STOP the TPP – The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement — and other secret deals

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It turns out that the TPP is not the only secret trade agreement the Obama administration is pushing. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement, which would be the largest “free trade” deal in world history, is now being negotiated between the U.S. and E.U.

Obama seems to think that corporations and not democratically elected governments should control our economic future.  The TTIP contains an “investor-state dispute settlement” system (ISDS), which would provide a framework for corporations to sue governments over alleged lost profits and overrule national laws, courts, and democratic processes. Such corporate tribunals have become hallmarks of so-called “free trade” agreements, included in 3,000 such deals world-wide, such as the infamous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  These tribunals are an attempt to escape the jurisdiction of national courts and bypass the obligation of all states to ensure that all legal cases are tried before independent, public tribunals.

President Obama is currently pressing for passage of “Fast Track” legislation for the TPP and other trade deals that would allow the White House to ram through these secret deals currently under negotiation.  This certainly looks like another example of Obama’s close ties with Wall Street and Big Money winning out over the American people.  We, the people, need to get money out of politics so Obama and Congress stop working for their corporate sponsors and start working for the people and what’s in our best interests.

Labor, environmental, community, and human rights organizations around the world have mobilized for years against these and other such pacts, with organized opposition to the TTIP mounting on both sides of the Atlantic.  We need to stand up and make our voices heard.

What if Hillary came clean?

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This story about Hillary and Bill Clinton’s Foundation taking money from foreign governments while Hillary was Sec. of State is gaining steam.  Did she make decisions at the State Dept. that assisted those governments?  If so, what was the connection between the donations and the decisions?   And, why did all those emails get deleted?  Is there a connection?

Of course, Hillary is denying everything.  But, if she really wanted to serve her country, she could come clean (if there was a connection, and I’m guessing there just may have been.) and explain that this is just the way our government works.  Then, she could start calling out all the examples of Democratic and Republican Senators and Representatives, and Obama and George Bush and Bill Clinton, who have done favors or voted a certain way, to assist Wall Street bankers, the healthcare industry, military contractors, and on and on, and gotten big campaign contributions in return.

Maybe I’m dreaming, but Hillary served in the Senate, lived in the White House and wants to be President.  She would be very credible on all this.  She could really be an American hero and help clean up our corrupt government.  But, then, she wouldn’t become president, would she?  Guess I am dreaming.

Obama and TPP

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I’ve been busy trying to finish my book, Breaking Big Money’s Grip.  Sorry, I’ve neglected this blog.  But, I’m just about done the book, so I’m back….

Anyway, Obama’s stance on the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement is really troubling.  He’s now saying that Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats, and a host of labor unions and other progressives, are all wrong about the TPP.  He says the agreement will protect American workers and their jobs.  But, he won’t tell the American people what’s in the agreement.  It’s “classified.”

Not only that, but he wants Congress to fast-track the agreement.  That is, Congress would only be able to vote it up or down, but would not be able to amend it.

Why the secrecy?  If it’s such a good deal for Americans, why is Obama keeping it a secret?

Obama has been in bed with Wall Street and Corporate America before.  He made a deal with the corporations over Obamacare.  He didn’t go after Wall Street bankers who brought down the economy in 2008.  Why should Obama be trusted now?

Obama, open up the TPP agreement.  Let the people decide for themselves.

The art of blogging

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It’s been a few days since I’ve written here.  A main reason I hadn’t started a blog before now is I wasn’t sure I could write often enough to keep my readers’ engaged and interested.  So, I’m being tested on that now.  I’d sure like your feedback about the blog, as well as your just jumping into the discussion about how we can revive democracy and your willingness to be actively involved in a Democracy Movement.

So, you probably know that Congress voted last December to guarantee risky Wall Street ventures with taxpayers’ funds again, despite what those same bankers did in 2008 to crash America’s economy, causing millions of Americans to lose their homes and millions more to lose their jobs?

But, did you know that the $700 billion TARP bailout of Wall Street in 2008 was only the tip of the iceberg?  According to a study of all 35 Federal Reserve and Treasury Department programs, the actual bailout with our tax dollars was closer to $4.7 trillion.  Can you believe our representatives are backing Wall Street ventures again with our money?

