TPP: It’s Not a Deal, It’s Not a Trade Deal, and It’s Not a Done Deal

[marmar]

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.


“These people, dressed as they are, come from all over the United States to make deals here in the Market Place of America … LET’S MAKE A DEAL!”–Jay Stewart, Let’s Make a Deal


Press coverage of the climax of the Atlanta ministerial meeting on TPP was as herd-like as the Corbyn 5 minutes of hate in the UK. Here are just a few of the headlines; you can see how very much alike they are, in tone and content:

United States, 11 Pacific Rim countries reach trade deal AP

12 Pacific countries seal huge free trade deal AFP

Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal Is Reached New York Times

US, Japan and 10 countries strike Pacific trade deal Financial Times (sigh)

Trans-Pacific free trade deal agreed creating vast partnership’ BBC

Trans-Pacific Partnership signed: US and Japan among 12 in ‘disastrous trade agreement’ International Business Times

Of course, nothing has been “signed,” and the deal has neither been “reached”, “sealed,” “struck,” or “agreed.” At best, what we have is a deal to try to make a deal; these headlines, and the mentality of the writers and editors, are all profoundly anti-democratic. As the BBC sheepishly admits:

Despite the success of the negotiations, the deal still has to be ratified by lawmakers in each country.

The Financial Times contradicts its own headline:

The TPP must still be signed formally by the leaders of each country and ratified by their legislatures, where support for the deal is not universal. In the US, Mr Obama will face a tough fight to push it through Congress next year, especially as presidential candidates such as the Republican frontrunner Donald Trump have argued against it.

Nice spin on “formally.” And what are the lawmakers? Chopped liver? (For grins, here are the official texts that we do have: The “joint statement” from the trade ministers after the Atlanta meeting; The “summary” on the USTR’s website; and “Statement by the President” at the White House site. Needless to say, these should all be regarded as propaganda, just as much as the memes that the White House Internet operation has been assiduously pumping out since Monday morning.)

In this post, I want to first look at the exact status of the deal we do not yet have; that is, the text that will, at some point, be presented to lawmakers. Then I want to look at what the deal, or at least the dealings, are really about; and it’s not trade. NC readers already know this, of course; but it’s good to have more confirmation come out of the negotiation process. (In this post, I’m not going to look at the sausage-making or who said what; frankly, I’m not certain that’s the only method to examine — or, more importantly, disrupt — the TPP process, though it is necessary to be informed if only to refute or recontextualize in conversation.) In conclusion, there’s hope: Deals like TPP have been defeated before. ................(more)

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/10/tpp-its-not-a-deal-and-its-not-a-trade-deal-and-its-not-a-done-deal.html

[djean111]

1. And remember - that fast Track that Obama wanted so very much, and was given to him by the GOP and

DINOs? - that means not one word can be changed, not one thing can be added, changed, or deleted.

The whole thing - up or down vote.
We will be seeing the warm and cuddly snippets being rolled out.

[Shandris]

6. They've already broke out the cute tiger pics.

I despise people who try to weaponize cuteness with a hatred reserved for few things.

[WillyT]

2. K & R !!!

[haikugal]

3. .

K&R!!

[Blue_Tires]

4. Who in fuck's name is Lambert Strether?

[Shandris]

5. You think they've worked five years on this deal and will let it get...

...torpedo'ed by a single nation's voters when they literally aren't allowed to vote on it?

I wish I had your faith in our political class. I don't trust them farther than I can toss them (and that ain't far).