Washington (CNN)The Obama administration released early Thursday the full text of the highly anticipated Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, kicking off a 90-day period for congressional review.The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, is a 12-nation deal that touches on 40% of the global economy. The provisions of the deal would knock down tariffs and import quotas, making it cheaper to import and export, and open new Asia-Pacific markets. Negotiations have been going on for years, led by the United States and Japan -- with China conspicuously absent from the list of signees.
Opponents of the deal contend that it will cause overseas job losses and depress wages, since U.S. businesses will be better able to take advantage of low wage workers in developing economies.
Supporters, meanwhile, argue the deal will make it easier for U.S. businesses to sell overseas, opening up international markets just as the U.S. market is already open to imports from these 11 other countries. And they counter that the growth of U.S. exports will produce well-paying jobs at home.
If passed by Congress, the TPP would rank as one of President Barack Obama's major second-term policy accomplishments and a signature part of his legacy.
But pursuit of the deal has made strange political bedfellows, as Obama had to join forces with congressional Republicans to secure fast-track authority for the deal, which prevents filibusters or amendments during the 90-day review period.
Read more @: Obama administration releases text of TPP trade deal
Well its finally released. Congress has now 90 days to read the whole deal, try to understand it, and vote on it up or down without any amendments. Unfortunately this deal does look like it will most likely pass. Apparently we still have not learned from our past failed neo-liberal trade policies
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Well, we have a choice - we can either go with the TPP, or we can take the very real risk that the nations around the Pacific will agree to join China's "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership".
So...who do you want to be the leader of the economic bloc of nations around the Pacific - China, or America? 'Cause if they don't join ours, they probably will join China's. Think about the long-term ramifications of that possibility....
Well, we have a choice - we can either go with the TPP, or we can take the very real risk that the nations around the Pacific will agree to join China's "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership".
So...who do you want to be the leader of the economic bloc of nations around the Pacific - China, or America? 'Cause if they don't join ours, they probably will join China's. Think about the long-term ramifications of that possibility....
Read more @: Obama administration releases text of TPP trade deal
Well its finally released. Congress has now 90 days to read the whole deal, try to understand it, and vote on it up or down without any amendments. Unfortunately this deal does look like it will most likely pass. Apparently we still have not learned from our past failed neo-liberal trade policies
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Let China be the one to extort cheap labor, we are supposed to be better than that.
Well, we have a choice - we can either go with the TPP, or we can take the very real risk that the nations around the Pacific will agree to join China's "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership".
So...who do you want to be the leader of the economic bloc of nations around the Pacific - China, or America? 'Cause if they don't join ours, they probably will join China's. Think about the long-term ramifications of that possibility....
And they'd be happy to do so...and then when they are in a position to dictate economic policy by most of the world's nations, you can still comfort yourself by saying, "we were better than that". But China will still be the one dictating the policy then.
Realpolitik. In other words, there are times when nations' leaders have to ignore the morality of the moment to preserve the morality of generations to come. The TPP is but one example of such.
Let China be the one to extort cheap labor, we are supposed to be better than that.
How does being the "leader of the economic bloc of nations around the Pacific" going to effect American workers? The same way NAFTA did?
That is why we need trade treaties.
this is just as painful as trying to read Obamacare.
but yes, it will pass..... and it it does what it's advertised as doing, it will be ok with me..... trade is a good thing... a great thing, in fact.
Wait one minute, why do you assume we have to trade with these countries? We don't. We can make American goods and trade with countries who keep wages at a living level. There is NO WAY American labor can compete with slave wages in these Asian countries. Let China dictate trade policy, it doesn't matter if we aren't part of the game they play.
Who do you want in charge of having the most influence in economic policy around the world? And if China takes charge, how will THAT affect American workers?
That's the problem that so many nations' leaders face: which morality is greater - that of the moment or even the next decade...or that of generations to come? President Obama's playing the long game here - that's why I support him.
That is true but American consumers demand lower prices. You have a long way to go to convince them to pay more for what they buy. The answer, in my view, is to collect duties. The the playing field is more fair and we have a chance of bringing some of our manufacturing back home.
What we need to do is bring democracy to the work place in America. This would solve our trade problems instantly.
Wait one minute, why do you assume we have to trade with these countries? We don't. We can make American goods and trade with countries who keep wages at a living level. There is NO WAY American labor can compete with slave wages in these Asian countries. Let China dictate trade policy, it doesn't matter if we aren't part of the game they play.
Americans demand lower prices because our wages haven't risen since the 70s. Raise wages, prices can rise, people can still afford to be middle class and BUY American to support JOBS here. It's a simple concept the neo liberals have discarded.
Decision systems that are good for some situations aren't for others. "Democracy in the workplace" is such a misapplication in almost every case.
The reason wages haven't increased is that the American workforce has to compete with workers abroad. Import duties will help that as well. Globalization has helped everyone but us.
Riiiiiiight. Try telling ALL our major supermarkets like Safeway and Kroger and Wal-Mart that they can no longer import fruits and veggies from Chile and Peru! Better yet, go to your local J.C. Penney's at the mall and try to find a garment made in America - I tried and couldn't!
It's really nice to pretend that we can make all our own stuff, that we don't have to trade with other nations - in fact, that's PRECISELY what North Korea tries to do (they call it "Juche"), and see how it's worked out for them. But in the REAL world, international trade is a crucial fact of life. In fact, if we don't trade with other nations, then you're not going to be able to get things like computers and televisions and cell phones...because they all require rare-earth minerals that we don't have in America.
So...you can keep your fantasy, but for the rest of us, we know that if keeping America's status as a first-world nation is important, what you're referring to is a fantasy and nothing more.
Read more @: Obama administration releases text of TPP trade deal
Well its finally released. Congress has now 90 days to read the whole deal, try to understand it, and vote on it up or down without any amendments. Unfortunately this deal does look like it will most likely pass. Apparently we still have not learned from our past failed neo-liberal trade policies
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Again, if "us being in charge" means we are ****ing over our own workers, then I see no point of "being in charge".
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