Ted Cruz's position on TPA, TPP, and TTIP strike me as either naive, ignorant, or deceptive - or a mix of all three.
One commentator has this view:
"What really frustrates me about some of those on the right who are in favor of TPP and TTIP (a.k.a. ObamaTrade) is they seem to accept at face value the current trade deals are simply about “free trade.” I’m all for free trade. If this was just about “free trade,” I’d be all for it. But these trade agreements are, in reality, political and economic unions. This is how the European Union started, all under the guise of the “Common Market.” This is globalism, plain and simple."
(See more at: http://www.therightplanet.com/2015/06/ted-cruz-on-jeff-sessions-and-the-tpatpp-agreements/#sthash.F739g9Ms.dpuf)
Mr. Cruz seems to try and have it both ways - making it easier for the president to create such agreements while he gives us assurances he'll oppose any sovereignty destroying elements in them.
That gives a president considerable ability to ram through any agreement he wants - regardless of Mr. Cruz's wishes or assurances.
He tells us such deals have no ability to rewrite U.S. law. Technically, that is true. But they do have teeth and ways to compel us to rewrite laws. Here's an example from last December:
"On Friday, Congress repealed the country-of-origin-labeling rule (COOL) on beef and pork after the World Trade Organization (WTO) imposed $1 billion in retaliatory import tariffs against United States if the rule was not overturned. The repeal was part of the omnibus spending bill signed by President Obama on Friday."
Here's why they we changed our law:
"Canada and Mexico had argued that the mandatory U.S. labeling program discriminated against meat imports and violated WTO limits on what sorts of product-related “technical regulations” WTO signatory countries are permitted to enact."
(see: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyhuehnergarth/2015/12/21/quashing-consumers-right-to-know-congress-repeals-country-of-origin-labeling-for-beef-and-pork/#26065ab53fb3)
One wonders about other mechanisms being created to "govern" other areas that are being embedded in such agreements.
This from the New American:
"The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is not “free trade” in the classic sense, nor is it even much about trade. It is about creating new institutions of global governance. The TPP is an assault on U.S. national sovereignty, as its objective is to create a European Union-style Pacific Union. And much like how the EU's executive body is the European Commission, the TPP will also have an executive body known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership Commission or TPP Commission."
(see: http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/foreign-policy/item/22114-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-agreement-threatens-u-s-sovereignty)
Ted Cruz will give us assurances till the cows come home and that he will fight tooth and nail against any challenges to our sovereignty. But, up and down votes, with no amendments, of trade deals that undermine our economy and our very sovereignty seem to be the project of those he claims to excoriate.
Yet, he seems to be on board.
He can claim that our nation is not being altered through such agreements and that trillions in trade deficits have no impact on our economic well-being, but it rings hollow.
I hope he is honest and sincere, but "trust" must be accompanied by "verify."
We need more verification and public scrutiny before we allow the global players to maneuver us into a subordinate relationship to their global ruling mechanisms.
I am just not sure which side Cruz is actually on.
