Putin Says TPP Is 'American Plot'

[Purveyor]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ridiculed an Australian-backed regional trade deal as an attempt by America to further its own interests.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and US President Barack Obama will discuss the ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal with other regional leaders at the APEC summit in Beijing next week.

Mr Putin said the TPP talks had been held 'behind closed doors' for almost five years and the public have no access to them.

Statements about the strong progress of the talks had been refuted, he said.

'Obviously, the Trans-Pacific Partnership is just another US attempt to build an architecture of regional economic cooperation that the USA would benefit from,' Mr Putin said in an interview with leading Chinese media this week before he leaves for the Beijing summit.

'At the same time, I believe that the absence of two major regional players such as Russia and China in its composition will not promote the establishment of effective trade and economic cooperation.'
- See more at: http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/world/2014/11/07/putin-says-tpp-is-american-plot.html#sthash.917k5PGL.dpuf

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http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/world/2014/11/07/putin-says-tpp-is-american-plot.html

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Putin posts on DU? nt

[Cha]

2. Yeah, really.. poor homophobic putin has his own damn self induced problems..

The Cost Of Putin’s Ukrainian Adventure: Russia’s Currency Is Plummeting

The Russian currency, the ruble, has plummeted this year, hitting fresh lows of 46 rubles to the dollar on Thursday. It traded at 40 rubles to the dollar just in the last month, and has depreciated 41.8% this year.

That means that if you had $100 worth of rubles on January 1, they would be worth less than $60 today

snip//

This rapid fall in the value of the currency is thanks largely to sanctions imposed by the E.U. and U.S. in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and interference in Eastern Ukraine.

MOre..
http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewzeitlin/the-cost-of-putins-ukrainian-adventure-russias-currency-is-p

I feel for the Russian people but not for dictator.

[Recursion]

4. Yikes...the Rupee may pass the Ruble at this rate

Man, Modi would love that...

[msanthrope]

13. We should have a running pool on his username. I miss Hannah Bell

more and more.....

[Recursion]

3. It's pretty explicitly an attempt to reduce Russian and Chinese trade opportunities

So, in this case Putin has a point

[Igel]

23. Unlike the trade deals that either Russia or China promote.

They're all about reducing their own trade opportunities and helping others.

Obviously.

[Recursion]

24. That would be a silly thing to think (nt)

[Prophet 451]

5. Get off my side, Putin

This is one of those cases where a really horrible person suddenly chooses to be on the right side of a debate, causing me to suffer a sudden case of second-guessing myself. It's like finding out that Hitler was a dog lover.

[geek tragedy]

19. +1 nt

[malaise]

6. Well that should make several persons here now suport

TPP.
He is correct

[djean111]

7. Oh dear - I suppose, in the minds of some here, that to be against the TPP , now, is to be a

"Putinista". Bwahahahaha!
Actually, the TPP and the other trade agreements are the plots of global corporations and banks, with the enthusiastic assistance of the United States, but Putin, in this case, is quite correct.
Let's hope Putin does not speak out in favor of Christmas. Or puppies and kittens.
The TPP sucks. Bottom line.

[kelliekat44]

8. Silly US, trying to support its own interest. nt.

[Union Scribe]

9. TPP isn't in our interests.

Unless you're a multinational corporation.

[djean111]

10. +1000

[Igel]

25. So Putin's wrong?

Not the first time. But usually while wrong, there's still a bit of truth to what he says. Otherwise it's too obviously a lie to be taken without uproarious laugher instead of a chuckle.

[pampango]

21. Conservatives and their corporations notoriously focus narrowly on their "own interest". Liberals

will generally also consider the good or harm done to the larger community and balance that against their "own interest".

[MFrohike]

31. What an ignorant statement

It's a hardening of intellectual property rules combined with hard and fast limits on financial regulation. Further extending government-granted monopolies and financial deregulation is not in the interest of the US, unless the US is only the wealthy and the political class who accept their bribes.

[newfie11]

11. He's right

Wake up America

[bullwinkle428]

12. "American plot" implies something that benefits all of America, when we

know that nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to the TPP.

[TheKentuckian]

15. No, it implies a plot of corporate America's interests. The interests of ALL Americans

has never been a part of that calculus just as when we state Russian interests it has little or nothing to do with millions of Russians.

[MisterP]

17. that's what the Luddites said: why should English weavers be starved in order to starve

Bengali weavers?

[Recursion]

26. I'm not anti-TPP, but I don't think it implies that at all

Anymore than saying that the seizure of Crimea was a Russian plot would mean that it benefits all of Russia.

[TheKentuckian]

14. That is correct!

[pampango]

16. Neither Russia nor China support the TPP. Trade between them is increasing. Russia has

has natural resources and China needs them. They are both autocratic, repressive governments. Like our far right, they don't like it.

China, certainly, and Russia, probably, are afraid that there will be provisions on labor rights and the environment in the TPP. I have seen no indiction that there are strong provisions on those topic in the draft agreement, but China is suspicious. If they thought that it just lowered tariffs and increased trade, they would love it. If it were to address labor and the environment, they would hate it. They would see that as a threat to low-wage, high-polluting economies like theirs and as "an architecture of regional economic cooperation that the USA would benefit from".

[Recursion]

18. Huh? TPP won't include either Russia or China

That's been clear from the get-go.

[pampango]

22. The question is whether Russia and China oppose it because they are not included or because

they oppose its provisions that 'would serve American interests'.

If it is the former, do Russia and China oppose all international agreements that they are not a party to? The latter may certainly be true. China is on record as opposing it because stronger labor and environmental provisions would harm their economy and help ours - "serve American interests". As I said, I think China is overly suspicious of the TPP's provisions. I have seen little evidence of strict and enforceable provisions in those areas.

[joshcryer]

30. This is correct. TPP has trade, labor, IP, and environmental regulations.

It will force Russia and China to fall in line with international norms.

The main takeaway for the US is that it uses the IP provisions to hedge the rest. Since the US doesn't manufacture much anymore we make our money on services and intellectual property.

[AverageJoe90]

35. I wish I could be so optimistic.

But, sadly, it looks likely that not only will the TPP not be including pro-environment provisions, it will very likely end up limiting our ability to enact those same laws.

I hate to say this, but the TPP is increasingly looking like it will actually benefit China enormously in the long run, in it's current state, and frankly, I think both Moscow and Beijing know it, too.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

20. Whether a "plot" or a strategy, it's still a loser for the people it affects.

[woo me with science]

27. Actually, it's an American oligarchy plot.

It will do the vast majority of Americans no good whatsoever.

[joshcryer]

28. TPP is geopolitical to box in Russia and China.

Putin got that part correct.

[pampango]

29. "Mr Putin said he would back a Chinese-led 'road map' towards an Asia-Pacific free trade zone."

A Chinese-led free trade zone is not going to have much attraction outside of those two countries and perhaps Belarus and Kazakhstan which are part of the Eurasian Customs Union.

[L0oniX]

32. No ...it's a plot by the 1%.

[Jeneral2885]

33. TPP is neoliberal

and damaging to both the American company and client states.

[AverageJoe90]

34. Putin is, frankly, full of shit.

And, by the way, folks, as it stands now, it actually looks like the TPP would be HELPING China, not hurting them. Which is one of MANY reasons why we need to oppose it.