Stop Me Before I Vote Again

Given the protectionist chill blowing out of election '06, don't you think we ought to take a quick look to see how far the DLC's closed its spread-leg trade policy? After all, an industry-free America don't have the cachet it did during the dot-bubble years of Peckerhead Bill. Don't you kinda wonder how far down and to its left this pack of Wall Street shills can stretch before they snap in two?

Well, how's this for openers: a firm fierce jabbing finger of scorn and derision at our Unitary Prez and top-kick decider. Nyaah, nyahh, you, like, suck at trade, duude.

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=131&subid=192&contentid=254186

He's presided over a long series of blunders and lost opportunities for trade expansion.

He's a tilter and a hacker and a donor whore. Sorry, teach, my president George ate our national trade policy. He fucked us with

...agreements ... marked by politically motivated attempts to polarize trade along partisan lines ... concentrate trade sacrifices in Democratic constituencies while avoiding reform of special privileges for Republican-leaning industrial and agribusiness lobbies.

What a horror story! Where was the mainstream press on this? Those millions of demolished industrial jobs -- lost for nothing more than a mere partisan political power play.

In a country where loss of a job often means the loss of health insurance and pensions, and a calamitous decline in living standards, it's no accident that many Americans perceive national trade policy as indifferent and adrift, and don't trust their leaders to negotiate or enforce sound trade deals.

You got butt-plowed, you rust-belters -- and we can feel your pain all the way up here in glass tower 13!

Okay. So now George and company have demolished huge hunks of our industrial base, like it's a college frat prank. What can we vital center types do to help? Wait for it:

Fortunately, key Democrats in Congress.... understand the false choices so often posed in the trade debate and are looking ahead toward new and fresh approaches... First, a short-term renewal of Trade Promotion Authority for the sole purpose of concluding the Doha Round.

And what the fuck's a Doha round? It's about giving "poor and often unstable countries.... critical economic help" -- oh, and rectifying "flagrant abuse of intellectual property rights." Danger, Father Smiff! Danger!

In conjunction with a progressive farm bill, completing Doha is the best opportunity to capture new markets and jobs.

That last bit was such a dense briar of codified signals, it broke my decrypt machine. Suffice it to say it means ... more copyright and patent policing, and more protection for our flagrantly abusive agri-biz that cheapskates, begs subsidies, and blockades the products of, that's right, "poor and often unstable countries." In short, the Dems' Doha strategy is "pay our royalties or starve."

That's all well and good if you got a portfolio, or a top trans-nat executive position -- but for us just-gettin'-by on the job types, here's the real beefsteak: "a significant down-payment on a new social contract." A "down payment," get it? Not actual bigger, better, broader, faster-acting collision mats for the inevitable stream of losers -- and certainly not a full

comprehensive socal compact that includes universal health coverage, universal pensions, a reformed unemployment insurance system, and other economic security measures for middle-class families.

No, for that you'll have to wait until... well, you'll just have to wait. But hey, how about a real fine first step toward such a compact, where

"Congress ... make(s) the support for health insurance and job placement now available to trade-displaced workers through Trade Adjustment Assistance open to all dislocated workers"

What "dislocated" actually covers, one supposes, will be defined administratively, case by case, and at a later and more appropriate date. But still and all, can't we look to the far horizon with hope, friends? The far far far far horizon....

Pretty small beer, right? So far (and frankly, to my surprise) beyond egg-facing the boy emperor, these Dembo trogs don't seem to feel a strong and compelling need to stretch leftwards or down, toward us little angry folks, and paint themselves as the kind, patronly alternative to the Bushco steamroller. Mark my words though, they will, and sooner rather than later, I see a stampede a-comin' our way -- wise men bearing us... gifts.