Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has been busy selling the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), intended to fast-track the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and related deals, to Americans, along with others like Rubio, Boehner, and Ryan. Let’s do some due diligence on how he’s selling it and explore this incomprehensible explanation during an interview yesterday, . . . “Historically, since FDR virtually every president has had fast track authority. What fast track provides is simply if a free trade agreement is negotiated, that Congress will vote on it up or down without amendments, and history has demonstrated for the last 80 years that the only way to get free trade agreements adopted is to have fast track. That if there is no fast track, free trade agreements do not end up being negotiated.”
I’ve already noted why this Obama/Jarrett treaty cannot be supported, however, forget Obama, what do we learn here about Cruz and Ryan?
These two, and some of their Republican colleagues, may have been capable lawyers, however, they evidence a serious lack of intuitive verve. How can they possibly equate any preceding administration in America, with the one controlling the Oval Office today? No Administration has ever trampled the constitution, or disrespected the other branches of government more. Arousing historical precedents and the previous existence of “fast track authority,” does not and should not apply here. America has never been here. The national and global economic, political and social conditions that exist currently have no prior equivalent.
The above quotation indicates that Cruz and his small crowd assume that a free trade agreement is needed. The insanity of that assumption defies logic. Every nation on earth wishes it could trade with America. By handing an apologist community organizer and one with such a dismal track record, the power to negotiate a global deal, is guaranteeing a negotiation from a point of weakness. Cruz and Ryan would have no way to control, influence, minimize or circumvent any future action by this Administration on this treaty. They are “trusting” this President. How is that possible?
Cruz and Ryan demonstrate a complete lack of understanding when it comes to international trade, economics and business. They ideological and sweepingly affirm their support of “free trade,” which is a catch-all term of little significance here. The implications of such a blind support will be detrimental to America. They are very much mistaken if they think that they will be able to curtail future Obama belligerence with Congressional action — are they not aware that he holds VETO power?
The Cruz assertion that without fast track there can be no negotiated agreement, is further proof that he is right out of it and is simply repeating talking points. Fast tracking and secrecy are not fundamental underpinnings to negotiations of trade treaties that involve all major trading nations. America, the world leader, is negotiating against dictatorships and communist regimes. Is there good reason that it cannot dispatch whatever terms it wishes to the negotiating table? If there was any sign, or even a crumb of evidence that a deal was being negotiated that would be of benefit to America, it would not be kept under wraps from everyone including most of Congress.
CEOs of companies such as AT&T, IBM, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, eBay, Cisco, Intel and Xerox are supporting this intended treaty. Does that mean they know something? Or is it that they do what they’re told by this Administration in order to curry favour, similar to what we have endured for 6 years? Or perhaps they support the fact that this “deal” will surreptitiously include immigration carte blanche to Obama, and prevent Congress to effectively regulate immigration. Cheaper imported labor at home, and pretences of open internet markets abroad are no foundation for a strategy to build a strong America.
Whether it is a complete lack of intuitive capacities, or the lack of familiarity and understanding with the state of international trade, Cruz and Ryan are willing to surrender to narcissism and dictatorship, both abroad and at home. Sadly, we have to look to Pelosi for balance on this process. That in itself feels crazy.
A constituent of the vast baby boomer generation with a career which has been fortunate to know the ponderous corporate worlds, as well as the intimately pressurized, and invigorating entrepreneurial domains of high tech and venture capital, I have harvested my share of mistakes meandering through corridors of enterprise from Silicon Valley, to London and endless, colourful, sometimes praetorian points in between. The voyage has provided an abundance of fodder for a pen yielding to an inquisitive keyboard, a foraging mind, and a passionate spirit.
Whether political or business or social or economic or personal, is it not all political? It is a privilege to write, and an even greater privilege to be read by anyone, and sometimes with the wind at my back the writing may occasionally be legible. I do not write to invite scorn, nor to invite respect, but if I get really lucky the writing can stimulate thinking. I also write for the very selfish purpose of animating my own processes, and engaging the best of what life offers. Above all, whether biting fire or swatting shadows, I am grateful to be gifted the freedom to write and publish whatever flows down to the keyboard. To all those who enabled this freedom, and to all those standing guard to preserve it, I am indebted.
