Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[LoSboccacc]

ugh, hope it was all ded. I still hope the eu suckers won't sign it but they have the tendency on signing whatever they got put in front. I should try with a check someday.

[Reelya]

What are you talking about? TPP trans pacific partnership. Yeah, it includes ALL EU members who border the pacific. How many is that, I forget? Maybe before bashing it, people should read up what it contains and who it covers?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership#Contents

The agreement cuts over 18,000 tariffs. Tariffs on all U.S. manufactured goods and almost all U.S. farm products would be eliminated completely, with most eliminations occurring immediately. According to the Congressional Research Service, TPP "would be the largest U.S. FTA by trade flows ($905 billion in U.S. goods and services exports and $980 billion in imports in 2014)". The signatories represent roughly 40% of global GDP, and one-third of world trade.

Basically, America has really low import tariffs already. TPP would have forced other nations to drop tariffs too. Good for American exports.

In addition, the agreement mandates expedited customs procedures for express shipments and prohibits customs duties from being applied to electronic transmissions. It also requires additional privacy, security, and consumer protections for online transactions and encourages the publication of online customs forms. These provisions are expected to be particularly beneficial to small businesses.

Basically, prevents countries charging duties for any digital goods, e.g. movies, games and music. Since USA is the biggest producer of internationally trade movies, games and music, this would have benefited America as well.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the "TPP includes the most robust enforceable environment commitments of any trade agreement in history". The USTR notes that the TPP requires signatories to fulfill their obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to protect and conserve iconic species.

Forcing all the other countries to have environmental protections equal to the USA would have leveled the playing field in terms of environmental costs.

According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the TPP prohibits exploitative child labor and forced labor; ensures the right to collective bargaining; and prohibits employment discrimination.

A worldwide ban on child labor. How does that hurt American jobs, exactly? It sure hurts people who profit from exploiting child labor across borders, which may explain some of the anti-TPP corporate press.

The intellectual property section of a leaked draft of the TPP lays out a minimum level of protection parties to the Agreement must grant for trademarks, copyright, and patents. Copyright is granted at a length of life of the author plus 70 years, and requires countries to set criminal penalties for violating copyright protections such as Digital Rights Management.

Since the USA is by far the biggest exporter of intellectual property who exactly d'ya think was going to benefit the most by making all nations extend copyright to the same length as the USA?

etc etc

[smjjames]

Aside from the whole 'heavy on corporate power bit', if it supposedly benefits the US so much, then why were people against it?

Also, a question on Australia and Japan going for China's trade bloc TTP version was asked, and the answer was pretty much 'I don't know, it's still very early on'. Aside from trade, the TTP actually had a strategic element to it in that we would be controlling trade, not China.

Also, what if the TTP had included China? They'd have to follow the same rules too.

[Sergarr]

Aside from the whole 'heavy on corporate power bit', if it supposedly benefits the US so much, then why were people against it?

Same reason why people are against automation, despite it increasing the overall productivity of society - because it makes some people lose their jobs.

[BorkBorkGoesTheCode]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership#Investor-state_arbitration?

[scriver]

I wouldn't favour any trade agreement that doesn't force the other part to follow Swedish environmental and health (people and animal both) standards. I don't see why other countries should be allowed to sell us poison for cheap. We don't gain much by it, it just puts even more pressure on our own businesses and maims our ability to even the market out to make up for their lack of care for people, environment,  or livestock. It's already bad enough for us inside the EU, having to compete with even worse regions  (like the US) would be catastrophic.

I also severely doubt the ability an/or will to go after child labour.

ugh, hope it was all ded. I still hope the eu suckers won't sign it but they have the tendency on signing whatever they got put in front. I should try with a check someday.

You're thinking of TPIP. Or whatever it is called. It's one letter more.

[Phmcw]

Ok, so he removed the TPP, now he'll remove the TITP, and then implement single payer healthcare _{It's working guys!!!}

[martinuzz]

Ok, so he removed the TPP, now he'll remove the TITP, and then implement single payer healthcare _{It's working guys!!!}

I really wish our government would go back to single payer healthcare. It was so much easier for the insured people. Nowadays you have to read 10000s of pages of policy small letters every year to find out which healthcare company has the best deal for you, which is still crappy compared to the Ziekenfonds (single payer) we once had.

[martinuzz]

Our government made a video to introduce our country to your president:

https://youtu.be/ELD2AwFN9Nc

[Flying Dice]

Our government made a video to introduce our country to your president:

https://youtu.be/ELD2AwFN9Nc

LMFAO, top fuckin' kek

[MetalSlimeHunt]

God, I'd only seen pictures of Black Pete before, a whole crowd in HD is a new level of offense. My can is fully immobilized.

