The early reviews of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement I’ve read so far have not been favorable. The gist has been that it benefits a relatively small number of Americans while potentially hurting a significant number. I’ve also read criticisms on security, privacy, and even public health grounds.
I’m interested in giving the agreement a fair hearing. Has anyone read a solid, empirically-founded argument in favor of the agreement, particularly one that wasn’t from the Administration? The defenses I’ve read have been long on platitudes and defenses of free trade in the abstract without much in the way of actual arguments that it would help most of the people in the United States.
This is a bit of a digression but I wonder if those who are arguing so strongly for the TPP on free trade grounds recognize that precisely the same argument could be made for abolishing or curtailing our intellectual property laws which are some of the most expansive in the world? Which is why the U. S. is a good place to come and patent or copyright things.
Most of the defenses I’ve read have told me that it will be fucking AWESOME, eh, for Canada. (I have, for reasons not entirely clear to me, a lot of Canadians & Spaniards in my Twitter feed.)
I decided to just do a scattershot survey of articles. It was interesting to see how overwhelmingly disproportionate the cons were relative to pro arguments. (I wonder why they didn’t want people to read it? Concerns over eye fatigue perhaps.)
In broad strokes it appears that clear winners include the generals – GE and GM – Big Pharma and Big Ag. Shocking. Large corporate. The Little Guy is supposed to benefit from “income gains” which really are increases in purchasing power from lower cost imports. The tug of war between people as consumer and people as worker has been discussed here many times.
Other criticisms seem to be provisions for bringing suits against US companies to be adjudicated by UN bodies. Perfect. And various environmental provisions. No mischief potential there. One outfit cut it along winner/loser as capital vs labor. Capital won. This agreement courtesy of Mr Income inequality.
Interestingly, the biggest pro cited by the US Trade rep office – read: the -administration – is lower taxes on US exports. Heh. Lower taxes.
I have no idea how much of what I read is valid or sound analysis. But I didn’t leave the article survey with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Intuition is telling me that the large corporate discounted future cash flow on the lobby dollar has a large net present value……….
But to hell with intuition. The acid test as to whether the Little Guy or the Big Guy will benefit is the HRPI – Hillary Retail Politics Indicator. She’s now against it.
Case closed.
Wish I had a Government I could trust, or is that just childish. Where’s Donald Trump when you need him? OH, Yeah! On the way!
Beggar thy neighbor.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-09/obamas-trade-deal-will-bankrupt-canadas-farming-industry-overnight-expert-says
We have to pass it to see what’s in it. Methinks this deal has a long way to go.