dagblog - Comments for "South Korean Trade Agreement: Obama v. Obama"

Artie, this is the news that

we are stardust — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 23:46:56 +0000

In reply to Thanks, AA. UAW has approved

Artie, this is the news that all the other unions have come out against the KORUS, and tells the story of the UAW wanting 'to reward the administration' for saving the auto industry...

http://workinprogress.firedoglake.com/2010/12/09/unions-out-in-force-against-nafta-style-korea-free-trade/

Thanks, AA. UAW has approved

we are stardust — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:07:04 +0000

In reply to http://dagblog.com/link/us-un

Thanks, AA. UAW has approved it from the beginning, but sure; Koreans are gonna buy loads of US cars. ;o) Didn't know the UFCW had signed on, but there are so many problems with it all, and so much pressure from the White House and Solis. Trumka just issues a statement, I haven't read it yet. I had gone to FDL; Jane has been covering the issue well, and knows lots of the union bosses, and the specifics of the deals, and how little was tweaked from NAFTA.

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/12/09/breaking-afl-cio-head-richard-trumka-releases-statement-opposing-obamas-nafta-style-korea-free-trade-deal/

Lots of related posts she did below today's piece. The Steelworkers have been quiet in the press, noisy in the meetings, I guess. And many claim it's a back-door trade agreement with China, as the stipulations as to what constitutes 'Korean Made' products are pretty small in percentages of parts and materials.

http://dagblog.com/link/us-un

artappraiser — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:25:37 +0000

In reply to South Korean Trade Agreement: Obama v. Obama

http://dagblog.com/link/us-union-backing-boosts-korea-trade-pact-7742

Well, Jeezus; I think the

we are stardust — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:11:36 +0000

In reply to The opposing video clips are

Well, Jeezus; I think the cats have it about right, don't you? Almost on one is paying attention to this crap; remember when The Left (whoever the hell that means any more) had its collective hair on fire over NAFTA/CAFTA and the upcoming trade agreement with Colombia? Now, not much attention. Maybe it's just that so many more issues with more easy-to-grasp optics like the President's Big Waffle on the deficit...I mean the Business-Friendly Tax Cuts.

I did just find this chart on jobs and the KORUS from the folks at the INt'l Trade Commission and the Economic Policy Institute in July at Reformtrade.org. Dunno how they figure this stuff out, but the guesses are pretty different.

http://www.tradereform.org/tag/korus-fta/

That's bad to hear about

we are stardust — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:00:16 +0000

In reply to You cite Krugman, but it's

That's bad to hear about Krugman. I got pissed at him when he and Joseph Stiglitiz went to the White House to get schooled on 'not criticizing' the Obama's economics team's policies. Stiglitz came out of it just as critical as he went in; Krugman got tamed, and kept tamed for awhile.

His adherents at the Cafe kept telling me that oh, no, he was back as a critic, and he has sure ramped up his analysis and rhetoric. But hey; I'll take your word for it. These are early days, and not much was out there yet in terms of statements beyond all the usual cheerleaders.

Apparently the unions and trade committees were caught flat-footed since the White House had said nothing would happen on KORUS until next year. Guess this was all designed to show Obama's chops as 'business-friendly', as if he needed to prove that further. And he must have wanted to erase the black eye of returning from Korea without a deal. Says he held out for a more fair deal. Amway? Fewer environmental protections? Or the bit where the US hasn't any legal sovereignty over the foreign nationals operating within our borders. That's a good one.

Read rumors that Solis, et.al., sorta threatend the Steelworkers on some issues help if they squawked much over this deal, but no one confirmed it. What a crock of crap.

But hey: leave Krugman's horse out of it, will ya; it's arguably not his poor steed's fucking fault. ;o)

The opposing video clips are

SleepinJeezus — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:55:28 +0000

In reply to South Korean Trade Agreement: Obama v. Obama

The opposing video clips are pretty incredible. It's amazing to me that I am getting to a point I can't even stand to listen to him anymore. The lack of trust I have in anything he says anymore makes him quite repulsive. The excuses he offers for pulling this nonsense aren't even clever anymore. Just a profoundly pathetic disappointment.

You cite Krugman, but it's

Obey — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 09:42:03 +0000

In reply to South Korean Trade Agreement: Obama v. Obama

You cite Krugman, but it's not like he exactly has clean hands in this crapfest.

As I recall it, he spent the nineties mostly throwing turds at people like Robert Reich who were advocating for a more proactive industrial policy to keep US industries competitive internationally. He called them economically illiterate and worse things, and what makes it particularly reprehensible is that Krugman's own work on New Trade Theory and New Economic Geography provided the strongest argument for the urgency of industrial policy.

But Krugman just pooh-poohed it all because, well, "government is useless at doing anything, right? including industrial policy, so just give it up". Useless, that is, at all industrial policy EXCEPT protecting Wall Street from the consequences of every stupid bet they've made, because THAT we know how to do, and is so great an idea, because the banks are never going to come back and basically EAT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY WHOLE, right? And also those banks were paying Krugman solid five-figure fees for every bull-crap talk he gave them, which must mean these people were solid, right?

So my sentiment today: fuck Krugman.

and that high horse he rode in on.

Though, granted, it's quite a craptastic trade deal there.

Shoot; look at all the hours

we are stardust — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:46:59 +0000

In reply to To summarize:

Shoot; look at all the hours I coulda saved. Goddam me for a fool.

Thanks for that. Tonight all that's left is laughing; and more to come, with some outrage, as in:

http://dagblog.com/reader-blogs/final-catfood-commission-report-nauseatingly-titled-moment-truth-7584

To summarize:

quinn esq — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:38:29 +0000

In reply to South Korean Trade Agreement: Obama v. Obama

To summarize: