I'm not going to condemn the deal based on limited information, but I'm not about to embrace it, either. I still don't have a good understanding of its implications in anything but the broadest strokes and, judging from the analysis that I've read since its release, no one who is in a position to publish their commentary does either - yet, at least.
What is clear is that the politics of the agreement are toxic, and in a way that cuts across party coalitions in the United States. It'll be interesting to watch how the deal's proponents try to answer the opposition: Will there be a real effort to mobilize political support, or will opposition remain narrow enough that the agreement can pass quietly in most countries without legislators who vote in favor facing negative electoral consequences?
I agree. Nobody seems to have an extremely informed opinion on either side of this issue. One side is more misinformed, the protectionist side, but nobody seems to really understand the nuances of this issue.
But, if we're having a debate about trade barriers, it seems to me that the burden of proof should be on the protectionists. Free trade ought be the basic default rule.
