>>PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS HEARD YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE
TRANSPACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, AND HE DOESN'T REALLY CARE.
HE IS NOT
CHANGING HIS MIND, HE IS UNCONVINCED AND UNAPOLOGETIC.
>>YOU ARE HERE TODAY TOUTING THE TRANSPACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, BUT
HILLARY CLINTON IS AGAINST IT, HER VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE,
TIM KAINE, HAS REVERSED HIMSELF AND IS NOW AGAINST IT, DONALD
TRUMP IS TOO, MEANING THE NEXT PRESIDENT IS OPPOSED TO THIS
DEAL.
MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU TAKE BOTH CANDIDATES AT THEIR
WORD, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO GET CONGRESS TO PASS THIS DEAL
DURING THE LAME-DUCK?
>>RIGHT NOW I'M PRESIDENT, AND I'M FOR IT.
AND I THINK I'VE GOT
THE BETTER ARGUMENT.
AND I'VE MADE THIS ARGUMENT BEFORE, I'LL
MAKE IT AGAIN -- WE ARE PART OF A THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.
WE'RE NOT
REVERSING THAT, IT CAN'T BE REVERSED.
THE NOTION THAT WE'RE
GOING TO PULL THAT UP, ROOT AND BRANCH, IS UNREALISTIC.
THERE IS
A REAL PROBLEM BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT CUTTING OFF GLOBALIZATION,
THE ANSWER IS, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT GLOBALIZATION,
TECHNOLOGY, AUTOMATION, THOSE THINGS WORK FOR US, NOT AGAINST
US?
AND TPP IS DESIGNED TO DO PRECISELY THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO
CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS CASE, AND I GOT SOME VERY CLOSE FRIENDS,
PEOPLE I ADMIRE A LOT, BUT I JUST DISAGREE WITH.
AND THAT'S
OKAY, I RESPECT THE ARGUMENT THEY ARE MAKING, THEY ARE COMING
FROM A SINCERE CONCERN ABOUT THE POSITION OF WORKERS AND WAGES IN
THIS COUNTRY, BUT I THINK I'VE GOT THE BETTER ARGUMENT AND I'VE
GOT THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT IT.
AND HOPEFULLY AFTER THE ELECTION
IS OVER AND THE DUST SETTLES THERE WILL BE MORE ATTENTION TO
THE ACTUAL FACTS BEHIND THE DEAL AND IT WON'T JUST BE A POLITICAL
SYMBOL OR A POLITICAL FOOTBALL.
>>THROUGHOUT THAT VIDEO IT IS MY PERCEPTION THAT HE IS BEING
INCREDIBLY DECEITFUL IN THE WAY HE IS FRAMING THE DEBATE ABOUT
TPP, THE INEVITABILITY OF IT.
FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT HE IS SAYING
IS, IF YOU ARE AGAINST IT THEN YOU'RE AGAINST GLOBALIZATION,
AGAINST GLOBAL TRADE.
HOW ABOUT, NO, I'M AGAINST TPP.
>>EXACTLY.
>>OR AGAINST THE CURRENT VERSION OF IT, EVEN.
>>WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION AND HOW IT IS
IMPORTANT TO TRADE, A LOT OF BUSINESSES IN THE U.S. RELY ON
TRADE.
BUT THERE HAVE TO BE REGULATIONS PUT IN PLACE THAT
NOT ONLY BENEFIT OTHER COUNTRIES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS
AGREEMENT BUT ALSO BENEFIT THE UNITED STATES, OUR
MANUFACTURERS, OUR WORKERS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY OUR CITIZENS.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS I HAVE WITH TPP IS THE LACK OF
TRANSPORT, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS I HAVE AND WHAT
OBAMA SAID RIGHT THERE IN HIS ANSWER WAS THE LACK OF
SPECIFICITY.
HE ESSENTIALLY TELLS EVERYONE, I'M PRESIDENT,
I LIKE TPP, AND I KNOW BETTER THAN YOU.
>>THAT WAS DRIPPING FROM HIM IN THAT VIDEO.
