My thoughts on the platform committee debates over TPP.

[DanTex]

It is a little strange, and I see where the anti-TPP people are coming from, because all the speakers seemed to be against TPP, so when Ben Jealous says "we're all speaking against TPP, why can't we put 'we're against TPP' in the platform" (paraphrasing, but that's basically what he said), he's got a point.

On the other hand, claiming that anti-TPP is the position of "the people", particularly the people of the Democratic party, is just not accurate. Polls have shown that Dems are ambivalent on TPP and trade in general, and if anything Democratic voters are more in favor than against.

I'm pretty much TPP-agnostic. My only prediction is that, if it does pass, which is far from certain, then its proponents will credit it for everything good that happens in the next decade, and its detractors will blame it for everything bad. There won't be enough data to say with confidence either way, so partisans will have a cherry-picking field day.

But I do think that someone should get up there and defend TPP, or at least defend the idea of TPP and the opinion that even if it isn't a good deal right now, it could be and deserves a debate and a vote. But nobody really seems to be doing that. And when there's a vote, the "silent majority" keeps voting against the explicit anti-TPP language, by considerable margins.

I get that there's a political undercurrent of not wanting to undercut Obama, I don't want to do that either. But I think people should get up there and make that argument. Because when you listen to the speeches that people are giving, on both sides of the issue, it sounds like the anti-TPP language would win in a landslide.

[AgingAmerican]

1. Internationalized Reaganomics

Just what the planet needs....

[DanTex]

2. Umm, OK. So what do you think about the points I was making?

[Bluenorthwest]

8. I think you stopped short of the point. If the proponents can't speak in favor of TPP

that's because they are ashamed to do so and do not fully support the deal. They fear being asked about the worst elements. They have no actual argument as they really can't stand up and say 'I'll get richer if the Sultan gets the deal'.

[CrowCityDem]

3. Having Hillary publicly against it should be more important than a piece of useless paper.

[Eric J in MN]

5. The TPP opponents were trying to persuade

...Obama not to submit TPP to Congress.

[CrowCityDem]

7. Then they need to learn the platform isn't where that fight gets fought.

[AgingAmerican]

9. It is one place it gets fought

One of many

[think]

4. The "silent majority" are corporate lobbyists and their friends. That's why they aren't too vocal

Money has greased the entire process including Citigroup paying Michael Froman millions in bonuses to join the administration to oversee the drafting of the TPP.

The unions, environmental groups, indigenous groups, human rights groups and many others have been very vocal in their opposition.

As Elizabeth Warren states the TPP is rigged to favor corporations and she's right....

[Bluenorthwest]

6. It's toxic hypocrisy to seek favored trade deals with governments that murder LGBT

and oppress women while here at home we posture about equality and unity and have the nerve to wonder why there is so much antipathy in the world. If you are willing to look the other way at such genocidal acts just to turn a buck, do not tell me that the violence here in the US is bothersome to you, because you can't have it both ways.
Do any of you really, really think that we can make things better at home while assisting other nations in their systemic oppression of minority groups?
'We must posture at home so that abroad we can plunder' just does not impress me. Sorry.