a vote on the TPP he would lose, adding: “There are enough concerns about this agreement, some that I also have, where I don’t see enough support for it right now.” This was the first time Ryan admitted there was not enough support for the agreement. At the same time, the White House moved from saying Sen. McConnell will not dictate the schedule to saying the administration will not go forward without congressional leadership.

People are calling Congress to urge their representatives not to support the TPP, and protests are being planned for mid-February when representatives are home for the president’s week recess. We all know that Obama and the transnational corporations want these agreements, so we need to continue to build our people power to defeat the TPP.

[eridani]

1. The Predators Behind the TPP

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/35156-the-predators-behind-the-tpp

But the TPP agreement, which aims to tie the United States together with close to a dozen countries in Asia, Oceania and a bit of Latin America, is not in the first place about trade, and may hardly be significant at all for stimulating genuine exchanges traditionally labelled that way. The same is true for its TPIP companion, which is meant to create and foster a new American-European business environment.

The TPP and TPIP accords are about power, not trade. More specifically, the agreements are about changed power relations between a collectivity of politically well-connected large corporations and the sovereign states in which these entities want to sink new roots. In particular, these treaties would allow U.S. corporations to engage in conduct unchecked by national rules of the participating countries. In eyes not fogged over through neoliberal dogma, such a thing would be recognized as predation.

Some history will clarify a lot. The first systematic attempt to establish corporate supremacy over national laws and regulations, begun in 1997 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, was more honest by calling itself the Multilateral Agreement on Investments (MAI). Under MAI rules, foreign businesses would be guaranteed all the advantages enjoyed by domestic producers and services of the participating countries.

If implemented, the larger foreign investors in these markets could have easily wiped out smaller domestic players with the superior force they can muster and would, once and for all, have made the older standard development methods, known as “import substitution industrialization,” impossible.

[Wilms]

2. ^

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. KnR

[polly7]

4. K&R. nt.

[earthshine]

5. Obama has been absolutely disgusting on this issue.

I read a post (wish I had the link) that said he's upset that people don't think he's a progressive.

I read another post (again, no link) that stated Obama said one of his regrets is that he didn't compromise with republicans more.

Without the links, as written, admittedly, this sounds like heresay. But, this was all read on the DU in the last week.

So, when Hillary says she wants to continue his legacy ...

Eridani, have a heart, on me, for speaking truth to power.

[marmar]

6. k/r

[awoke_in_2003]

7. The only reason it hasn't passed...

is because Obama supports it. In their mind, so do republicans, but in their heart they must oppose him at all stops. For once, it is working out in our favor.