Tag Archives: TPP

June 10, 2015 – Arsenal For Democracy 130

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Posted by Bill on behalf of the team.

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Topics: Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), 2015 Turkey elections. People: Bill, Nate, Persephone. Produced: June 8th, 2015.

Discussion Points:

– What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and why isn’t it getting more coverage?
– Do the recent elections in Turkey signal another turning point for the country’s democracy?

Episode 130 (52 min):
AFD 130

Related Links

– Office of Elizabeth Warren trade history report (on past enforcement failures)
– Peterson Institute report (on projected TPP growth)
– The Globalist: Getting Past No on Trade Deals
– The Globalist: What’s Next for the WTO? (on trade tribunals)
– South Africa Business Report: Renegotiating Bilateral Treaties Should Not Scare Off Investors (on trade tribunals)
– The Globalist: Trade Deals Must Allow for Regulating Finance
– NY Times: Obama’s Covert Trade Deal
– The Globalist: Barack Obama a “Progressive”? Teddy Roosevelt Wouldn’t Agree.
– Huffington Post / Ralph Nader: 10 Reasons the TPP Is Not a ‘Progressive’ Trade Agreement
– Our Turkey elections coverage
– Hurriyet Daily News: Water cannon producer’s stock dips after Turkey’s ruling AKP loses majority

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No, Mr. President. TPP is not “progressive”.

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“TPP will end up being the most progressive trade agreement in our history” – Pres. Obama

The Globalist rebuttal:

The progressive movement, which Teddy Roosevelt helped champion a century ago, broke up business monopolies. It also promoted fair market competition, reformed taxation and gave voters a direct say on many issues. Furthermore, the progressive movement added protections against abusive labor practices, defended natural resources and reformed the business-captured U.S. Senate.

In this day and age, a progressive would also be someone who will make sure that trade deals are fair and balanced – instead of basically handing the keys to the trade castle to the U.S. multinational corporations, as Mr. Obama has largely done with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Read More.

Are trade deal worker & eco protections actually enforced?

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Not if history is any indication according to a detailed new report from Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office:

On Monday, Warren fired back, showing that Obama simply has not effectively enforced existing labor standards in prior trade pacts. According to the report, a host of abuses, from child labor to the outright murder of union organizers, have continued under Obama’s watch with minimal pushback from the administration.

“The United States does not enforce the labor protections in its trade agreements,” the report reads, citing analyses from the Government Accountability Office, the State Department and the Department of Labor.