Trade deals of this nature threaten jobs, communities, and climate equally.
By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Todd Larsen, co-executive director of Green America made the following statement today: “To be clear, the current failure of the TPP is not a result of last week’s election. The stalling of the TPP is the result of the American public’s ability to stand united to defend everyone’s rights to affordable medicines, fair wages, safe food, a clean environment and much more. This was a rejection, by the people, of a trade deal that solely represented the interests of corporations. Now more than ever it is imperative that U.S. trade policy defend workers’ rights and protect the environment.
“While the TPP may be stalled, it is certainly not dead and this is not the end of toxic trade agreements that fail to meet the needs of our country. Policy makers, with corporate interests in mind, will continue to push forward trade agreements that fail to address the needs of working people and a changing climate. Along with our members and allies, Green America will continue to push forward and stand up for trade policy that protects the environment, represents the rights of all people and does not give way to corporate power and special interests.”
Green America is the nation's leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides economic strategies and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. http://www.GreenAmerica.org.
“To be clear,” Todd Larsen said, “the current failure of the TPP is not a result of last week’s election.” And that is where he seems to be entirely on the wrong track. Had it not been for the fact that the neoliberals were thrown out of Congress and the president-elect would not be an opponent to TTP and TTIP those deals would continue, as in the case of TTP, or be negotiated and forced through, as in the case of TTIP, even against the wishes of the people of Europe, simply because the EU elite wants it.
Taking credit for something that one cannot, even as an organization such as Green America, can take credit for is being disingenuous in the extreme. All the pressure would have not made one iota of a difference had not a new wind begun to blow in Congress and soon the White House.
However, the decision of neither Congress nor of the president elect has anything to do with a concern for the Planet but everything with a concern for an America First attitude, including jobs, with which I do not have a problem, aside from the fact that the houses and the other house, namely the white one, have no interest in the protection of the Planet. That is where I do have a problem with.
Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, has said that they (and in that she includes the entire EU – after all she believes Germany to be the leader of the EU and everything has to be done according what Germany wants and how Germany wants it done) will not sign TTIP at this time with Trump as President (elect). But, she has said, the deal is by no means dead, just on hold.
I really hate to tell her that as far as President-elect Trump is concerned TTIP, as much as TTP, is dead and that's the end of it. At least until someone rolls it out again at some later stage.
Outgoing US President Obama did say, though, that globalism – and with that, I am sure, he also means those trade deals that are bad fort the Planet and the people – is here to say. The neoliberals really do not go to their graves quietly, don't they.
© 2016