>>THAT WAS WHAT WAS IMPLIED, OBVIOUSLY HE SAID IT IN A MUCH
NICER AND SLOWER WAY -- I DON'T KNOW WHY HE SPEAKS SO
SLOWLY, IT IS DIFFICULT TO PAY ATTENTION SOMETIMES.
>>HE HOPES PEOPLE WILL STOP WATCHING.
>>I'M SURE IT WORKS.
BUT OF THE INFORMATION WE HAVE ABOUT THE
CURRENT TPP DEAL, WE DON'T LIKE WHAT WE SEE, RIGHT?
THERE IS A
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, BUT ON A FEW DIFFERENT OCCASIONS
INFORMATION HAS BEEN LEAKED ABOUT WHAT THE AGREEMENT ENTAILS
AND ONE OF THE ISSUES I HAVE IS WHAT IT WOULD DO TO PEOPLE WHO
RELY ON PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS.
IT WOULD INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF
TIME PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES HAVE A PATENT ON THEIR DRUGS,
WHICH MEANS THAT GENERIC VERSIONS OF THOSE DRUGS
WOULDN'T COME OUT.
>>THEN THE DRUG COMPANY FACTOR, THIS IS PARTLY DUE TO THE
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY -- IN THE LATEST INFORMATION I'VE READ
THEY HAVE APPARENTLY REJECTED THE EXTENSION FROM SEVEN YEARS
TO 12 YEARS, NOW THEY ARE DEBATING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE
TO EIGHT YEARS, BUT GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT IT WILL END UP BEING.
FOR ALL I KNOW THAT IS NOT EVEN CURRENT INFORMATION.
>>EVEN IF WHAT YOU SAID IS TRUE, IT STILL EXTENDS THE AMOUNT OF
TIME THESE COMPANIES CAN HAVE A PATENT ON THE DRUGS, AND THINK
ABOUT THOSE RAMIFICATIONS.
IF GENERIC VERSIONS CAN'T COME OUT
UNTIL LATER, PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD THE NON-GENERIC VERSIONS
OF THOSE DRUGS WOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THEM, THEY COULDN'T
PAY FOR THEM.
AND IT IS NOT OKAY, THAT ALONE IS ENOUGH FOR
ME TO REJECT TPP.
THE ISSUE OF TARIFFS AND HOW THE U.S. WOULD
NO LONGER CHARGE TARIFFS ON EXPORTS -- I'M NOT AN ECONOMIST,
I DON'T KNOW THIS IN GREAT DETAIL, WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT
HAVE ON MANUFACTURERS IN THE UNITED STATES?
>>FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, AMONG COUNTRIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN
TPP, THIS COMES ON THE BACK OF OTHER TRADE DEALS, TARIFFS
BETWEEN THOSE COUNTRIES ARE ALREADY FAIRLY LOW, I DON'T KNOW
HOW MUCH LOWER THEY WOULD GO, BUT IT WOULD HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
>>THE U.S. WOULD NOT CHARGE ANY TARIFFS TO PARTICIPATING
COUNTRIES.
>>THE EFFECTS WOULD PROBABLY BE ON THE UNITED STATES, I'VE SEEN
NUMBERS ON HOW MUCH PROPOSED ECONOMIC VALUE WE WOULD
GENERATE, I BELIEVE IT WAS $77 BILLION A YEAR, THAT IS A WHOLE
BUNCH OF DONALD TRUMPS, BUT FAR LESS THAN 1% OF OUR ECONOMIC
OUTPUT.
THERE ARE OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE THE EFFECT WOULD
BE MUCH STRONGER, IN PARTICULAR CANADA AND MEXICO, AND YOU COULD
EVEN SAY THAT THE COUNTRIES IN THE EASTERN RIM THAT WOULD BE
AFFECTED BY THIS, WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE CHINA, BY THE WAY,
DONALD TRUMP, GET THAT RIGHT -- THAT WOULD HAVE GREAT EFFECTS ON
THEIR ECONOMY.
