I'll say it again-Fast tracking TPP while the country goes Right to work is wrong.

[midnight]

"If the TPP would be as good for American jobs as they claim, there should be nothing to hide." —Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)


Sen. Elizabeth Warren has slammed the idea of ISDS provisions as a surrender of democratic ideals to corporate interests.


According to Warren, ISDS would simply "tilt the playing field in the United States further in favor of big multinational corporations.

" By having unchallenged input on secretive TPP talks, Warren argued last month, these large companies and financial interests "are increasingly realizing this is an opportunity to gut U.S. regulations they don’t like."

According to Grayson, putting Wednesday's ISDS briefing in a classified setting "is part of a multi-year campaign of deception and destruction.

Why do we classify information?

It's to keep sensitive information out of the hands of foreign governments.

In this case, foreign governments already have this information.

They're the people the administration is negotiating with.

The only purpose of classifying this information is to keep it from the American people."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has slammed the idea of ISDS provisions as a surrender of democratic ideals to corporate interests. According to Warren, ISDS would simply "tilt the playing field in the United States further in favor of big multinational corporations." By having unchallenged input on secretive TPP talks, Warren argued last month, these large companies and financial interests "are increasingly realizing this is an opportunity to gut U.S. regulations they don’t like."

According to Grayson, putting Wednesday's ISDS briefing in a classified setting "is part of a multi-year campaign of deception and destruction. Why do we classify information? It's to keep sensitive information out of the hands of foreign governments. In this case, foreign governments already have this information. They're the people the administration is negotiating with. The only purpose of classifying this information is to keep it from the American people."

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/03/17/lawmakers-say-tpp-meetings-classified-keep-americans-dark

[tonyt53]

1. I liked the fact that Bernie brought up keeping the TPP away from a Senate vote this year

That could actually be a reality.

[lapucelle]

2. TPP is not happening.

It's over. Finished. Gone. Kaput. Let it go.

[jtunes]

3. trade deals like this never go away

they lie in wait, for when the opposition is weak

[lapucelle]

5. So does fascism.

That's why we must unite and defeat Trump and whoever his shadow president would be.

[midnight]

7. Like your opinion. And wish it were true. But since this TPP is being hammered out in secret,

not clear how you know?

[Andy823]

17. On the other hand

If it's being hammered out in secret, how do you know it's so bad?

[tritsofme]

19. I'd bet money on two things in the lame duck: Garland is confirmed and TPP passes.

[Hoyt]

4. ISDS is same provision(s) that have been in trade agreements since 1959, not at all secretive if one

does a little research. I guess it does look "secretive" if you sit around criticizing it, not having the slightest idea what you are talking about. The ISDS is better defined/executed than any dispute in previous agreements. But I guess some people just don't like United Nations arbitration rules.

I really appreciate the way Senator Warren has taken off after Trump, but ISDS is pretty transparent to anyone who looks. I get there is legitimate criticism of the TPP, the coming Trans-Atlantic agreement, Agreements between countries in the European Union, etc. But the ISDS really isn't nearly as bad as some folks think, at least if you are glad to have people here working for Toyota, Honda, Siemens, Airbus, etc.

[midnight]

6. Please link you research...

Just wanted to re state what Ms. Warren states:

"Sen. Elizabeth Warren has slammed the idea of ISDS provisions as a surrender of democratic ideals to corporate interests."

[Hoyt]

8. Well, I suggest she slam the 159 countries who have been signing trade agreements since 1959.

You could have studied this for yourself years ago, had you really wanted to.

Here's a report by the European Commission:

http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/january/tradoc_153046.pdf

You'll notice comments like this:

"These agreements date back to the 1960s. Today there are more than 3000
international investment agreements containing Investor-to -State dispute settlement
provisions. EU member States account for 1400 of these. "


It actually goes back to 1959 when Germany and Pakistan executed and agreement.

[midnight]

10. Your opinions are yours. The facts say something else.

[Hoyt]

11. Well you don't have any facts and probably never have looked it up.

I was adding this to the post above while you were responding with something about "facts."

You could have studied this for yourself years ago, had you really wanted to.

Here's a report by the European Commission:

http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2015/january/tradoc_153046.pdf

You'll notice comments like this:

"These agreements date back to the 1960s. Today there are more than 3000
international investment agreements containing Investor-to -State dispute settlement
provisions. EU member States account for 1400 of these. "


It actually goes back to 1959 when Germany and Pakistan executed an agreement that included an ISDS.

[Angry Dragon]

9. Down with TPP --- Obama transparency

[midnight]

12. "We were once producers of our own goods."

http://economyincrisis.org/content/what-is-happening-to-america

[pampango]

14. We import less and export a lot less than any other developed country.

If we import less than Germany, Sweden, Canada, etc. we must be "producers of our own goods" to a greater extent than those progressive countries.

[midnight]

15. I'm not sure I follow your import, export thoughts.

I think this article is trying to make us aware that free trade deals have lead to some terrible issues like unemployment.

“Free trade” is uncontrolled access to our economy, tariff- and duty-free, for imports made for four dollars per hour or less. We can’t compete with these wages so our companies are forced to sell out to foreign interests, or go bankrupt. “Free trade” is the murderer of manufacturing and the path to the loss of national sovereignty."

However, the once global super power is now drowning in debt, dependent on imports and suffering from an outrageous unemployment rate. Whom do we have to blame? Our political figures pushing “free trade.”



http://economyincrisis.org/content/what-is-happening-to-america

[pampango]

16. "Whom do we have to blame?" 'Political leaders' pushing 'right-to-work', tax cuts for the rich,

corporate deregulation, shredding of the safety net, etc.

Trade, "free" or otherwise, is not the problem. We trade relatively little - 1/3 to 1/2 as much as countries, like Canada, Sweden, Germany, etc., which have very strong middle classes and unions.

If trade, "free" or otherwise, was the "murderer of manufacturing and the path to the loss of national sovereignty", those countries would have low wages, weak unions and shattered middle classes.

They do not. The reason they do not is that, like FDR, they protect and promote unions, tax progressively at high rates, provide strong safety nets and regulate corporations more effectively, while they promote high levels of trade.

It worked for FDR back in the day. It works in progressive countries today. It would work in the US, too but too many liberals and conservatives go after trade instead - which FDR and modern Sweden and Germany would tell you, ain't the problem.

[colsohlibgal]

13. Ross Perot Was Right About This

The "Giant Sucking Sound" happened. Trade deals have generally been a disaster for American workers.

[nationalize the fed]

18. Besides Perot, there was Sir James Goldsmith

this man told the absolute truth. Watch the despicable Laura D'Andrea Tyson (15:30 min) try to defend her stance. Too bad Sir James isn't with us anymore.

Interview from November 15, 1994

Incredible foresight. Few listened. Now we have the onslaught- TPP, TTIP and TISA.