Fast-tracking inequality
by digby
So the first thing out of the box after President Obama’s big speech on inequality is a big push for “fast-tracking” a new international trade deal called the Trans Pacific Pact (TPP.) It almost makes you want to laugh it’s so predictable. So, it’s time to get up to speed on this deal and Dave Johnson has done the research for you, with charts, graphs, links and a short primer on what it all means and what you can do.
I had an interesting conversation the other night with someone who was recently in the administration who tells me that the bipartisan consensus on these trade deals in Washington is so entrenched (indeed, has been so entrenched ever since the logjam was broken around NAFTA) that it’s impossible to imagine that this won’t ultimately go through. We don’t know that for sure, of course. New coalitions and strangely self-defeating obstructionism seems to be the rule in the congress these days, so maybe the Tea Partiers will find a way to save the day. But assuming this is destined to pass in some form, it’s still vitally important that “fast track” authority is denied so that the people can look at this thing and have a say in how it’s structured. These fast track agreements are completely undemocratic and the trade pacts should allow the people to have input into the details. I know that’s inconvenient for the One Percenters, but it’s the way our system is supposed to work. As Dave writes, there are ways to improve these deals:
A trade agreement doesn’t have to be bad. A real “trade’ agreement could lift the world’s economy, instead of making exploitation of labor and the environment into a competitive advantage. (“Shut up our we’ll move your job out of the country, too.”) But with all of the stakeholders at the table, we could work out a way around the low wages and lack of environmental protections in some countries. (Make it a trade violation to say “Shut up our we’ll move your job out of the country, too.” Make it a trade violation to lower costs by allowing pollution. Make it a trade violation to block union organizing or deny unemployment benefits or do other things that push wages down. Make it a trade violation to have a continuing trade surplus.)
Click on the link above to see what you can do to help make that happen.
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