Thomas Edsall had a very good piece on divisions in the Democratic Party over trade policy in the NYT this morning. The piece cites a large body of academic research pointing out that U.S. trade policy has played a large role in destroying manufacturing jobs and redistributing income upwards. It notes that this is the basis of the opposition of unions to …
Obama’s Push for Corporate Rule: A Moment of Opportunity – David Korten
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama was at loggerheads with Republican members of Congress intent on destroying his administration. With bewildering speed, Obama has since turned against his own political base to form an alliance on trade issues with those same Republican members of Congress. Obama’s most vigorous opposition now comes from progressives, including most of the senators …
Killing a Nation With Euphemisms: TPP-Eats-Medicare Edition – By William Rivers Pitt
This week, legislation to give President Obama fast-track trade agreement authority (TPA) will take its star turn in the GOP-controlled Senate. The cloture vote is said to be taking place on Tuesday, and if the 60-vote threshold is reached, the final vote on the bill will happen the same day, or on Wednesday. More importantly, however, is the following vote, …
Trojan Horse: The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Has Already Bought Off Washington By Shawn Helton
Although the House of Representatives voted down legislation to “fast-track” trade deals through Congress – it appears the TPP may have already secured its future with millions in donations made to US Senators since the start of the year… The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal negotiations hit the mainstream over the past month with a US Senate approval of the controversial trade bill …
Trade Rules Create Obstacle Course for a Better Food System – Karen Hansen-Kuhn
There were some decidedly Kafkaesque aspects of the Congressional debate this week on Fast Track legislation, designed to speed through the passage of secret trade deals that could have a serious impact on our food system. At first, the Senate refused to approve a bill to limit debate on Fast Track. Then, when the Senate did approve that bill, it …
Left presses Clinton to choose sides on Obama trade pact – Niall Stanage
Liberal groups are insisting that Hillary Clinton take a clear stand against the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact that is a crucial part of President Obama’s second-term agenda. They say Clinton, whose positions on trade have zigged and zagged during a long political career, should move beyond populist generalities and let voters know where she stands. “This is the first pass/fail …
Influence peddlers seem to know more about the Trans-Pacific Partnership than Congress – Bill Allison
The restrictions the Obama administration has placed on members of Congress wishing to peruse the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a managed trade agreement among the United States and 11 other countries, are something of a shock in a democratic republic. Lawmakers can bring staff, but only those with the necessary security clearances. They can take notes, but must surrender …
The Gary Null Show – 05-12-15
Dr. Jill Stein is a medical physician of internal medicine and a pioneer in advocating environmental health issues in Massachusetts. Is currently the exploratory presidential candidate for the Green Party; many may remember her having been arrested for not being permitted attendance to an Obama-Romney debate and then later her arrest for supporting protestors — bringing food and Halloween candy …
The TPP: Toward Absolutist Capitalism – Lambert Strether
There are many excellent arguments against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), two of which — local zoning over-rides, and loss of national sovereignty — I’ll briefly review as stepping stones to the main topic of the post: Absolutist Capitalism, for which I make two claims: 1) The TPP implies a form of absolute rule, a tyranny as James Madison would have …
Grabbing Africa’s seeds: USAID, EU and Gates Foundation back agribusiness seed takeover
The latest salvo in the battle over Africa’s seed systems has been fired, writes Stephen Greenberg, with the Gates Foundation and USAID playing puppet-masters to Africa’s governments – now meeting in Addis Ababa – as they drive forward corporation-friendly seed regulations that exclude and marginalize the small farmers whose seeds and labour feed the continent. A battle is currently being …