Want To Know More About Trade Agreements Like TPP? Read This.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership.  TPP.  It's an American free-trade deal with a number of Asian/Pacific Rim nations.  What does it all mean?  Probably a lot more cheap Asian shit on U.S. retail shelves.  But it's hard to say, since Pres. Obama wants to "fast-track" it (yes or no Congressional OK, no changes) without any meaningful public disclosure or debate beforehand.

Obama wants it to be part of his economic legacy.  Republicans and Chamber of Commerce types are all for it.  Ultimately, TPP will probably pass, even though labor unions and most Democrats smell a NAFTA-like rat. (In cases like this, I find it useful to consider who's for it and who's opposed.)

Someone benefits from trade deals like these.  You?  Me?  Almost certainly not.

Columnist Tom Suddes had a great editorial about it in today's Ohio papers, in which he notes that poverty rates in Ohio have increased significantly since Congress passed NAFTA in 1993.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2015/05/24/1-trade-pacts-havent-done-much-for-average-ohioans.html