This article is written in response to this guest opinion.
I am outraged by the Idaho Statesman guest opinion dated March 2, 2015 on Trade Promotion Authority. One can only wonder if those that support these Partnerships are paid off by corporate elitists or if they are truly ignorant of the facts. Just who is running this country? Do people favor biased articles by an executive of an unconstitutional federal agency promoting something that he apparently knows nothing about or that he has something to gain by pushing it through or is he misled?
First, he starts by saying that we have exported a record 152 billion in products, last year. My first question is, if this is true, why do we need more trade agreements if we are breaking record sales? He says that these partnerships have lowered barriers, aggressive monitoring and enforcement to help get products in foreign markets. So, does this suggest any security concerns to anyone?
He also says that Trade Promotion Authority would give the US a “Level Playing field” and allows Americans to “speak with one voice” on trade? He says that “congress sets the parameters for the president and his team” and says “everyone has a say” and “will benefit every American?” He speaks of roses and rainbows and how this will grow our economy and create new jobs and “provides a united front?” So is he saying there is no downside? Well allow me to shed a bit of light as an alternate view from someone that has nothing to gain by either money, ignorance or deceit.
First of all, TPA or Trade Promotion Authority does not allow the American people to “speak with one voice” and it does not empower congress. As a matter of fact, TPA is an act that congress has done by giving up its check on executive authority, allowing the president to make treaties without congress with the exception of an up or down vote without amendments of filibusters. This is not only an unlawful and undelegated transfer of power but dangerous as it further empowers the executive.
Second, NAFTA was a trade partnership and was known for the destruction of millions of American jobs as the tax payer funded corporations to move overseas. The desire of many corporations to move overseas was to compete with lower wages and to avoid the corporate tax structure as well as oppressive environmental regulations.
Third, these partnerships are all created by those “elite” with heavy corporate interests for tremendous profit and control. Do you realize that these trade agreements are thousands of pages long and no one has ever read them? As sources have leaked parts of these, it appears that of 29 chapters less than 4 even remotely deal with the issue of trade directly. Why would our elected officials support something they have never read unless they have something to gain or are they being misdirected?
Fourth, trade partnerships will obliterate national sovereignty, as NAFTA did, it created massive rules and regulations controlled by a supra-national authority that governs over all nations in partnerships. How does America keep her sovereignty while submitting to a supra –national governing entity?
If you support government transferring jobs overseas and passing partnerships that they have not read and have no idea of the consequences, support these treaties but do yourselves a favor first and look at the EU and its failing economy as each once sovereign nation, though political and economic integration was denied a vote on the EU constitution as they passed the Treaty at Lisbon in 2007 and ask how this strengthens nation’s and their economies when it actually abolishes them! We should be looking at the facts, not promoting something blindly because a few have much to gain.
If you love America, protect her, keep her sovereign and control her government, if you hate her or don’t care, keep doing what we are doing and she’ll be gone in a flash!
Say NO to TPA, Trade promotion authority; TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership; and the TTIP, Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership!