Why would Congress support more Wall Street gambling after the crisis it caused in 2008? You know why? Because Wall Street bankers, corporate executives and K Street lobbyists give huge campaign donations to our Congressional representatives to have their legislative needs met. We have a political system where Big Money provides the bulk of the funds for our representatives’ election campaigns, and in return our representatives enact laws that favor Corporate America and Big Money at our expense. In plain language, it’s legalized bribery.

In addition, Big Money makes it so easy for Congress. Their lobbyists write the legislative sections they want and all our representatives have to do is insert those provisions into the bills. Citigroup, in conjunction with other big Wall Street banks, actually wrote the new section in the 2015 omnibus bill that restored taxpayer-backed funds for reckless Wall Street ventures like credit default swaps. While some lawmakers opposed the bill, Wall Street had its way with 162 Republicans and 57 Democrats voting for it in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, though 21 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted against the omnibus bill, the bill also passed. Even President Obama threw his weight behind the bill.

It makes me mad as hell!  How do you feel about it?  Isn’t it time we did something about it?

Soul Searching

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I feel that we each need to do some soul searching.  We know that our political system has been corrupted by Big Money.  As a result, our government serves special interests, Wall Street banks and Corporate America for the most part.  Meanwhile, Congress is so polarized that it can’t  agree to repair our failing infrastructure or fund a jobs bill.  The truth is that until we get money out of politics none of the major issues facing the country can be resolved in the public’s interest.

The big question is: Are we willing to take on Big Money?  Ask yourself, do you want your tax dollars to support bailouts for reckless Wall Street ventures, corporate welfare and government programs for millions of underpaid workers whose CEOs won’t pay a living wage? Do you want to live in a country where Congress members’ votes are bought by their Big Money sponsors in a corrupt system that disregards the public interest?

Are you willing to engage in a Democracy Movement to take control of our government away from Big Money and put it in the hands of the people?

[i] Strauss, Valerie. “New Census Data: Children Remain America’s Poorest Citizens.” Washington Post. September 17, 2013.

A New Beginning

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April 4, 2015

Hi! And welcome to my new blog.  It’s spring and time for new beginnings on all levels — as individuals, in our communities, our country and the planet.  I feel most of us have been holding back in one way or another. Things are pretty uncertain in our world.  So, we have good reason to be a bit hesitant.

But, even if you feel you haven’t, that you’re on track and moving forward, you know and I know that there is always more that we could do.  Whether it’s with your inner work, family, community or the wider world, there is so much more to do.  No matter what direction I look, I hear and see people crying out for help.

Some of us turn away.  We can’t deal with it.  It’s too much.  But if not us, who?  That’s not to say we should be martyrs and sacrifice everything. We each must find our inner balance that allows us the maximum output.  So we are living at our highest frequency, and giving our lives and the planet our best shot.

I just want to suggest that we each go within, get in touch with our highest frequency and take a step or two or three up closer to that frequency.  If not now, when?

I’m just completing writing my first book, Breaking Big Money’s Grip: The Critical Struggle To Revive Democracy in America. (It should be available online in the next couple months or so.)  In it I submit that mass movements are what creates real change in our country, from the abolitionists that helped end slavery to women’s suffrage that resulted in the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote.  And, then there’s labor, Civil Rights, Feminist, anti-Vietnam War, the Environment, Gay and Lesbian Rights and so on.  When enough of us rise up, we can buck the power of the status quo and change the world.  It’s always an up hill battle.  But, the struggle is worth it.  And, in all those causes, people were called.  They knew in their hearts what was the right thing to do and they did it.

I feel it’s time for a new people’s movement — the Democracy Movement.  It’s the right thing to do.  We, the people, are losing our right to self-government.  Big Money and Corporate America have taken over.  For the most part, they control our state and federal governments.  And, while we can look the other way and say it’s too big to deal with.  “What can I do?”  The truth is it’s up to us to stand up as a people, right, left or center; Democrat, Republican or Independent; activist or apolitical; religious, spiritual or atheist; and take back our country from the super wealthy, the big banks and the coporate elite.  We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!

What do you think?