Friday, January 17, 2014

Keeping Secrets

How many of you have heard of the Trans-Pacific Partnership?  Okay, how many of you can tell us what it is all about?  You might have heard about it, but, I know you don't know what it is all about.  Why?  Because it is a secret. It's so secret that members of the House and Senate don't even know what is in it, although they have been grudgingly allowed to go somewhere secret and look at it . They can't have copies of it to take home and study, and they haven't been allowed to even take notes.   The national media certainly isn't showing much interest.

All I have heard is it's a Trade Treaty that some say will have the same effect as NAFTA, and look what NAFTA did?  Thanks Bill Clinton.  Since NAFTA went into effect, we have lost some 600 factories and caused the loss of 700,000 jobs  to Mexico alone. The total jobs that have gone to other countries, including Mexico, is 2 Million. How did it get passed, you ask?  It was "fast-tracked," which means there was no debate allowed.  It was just given an up or down vote, and when it passed, Clinton signed it  into law.  Remember when H. Ross Perot was hollering about a "giant sucking sound?' Well, he was talking about -  NAFTA and jobs and factories going out of the country. Remember how everybody laughed?  What a silly little man!

Well, the same thing is happening, again, with our President  urging lawmakers to "fast-track" it.No one seems to know why he  wants it to pass.  Before it passes, and we lose more manufacturing and jobs to other countries, I would like to know what is in it.  Wouldn't you?  Good luck finding out until it's too late.  But, don't you think the voters deserve to be told all about it?

I think we need to get up off our duffs and contact our representatives and senators, as well as President Obama,  and demand to know what TPP is all about.  In fact, the treaty should be published for everyone to read. We especially need an explanation about all the secrecy surrounding the treaty.

Don't you agree?

Stay tuned.   

1 comment:

Olga said...

I did hear some vague reference and assumed I had just missed the meat of the story, but apparently not.