Also, the job prospects for Trump impersonators got really good, didn't they?

[Frumple]

but here's the problem, everyone's projecting the worst possible outcome always. seems right when they tell they're under attack all the time from all the fronts.

the real issue is that hating everything equally is gonna shadow the real bad stuff he's gonna push like on abortions.

See, the thing is everyone isn't projecting worst possible outcomes always. They're mostly projecting "what will probably happen when you do Shit X" rather than some sort of "do not pass go, go directly to fail state omega" thing. It just happens that a lot of said Shit X is, y'know. Not good. Or even neutral or whathaveyou. The problem isn't everything is being hated equally, it's that there's a lot of stuff to hate and the people doing stupid shit are trying to get off the hook by saying the issue is all these other people, not anything th'shit people are doin'.

It's disturbingly effective, as you kinda' demonstrate. People get drawn in by an underdog narrative pretty easily, and it's a pretty standard con/abuse tactic to take advantage of that. "Don't listen to all of your friends and family, or the cops, or whoever. They all just hate me for no good reason, and you know better, right?" Stuff along those lines. If you can convince someone all the ire directed at you is the fault of those throwing slings an' arrows instead of what you're doing, suddenly your bad behavior becomes their bad behavior instead and you get off the hook. It's scumshit but it works more than one might think it would.

Other problem being is what you're suggesting is just as much of a lose state. If you don't object to the less serous shit, that shit normalizes, and then either the real bad shit isn't seen as (at least as much) out of line or they start shitting everywhere and you're buried under a dung pile of incremental excretion that's about as much or more of a dump. 'Bout all you can really do is stay steady on pointing out shit and hope people buying that said shit isn't that big of a deal eventually pull their heads out of their collective ass and stop listening to the jackasses trying to make their bad behavior acceptable. Also, sometimes a turn of phrase gets away from you, especially when you've been awake for like ten minutes. I kinda' regret it, but when you've got a streak like that you keep wipin' 'till yer done.

[Max™]

Our government made a video to introduce our country to your president:

https://youtu.be/ELD2AwFN9Nc

I was skeptical about all those windmills and whatnot, can't trust 'em, but that video right there assuaged my doubts.

[PTTG??]

Interesting.

Democrats are proposing a $550M infrastructure plan, paid for by "closing tax loopholes." Further statements and the official proposal to come.

While I doubt Trump would willingly do anything to help the American people, especially something with millions earmarked for public lands, it would be interesting to see.

I find it mysterious that the Democrats didn't propose this plan six months ago, when they had a favorable president and were in need of some sign of interest in the conditions of the country. Proposing it now is kind of like waiting to start the coronary bypass surgery until the patient has been dead for a week.

What it smells like to me is the Democratic equivalent of the Republican's biweekly Obamacare repeal. Not intended to do anything, it's just a bit of grandstanding for the base, with the added advantage of being endlessly repeatable.

But, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the entire Republican majority will have a stroke at the same time and accidentally vote aye instead of nay. Maybe Trump will be so coked out of his mind by that point he'll sign anything that crosses his desk.

But no, I'm not going to give any democrats credit for this until it's actually signed into law. No, until it's actually put into effect.

[Baffler]

Interesting.

Democrats are proposing a $550M infrastructure plan, paid for by "closing tax loopholes." Further statements and the official proposal to come.

While I doubt Trump would willingly do anything to help the American people, especially something with millions earmarked for public lands, it would be interesting to see.

I find it mysterious that the Democrats didn't propose this plan six months ago, when they had a favorable president and were in need of some sign of interest in the conditions of the country. Proposing it now is kind of like waiting to start the coronary bypass surgery until the patient has been dead for a week.

What it smells like to me is the Democratic equivalent of the Republican's biweekly Obamacare repeal. Not intended to do anything, it's just a bit of grandstanding for the base, with the added advantage of being endlessly repeatable.

But, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the entire Republican majority will have a stroke at the same time and accidentally vote aye instead of nay. Maybe Trump will be so coked out of his mind by that point he'll sign anything that crosses his desk.

But no, I'm not going to give any democrats credit for this until it's actually signed into law. No, until it's actually put into effect.

A big infrastructure bill was one of Trump's primary campaign planks and he dedicated a good portion of his inauguration speech to the idea, if you'll recall. I think he'll probably go for it. I doubt it'll look exactly the same as it does now (considering congressional Republican's idea that it ought to be delegated to the states,) but he does seem to genuinely want something along these lines.