2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumTPP fast-track vote too close to call as vocal opponents make final push
June 12, 2015
Trade authority approval would be a huge win for Barack Obama, but both supporters and opponents say anticipated Friday vote is too close to call
With fast-track trade authority expected to face a close House vote on Friday, Ben Wikler, the Washington director of MoveOn.org, has little patience for trade advocates who suggest that its only opponents are labor unions.
Thats utterly false. Thats laughably false, said Wikler.
MoveOn has collected 100,000 signatures to oppose fast-track and the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership (TPP), an agreement under negotiation for 12 countries representing 40% of world trade.
The one silver lining of the TPP is it has united the entire progressive movement, Wikler added. The TPP attacks just about every aspect of progressive policy from drug prices to environmental issues to food safety to jobs and income equality, Wall Street regulation, internet freedom and government transparency.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/12/trans-pacific-trade-deal-vote
vi5
(13,305 posts)What a sad state of affairs.
tridim
(45,358 posts)Because some of us have the capability to judge character based on reality.
vi5
(13,305 posts)tridim
(45,358 posts)This place can be confusing sometimes.
vi5
(13,305 posts)I can't believe an ostensibly Democratic president is going to the mat over secretive trade deals.
tridim
(45,358 posts)Please be specific.
I agree that, "It is pathetic that we (you) are battling a Dem president over this".
Baitball Blogger
(46,758 posts)Last edited Fri Jun 12, 2015, 12:38 PM - Edit history (1)
He is not a god. He is not all powerful. People make mistakes, which is why full transparency in government is critical. A good leader knows this, which is why he will listen to counter-arguments before making a decision. But there have been no counter-arguments to consider because he has limited the number of people who can review the documents.
No criticism=plausible deniability.
vi5
(13,305 posts)This is a democracy. I don't trust anyone who says that anyone has to vote for something without full and open access to it, the same as any law gets.
This isn't a national security issue where people could die. It's a financial/economic/trade issue and there's no reason not to have full, unfettered access to see who would benefit or be hurt by it.