AND I'M A HUMAN, I WANT PEOPLE TO DO BETTER ALL
OVER THE GLOBE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN -- THE FRAMING OBAMA SET UP
WAS THAT YOU ARE EITHER FOR THIS OR AGAINST GLOBALIZATION, BUT
MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT YOU CAN'T STOP THIS, THAT THIS HAS TO
HAPPEN, WITHOUT EVER PROVIDING ANY EVIDENCE THAT WE CAN'T
SIMPLY WAIT ANOTHER YEAR, THAT WE CAN'T HAVE MORE ROUNDS OF
NEGOTIATIONS.
WHY IS IT I HAVE TO BE AGAINST GLOBALISM OR HAVE
TO BE FOR EXTENDING COPYRIGHT PROTECTIONS FOR INSTEAD OF 50
YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF THE PERSON WHO CREATED THE ARTISTIC
OUTPUT, NOW THAT HAS TO BE 70 YEARS?
WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT
HAVE TO DO WITH GLOBALISM?
>>IT WOULD EXTEND THE COPYRIGHT TO THE INDIVIDUAL FOR 70 YEARS
AFTER THAT PERSON DIES.
I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE
NITTY-GRITTY OF EVERY SINGLE ISSUE INVOLVING THE TPP --
>>I DO.
KIDDING.
>>BUT THIS CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW, WHETHER YOU
GUYS AGREE OR NOT, IS MUCH MORE SPECIFIC, AND BRINGS UP MANY
MORE ISSUES, THAN WHAT OBAMA MENTIONED THERE.
IF YOU ARE
GOING TO MAKE A CASE THAT YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WHO DON'T AGREE WITH TPP, THEN PROVE IT, TELL US WHAT IT
IS TPP DOES THAT YOU AGREE WITH, THAT YOU THINK WILL BE BETTER
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THERE ARE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTIONS UNDER TPP I LIKE, THERE ARE SOME GOOD COMPONENTS
HE COULD HAVE MENTIONED, BUT HE DIDN'T.
SO THE WAY THAT COMES
OFF IS NOT SO GREAT.
ONE OTHER THING, THE POLITICAL COMPONENT I
THINK IS INTERESTING -- OBAMA DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
GETTING REELECTED, AT HILLARY CLINTON WAS VERY MUCH IN FAVOR
OF TPP UNTIL SHE GOT CRITICIZED BY PROGRESSIVES FOR BEING IN
FAVOR OF IT, NOW SHE IS SAYING SHE ISN'T.
IF THIS WHOLE TPP
ISSUE IS SQUARED AWAY BEFORE HILLARY CLINTON GETS ELECTED,
SHE DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY TYPE OF POLITICAL
CONSEQUENCES.
>>I THINK THERE WILL BE SOME CONSEQUENCES, BUT SHE CAN SAY,
THAT WASN'T ME.
>>EXACTLY.
>>I THINK BASED ON EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT HILLARY THAT SHE IS
FOR TPP.
I DON'T CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THE PRIOR VOCAL SUPPORT,
SHE WAS SECRETARY OF STATE, I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT, BUT I
THINK IT FITS IN WITH HER WORLDVIEW AND OTHER TRADE DEALS
SHE HAS SUPPORTED.
LOOK UP THE INVESTOR STATE DISPUTE
SETTLEMENT, THAT IS ONE OF THE SCARIEST THINGS ABOUT THIS,
ELIZABETH WARREN IS A VOCAL CRITIC ABOUT IT -- ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTIONS ARE POTENTIALLY GOOD, THEORETICALLY THERE IS
SOME INCREASED REGULATIONS TO PROTECT WORKERS, ALTHOUGH THE
HEAD OF THE AFL/CIO SAYS THEY DIDN'T TAKE HIS RECOMMENDATIONS
AND IT DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH -- IT IS NOT UNIVERSALLY BAD, IT
WILL NOT DESTROY THE WORLD, BUT AT THIS POINT THERE IS NOT MUCH
REASON FOR US TO BELIEVE THAT IT WON'T BE A NET NEGATIVE FOR THE U.S.
>>AND ALSO IF YOU GENUINELY WANT TO SELL THIS TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, MAKE IT MORE TRANSPARENT.
THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IS TELLING.
>>AND THE CONDESCENSION IN HIS ANSWER, LET'S AVOID THAT IF WE CAN.