If you want to demonstrate your leadership ability, make that the drum you beat from here on in -- damn the polls, the debates, the mastery of appearances and slogans -- and just actually stand up for our interests. Stop TPP, now.
This "Trade" Agreement, by all public accounts, on the personal level. will damage Americans in their pocketbooks, their access to medicines, their access to ideas and more. As communities, go ahead, pass your freakin' law, who cares? Because some foreign rich guys (maybe an American in there) are going to decide, not only if that law is legal, but if you owe them money for passing and enforcing it.
Unknown, unelected, business functionaries will decide these things in secret.
btw, "Trade" Agreements my foot. These are Governance Agreements above all else. Just to get the true name out there.
Here we are. America falling and calling. I'm told there's a Native American saying which goes "Beauty before; beauty behind, beauty to the left, beauty to the right, beauty below, beauty above."
In the general public we can say the same thing, but are like to replace 'beauty' with 'problems.'
Okay then. And here we are with an election coming up.
And nobody running is actually acting like a worth-while leader at this point. Words, yes, words. Good words, true words, focus-grouped words, buzzwords, weasel words, qualified words, strong words. Yeah, we're watching and see lots of lip; not enough feet.
Right. TPP is coming up for a vote in Congress. (And its death-breathed siblings the TTiP and TISA, will come sniffing around one day.) TPP is bad for Americans.
Most polls might show the public is unaware of TPP.
That is, of course, precisely the first thing a leader would address. Every occasion in public becomes a moment to educate about the dangers, and how to stop it. Which is: Swamp Congress with "Kill TPP." Tens of millions of letters, phone calls, e-mails. That's what a leader, with the Public's interest in mind, would do.
To my mind, I would vote for a leader who actually threw all aside to make certain this one good thing is done for us. This one good thing they are in the position to do.
SO....
Old Gentleman Left Guy with a thousand concrete proposals and no slippery stances: You've talked about 'millions of people' forming a political revolution. Great.
Have anything specific in mind? Yeah, I see you've got long-held policies about lots and lots of issues. Will there be a bumper sticker someday? More webpages?
Seriously, pick something! TPP is perfect because
a) it really really has to be stopped and the people who own our government are in love with the thing, proof in itself of its danger to us, and
b) Leadership is the Best Campaign Strategy. Lead voters on something THIS DAY which matters to them, and you don't need to be crafty to get their allegiance.
Old Lady Democratic-ish Gal: You said you oppose TPP now, and on grounds that you worry. You worry about benefits to drug companies. You worry that it "does not address currency manipulation. You don't believe it will create good jobs and protect workers. [statements made on Oct 6-7, 2015 might be subject to further revisions depending on circumstances]
Well, do you think there's anyone out in the vast voter-land who should be worried about any of this? Because, as a person presenting yourself as a leader, if you're worried, then I'm worried. And everybody should be worried. No? And you should be telling people why this thing needs to be stopped.
Certainly a leader can marshall herself to focus on killing TPP, which just isn't good enough. [As of Oct 6-7, 2015]
Would-be leaders: Show us you mean it, or get off the stage. The American People simply can't afford to be playing the usual horse race games. We have way too much at stake.
