I Repeat: They're Not Trying to Kill It - They're Trying to Pass It

by: David Sirota

Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 23:23


As I keep saying, Democrats' move to delay the Colombia Free Trade Deal is not a move to kill the bill and take a stand for human rights abroad and a just economic policy at home - it is a move to make sure the bill can ultimately pass. Here's the New York Times with more evidence:

Ms. Pelosi and other Democrats said their intent was not to kill the agreement...Even though a majority of Democrats are opposed to further trade deals, under the right conditions, a sufficient number of them could probably be found to join with Republicans in approving the pact with Colombia. The agreement with Peru passed in that fashion last year.

"Globalization can be a good thing; trade can be a good thing," said Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, a member of the Democratic leadership and a frequent trade advocate. (emphasis added)

As NAFTA-architect-turned-investment-banker-turned-lawmaker Rahm Emanuel spews his doubletalk, keep reminding yourself: They aren't trying to stop it, they're trying to pass it...they aren't trying to stop it, they're trying to pass it...How many times do we have to be fooled by poorly executed and unconvincing tricks before we wake up and say enough is enough?

David Sirota :: I Repeat: They're Not Trying to Kill It - They're Trying to Pass It

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i'm sick of them trying to paint trade reform as "anti-trade" (4.00 / 1)
How about a trade deal that isn't written by corporate lobbyists? How about a trade deal that includes standards for labor, for the environment, for human rights -- so we aren't just racing to the bottom?

We've certainly seen this before. (0.00 / 0)
How quickly we forget. The war funding is a perfect example of political posturing and the inevitable humilation of submission to Busgbag and the repiglicans. I clearly remember Reids and Pelosi's proclamation of "No timetable no funding" Look how that turned out.

Not to be naive, but (0.00 / 0)
is there anyway to try to prevent Emanuel from holding on to his position as head of the caucus, or moving to a different leadership position?  Will we even learn who's being considered for these positions? Does Emanuel get to keep the job by default if he wants it?  Does Larson automatically move up from the Vice Chair spot?  Would it be possible to try to get a better Vice Chair? Or will all this necessarily be dictated by Pelosi, Hoyer and friends?

Who are the best keepers of the people's liberties? The people themselves. The sacred trust can be no where so safe as in the hands most interested in preserving it.
James Madison


Grow Up and Live in the Real World (0.00 / 0)
My patience with so-called progressives gets strained to sheer hair-pulling when I read articles like this. It reminds me a lot of babies not getting their bottles when they think they should, so they scream and throw tantrums.

Sirota whines and cries because Pelosi and other House Democrats aren't behaving the way he would like. And the false outrage about trade deals is really starting to become idiotic.

What part of "real world" does Sirota and do other progressives not understand? If we listened to them and established policy on their very narrow views on trade and other issues, we really would be isolated in the world - as much or more so than we are thanks to Republican foreign policy.

Trade is going to happen. It has to happen for the U.S. to survive and thrive in the 21st century and beyond. As long as progressives continue to demonize trade and those Democrats who support it, trade policies will never be renegotiated to include the values and ideals that we care about: labor rights/human rights, energy/environment concerns, product safety/quality, economic equality.

Ironically, progressives are more similar to Luddites on this issue than they are "progressive."

Grow up and live in the real world!


maybe (0.00 / 0)
maybe it's more about having trade agreements that actually do have labor rights/human rights etc... rather than agreements that say they do but are so full of loopholes that it becomes a huge joke.

Remember, NAFTA was supposed to have all sorts of side agreements and we've seen how those have (not) worked out in Mexico.

Not to mention the fact that the old canard about trade lifting up other countries is crap at this point in time when corporations are simply in a race to the bottom to find the cheapest sources of labor and the most lax environmental laws (i.e. none). That's why so much industry in Mexico is moving to China now. China is cheaper. And now they have a market in the US thanks to PNTR.

You want trade? Make it work for people. Not just corporations.  


[ Parent ]
agreements that work (0.00 / 0)
David do you have any examples of trade plans that could serve as a model for how a fair trade agreement should look? I think that would be very helpful for the whole movement so stupid beltway attacks like the one above can be preemptively rebutted by showing our own plan.  

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