MSNBC just reported that Kaine has made it clear that he will now oppose TPP as part of the Clinton ticket.
Oh well. If this is what it takes to get the loud and influential anti-free trade wing of the party onboard, so be it. Politicians are really bad at selling the benefits of these agreements and an even worse job mitigating their admittedly unfortunate side effects
Are there benefits? Other than cheeper goods being imported from overseas, where is the benefit? I'm all in favor of reducing barriers with countries with similar economies (I would have been cool with a Canada only NAFTA or deals Western Europe/Japan, etc), but that's not why these deals are signed.
You must remember I'm thoroughly neoliberal, friend. I think there are strong advantages to consumers and people who work in services. I concur that trade deals with dissimilar economies is disadvantageous, and my ideal free trade zone would be something similar to the EU. Still, more open economies has helped lift millions out of poverty around the world, though not nearly enough and certainly not fast enough.
My main prob with free trade is that after the deals are signed nobody does anything to alleviate the industries affected by them. Laid off workers need help that they haven't received.
