That said, this isn't the best piece I've seen on the tpp, and his suggestion isn't practicle

Last edited Mon Apr 27, 2015, 07:39 AM - Edit history (1)

Why shouldn't the voices from below, the people who always lose in trade deals while the people above are always the only winners, once again have no say so?

I have written more in opposition to the tpp than anyone here. By fucking far. And YOU have the temerity to insinuate that I buy into the it's my team shit.

Damn

Not sure, though, why you'd argue that ripping up TTP and re-writing it with the people having a real say in its content isn't practical, though.

Right now, my focus is on the tpa being voted down. Then maybe we can have a national discussion.

and has a bunch of cookbooks (I have an ebook version of one - "How to Cook Everything" that I got as a special free offering from I think Apple). Although he has occasionally done OP Eds, am surprised he decided to weigh in on this subject.

The author, Mark Bittman is a food columnist for the Times. While everyone has an opinion, why would I place any value on political comments made by a food critic?

I can't give any credence to that retort. Even if I were only interested to reading opinions that supported my POV, I would not settle for low hanging fruit like this when there is no shortage of knowledge and experienced political columnists who are eagerly adding their thoughts to this topic.

Best regards.

Was there anything specific you objected to? Personally I'm getting bored with the "experienced higher fruit" ... Many of whom became cheerleaders for Bush's attack on Iraq. I believe one of them is currently on a book tour...

First, this is just another opinion based on the conjectures made by other opinion writers. He's probably a good food blogger, but when it comes to complex political issues, he offers nothing new, no trailblazing insight, no stunning disclosure, no news flash, just the personal comments of someone whose views are of no more value than yours of mine.

Second, if I'm going to invest my valuable time searching for information, these third hand opinions are worthless to me, as someone who reads the commentary of more qualified sources with a skeptic's eye and little trust. Until the TPP is released, everyone is jumping on the gravy train, but they're all just rehashing the same talking points over and over again without providing anything that can actually be verified as true.

We should be reading it ourselves. And our representatives should be free to debate specifics without any pressure from this administration.

Public Citizen watch out.

after a couple more days of drama, fast pass will narrowly pass, TPP will finally be rolled out, will come under criticism for everything under the sun, will be ratified and signed accompanied by rain of rotten tomatoes, and will turn out to be an innovative and intelligent deal and highly beneficial for most, for which President Obama will get no credit whatsoever, with thoughtful provision made for inevitable displacements, which will be exaggerated and harped on unceasingly until Obama leaves office in 2017.

on Bush tax cuts for the rich, Social Security cuts, protecting the profits of PHARMA, etc... and Elizabeth Warren's history standing up for the poor and middle class. Easy call.....

EASY CALL!!

eom

If it is worth doing, the agreement will survive an open process with plenty of time to reach consensus and get it right.

too effing bad if that is a messy process

if Sen. Brown and others would put together a potential, simple Trade Agreement that would include the 12 TPP participants and make it public.

Let's see what a real transparent Trade Agreement looks like.

He's already got a start on this with his 88 amendments to TPP, let's just complete the process.

Just my opinion. But Kicked and recommended.

a no

the ability to negotiate with foreign powers resides with the Executive.

Why do you think he needs the TPA?

actions, done by two different branches of government?

As I said, the power to negotiate with foreign entities resides with the Executive.

that the executive is banned from appointing members of congress as trade negotiators?

if there was no dual compensation and on a volunteer basis

It's the commerce clause of the Constitution

to keep congress from amending any trade agreement.

And please provide like 's to your claims.

Cali--you are conflating two different actions, by two different branches of government, that occur at two different times.

How much of an explanation do you need here?

And you are being less than honest

You should be listened to misanthrope here. At least listening.

"The president shall have the power, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the senators present concur"

Will the 2/3 senate vote happen before or after Fast Track with this TPP Treaty?

This is the question that must continually be asked "why do we need the TPP?"

I have asked many times here and none of the wait and seers nor the proponents have a compelling (and that is important because this is a HUGE deal) answer. Certainly not Obama either, just vague generalities.

The onus needs to be on them.

Right now it just smacks of disaster capitalism.

and it's an effective geopolitical counterweight to Russia and China.

In other words, reviving the old Communist Domino Theory. Vietnam gets sucked into this thing again.

Unless the goal was job losses.

And the geopolitical answer is not compelling at all.

Just points out how this is disaster capitalism. Put out that old Cold War bogeyman and people will make poor decisions about what is best for us. Hence support by Obama and others.

This is bullshit.

You don't get to call "fail" when the President is following his powers as outlined in the Constitution.

Jesus effin' Christ -- you've lost all perspective.

but no environmentalists or labor representatives. There is no doubt about who and what this agreement favors.

Your point is illusive.

The trend for decades has been toward greater income disparity between the working class and the wealthy, with ever increasing profits for the biggest corporations and the richest of the elites, at the expense of labor, whose wages have decreased, relative to the cost of living. There is absolutely no reason to believe this trend will be reversed by the TPP, which is really just the entrenchment of the status quo. Its purpose is a reduction of "barriers" to profit, like wages, and environmental regulations.

And judging by the track record of our political power system, whereby our legislative process is influenced mostly by private money, and our policy establishment is dominated mostly by corporate executives, it is rather easy to extrapolate the most likely outcome of the TPP and the other impending 'trade' agreements, especially when one considers who supports them and who doesn't.

and conservatives instantly hush up about executive overreach. It's a circus side show to be sure.

It needs fasttrack to get the signatories to sign so let's pass fasttrack and have a look. This last minute agonizing is getting ridiculous and does not strike me as remotely useful or informative.

One of the most odious things about the TPP is the secrecy around it. No treaty should even be discussed in Congress when such an effort has been made to make the process this opaque.

As for fast track authority, no president should ever have that kind of power. Congress has given it to the president in the past, but what our President did with it is negotiate flawed and crooked trade deals like NAFTA.

You want anti-abortion amendments and amendments calling for the immediate end to ACA draped all over it?

Bad idea.

Up or down. Sounds good to me.

No thanks. I don't trust the Congressional Republicans to work with Obama on anything actually good for the American people.

Enough of any kind of trade deal. This country did exceedingly well with tariffs no trade deals. Free trade deals are inevitably about enriching corporate interests...that's it. Instead of entering a new middle class death pact we should be revisiting all the other trade treaties like NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, Gatt and restructure them to work for America or rescind them.

mmm

just sayin'

does these things you say?

I wouldn't trust their input.

It's just a way for corporations to fuck over governments, workers and the environment.

If that is not good enough, tell his ghost that we are reviving his republican predecessors Harding, Coolidge and Hoover to repeat their tariff-raising performances that he so rudely reversed with his "secret" trade deals.