The trade agreement did not start out contentious, which is probably due to the fact that no one knew what was in it. History has shown that ignorance is an effective way to pass a bill, especially if it has a lot of parts in it that require reading. But, hey, throw in a few special interests, and viola! You've got legislation that passes faster than a Corvette coming up behind an Amish buggy.
Meanwhile, rumors related to the private information held in the bill only fueled speculation that something was amiss. Calling it a "work in progress" did not allay fears and people started complaining about being left out. We all want to know secrets. Look at every other headline out there and you'll see we are fascinated by secrets. "Seven Secret TPP Deals You Want to Know!" "The Mystery of TPP Revealed!" These are articles we have to see.
Information eventually leaked out about what was contained in the TPP and it did not go over well with the American public or legislators, who began to believe the trade bill was bad for them. Secrecy kept them from finding out that arrangements suited other countries better than our own. Why would we agree to a partnership that wasn't in our best interests? We're Americans! We want more than other countries. We want advantages over other countries. What happened to our entitlement? Secrecy became a bad thing.
One particular aspect disliked by environmentalists was the adverse effect the trade deal would have on the environment and climate change, while favoring certain businesses known to pollute. Earth friendly organizations have long been vocal on the subject, warning that climate change would worsen dramatically, and the ability of the American people to stand up to those responsible would be compromised.
Expressing an opposing view, Cole Pitt, a representative from the Durr-T Materials Extraction Company replied, "There's nothing unnatural about natural resources. Creating short-term gain at the expense of the American public is my God-given right, and I plan to exercise it. Dammit--it's the only exercise I get!"
Fast-tracking TPP could not stop the questions and concerns. More bad news made us like it even less. The rich would get richer. Our food would turn into Soylent Green. Unions would have to get a divorce! Asians would take our IT jobs at Disney (Oops, sorry! That was a separate internal issue involving India.) The earth would die! In other words, we would all be flushed down the toilet in the resulting sludge if the TPP passed.
Now, close to death, the TPP has a slim chance of going anywhere. It's a mess Obama will have to clean up on his own. Pass him the toilet paper.
Janet F. Williams is an oral and written communications specialist, and award-winning author of the book, "You Don't Ask, You Don't Get." Please visit: janetfwilliams.com and gooddaymedia.com.
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