I watched CSPAN last Friday with a combination of anxiety, hope, and not a little bit of desperation. Thank you Nancy Pelosi (my home state representative) and others for standing up to the un-democratic process that would lead our nation to third world status (And Paul Ryan, well, some schooling about the way our democracy is suppose to work would be advantageous for him). The vote was on a part of the TPP and its defeat is a big win for the overall demise of the bill. This is only one one small battle, we must continue to apply pressure, not just to our congressional representatives, but to our President as well, you know, the one who would sell us out to the oligarchy. As Robert Reich notes:
But in recent years the biggest gains from trade have gone to investors and executives, while the burdens have fallen disproportionately on those in the middle and below who have lost good-paying jobs.
This is the TPP in a nutshell (and financialization at its best): gains go to the financial elite, burdens fall onto the working class, which is why it is important to keep reminding our leaders that this is not a democratic piece of legislation, it is an oligarchical piece that will continue to Financialize our economy. We must let them know that democracy matters more to us than their profits.
There will be another vote on the same piece of legislation tomorrow, make sure to let YOUR voice be heard by YOUR lawmaker. We must let them know that TPP and its handling is not a healthy and acceptable policy for us to adopt. You can write your representative here, and your senator here.
Yours, Frankie