Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Is Elizabeth Warren Doing Obama's Bidding? [View all]RiverLover
(7,830 posts)64. Fail. You're really showing a lack of knowledge here.
But making Scott Alvarez a household name is child's play compared to Warren's latest fight: whipping up outrage over the Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal.
In a Washington Post op-ed today, Warren writes, "ISDS would allow foreign companies to challenge U.S. laws and potentially to pick up huge payouts from taxpayers without ever stepping foot in a U.S. court."
Heres how it would work. Imagine that the United States bans a toxic chemical that is often added to gasoline because of its health and environmental consequences. If a foreign company that makes the toxic chemical opposes the law, it would normally have to challenge it in a U.S. court. But with ISDS, the company could skip the U.S. courts and go before an international panel of arbitrators. If the company won, the ruling couldnt be challenged in U.S. courts, and the arbitration panel could require American taxpayers to cough up millions and even billions of dollars in damages.
Warren goes on to argue that the rules of that arbitration end up favoring corporations both in the complaints that get hard and the decisions that get rendered. Interestingly, this isn't just a liberal crusade: the libertarian think tank Cato has a lengthy brief slamming the ISDS as "an unnecessary, unreasonable, and unwise provision to include in trade agreements" that, among other sins, "is not even essential to the task of freeing trade."
This puts Warren on a direct collision course with the Obama administration: passing the TPP deal is one of their top priorities this year.
So can Warren get people to care about ISDS? Maybe! As my colleague Matt Yglesias wrote in his newsletter last night, Warren "has a unique knack among today's elected officials for seizing on things that are languishing in obscurity and making them blow up. The greatest trick the special interests ever played was getting the world to stop paying attention. Warren makes people pay attention."
http://www.vox.com/2015/2/26/8114291/elizabeth-warren-tpp
In a Washington Post op-ed today, Warren writes, "ISDS would allow foreign companies to challenge U.S. laws and potentially to pick up huge payouts from taxpayers without ever stepping foot in a U.S. court."
Heres how it would work. Imagine that the United States bans a toxic chemical that is often added to gasoline because of its health and environmental consequences. If a foreign company that makes the toxic chemical opposes the law, it would normally have to challenge it in a U.S. court. But with ISDS, the company could skip the U.S. courts and go before an international panel of arbitrators. If the company won, the ruling couldnt be challenged in U.S. courts, and the arbitration panel could require American taxpayers to cough up millions and even billions of dollars in damages.
Warren goes on to argue that the rules of that arbitration end up favoring corporations both in the complaints that get hard and the decisions that get rendered. Interestingly, this isn't just a liberal crusade: the libertarian think tank Cato has a lengthy brief slamming the ISDS as "an unnecessary, unreasonable, and unwise provision to include in trade agreements" that, among other sins, "is not even essential to the task of freeing trade."
This puts Warren on a direct collision course with the Obama administration: passing the TPP deal is one of their top priorities this year.
So can Warren get people to care about ISDS? Maybe! As my colleague Matt Yglesias wrote in his newsletter last night, Warren "has a unique knack among today's elected officials for seizing on things that are languishing in obscurity and making them blow up. The greatest trick the special interests ever played was getting the world to stop paying attention. Warren makes people pay attention."
http://www.vox.com/2015/2/26/8114291/elizabeth-warren-tpp
A staunch supporter of fair trade, Sen. Warren has been extremely vocal in her fight against free trade agreements. Shes rallied against the Korean U.S. free trade agreement (KOR-US) a number of times, and has recently been heard speaking out against the highly secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), calling for greater transparency during negotiations. In fact, she has even sent a letter to President Barack Obamas nominee to head U.S. trade negotiations that detailed her concerns about President Obamas lack of transparency in the TPP negotiations.
In regards to manufacturing and outsourcing, Sen. Warren believes we need to shift the focus from imports and instead focus on manufacturing American-made products. She believes we must go back to our roots, back to what made America great. That means innovation is key so we can invent and create new products to sell to the rest of the world and aid our ailing economy.
Because she is also a supporter of fair trade, Sen. Warren believes that, to maintain a successful economy, the U.S. must strengthen its trade laws with our trading partners and demand those same trading partners respect workers rights and environmental standards.
http://economyincrisis.org/content/elizabeth-warren-and-hillary-clinton
In regards to manufacturing and outsourcing, Sen. Warren believes we need to shift the focus from imports and instead focus on manufacturing American-made products. She believes we must go back to our roots, back to what made America great. That means innovation is key so we can invent and create new products to sell to the rest of the world and aid our ailing economy.
Because she is also a supporter of fair trade, Sen. Warren believes that, to maintain a successful economy, the U.S. must strengthen its trade laws with our trading partners and demand those same trading partners respect workers rights and environmental standards.
http://economyincrisis.org/content/elizabeth-warren-and-hillary-clinton
I've got more links if you need them!
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
78 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
It's not a joke, but it makes more sense than taking all this insanity at face value.
Buzz Clik
Apr 2015
#7
I sure do. I don't make up crazy shit. I post links to well respected sources for my claims
cali
Apr 2015
#17
I never claimed this was more than pure speculation. I was honest about that.
Buzz Clik
Apr 2015
#18
I'm not referring to history, analysis, or statistics. Just facts about TPP...
Buzz Clik
Apr 2015
#39
Post Links?? I disagree as to the link thing. Everyday you post opinion pieces.
misterhighwasted
Apr 2015
#30
The rethugs have liked it all along. Why do you think he waited for a rethug senate majority before
RiverLover
Apr 2015
#8
Bullshit, cali. I am not painting my speculation as "history, analysis, statistics, and facts."
Buzz Clik
Apr 2015
#45
If I recall correctly, NAFTA was supported by the president pro-tem of the Senate.
Buzz Clik
Apr 2015
#15
we have some knowledge. wish we had more, but yes the three leaked draft chapters, analysis
cali
Apr 2015
#23
Really? She has provided nothing of substance to oppose other than the secrecy.
Buzz Clik
Apr 2015
#53
And the republicans are doing his bidding by pretending to love it, so that Dems will hate it?
arcane1
Apr 2015
#70
Since Shrub, Bipartisanship screws the rest of us, on almost every subject .
orpupilofnature57
Apr 2015
#76