Bernie's In

Does a quote like this sound like it comes from a respectable author?

Do you think the US, Canada, The EU, Japan, South Korea and the rest of the advanced nations are "disreputable and collapsing"? Sound like a reasonable author to you?

They promote the anti-vaccine movement. That's enough for me seriously question anything they promote.

https://www.facebook.com/foreignpolicyjournal/posts/10153286912907271

fpj is seriously suspect. not a group to respect.

Well she quotes Newsmax, so nothing else should surprise.

Could Hillary have known better? Some times it takes a true intellectual to know better.

http://billmoyers.com/story/why-bernies-right-about-glass-steagall/
Why Bernie’s Right About Glass-Steagall
Sanders believes that the repeal of the act in 1999 led to the formation of banks that became "too big to fail" -- and will lead to another crisis without corrective legislation.

BY EDWARD MORRIS | APRIL 4, 2016

Would you consider social media to be a new and advanced media that will create a Political revolution?

They all knew. Is he the only honest man left in government??

Thanks for sharing this.

I take it you don't believe in free trade?

You are in such denial, I don't think we can discuss anything.

Well, not making an attempt is one way to ensure that we won't.

According to Reuters, US businesses and wealthy people evade taxes by over $2 trillion dollars.

I'm a big fan of free trade. What I've researched, read, and understand all point to a net benefit for humanity as a whole. There are some negative impacts to jobs in America, but I feel it's more than made up for by reduced costs for things we buy. But more importantly, it drastically changed the lives of the MUCH more poor people around the world to be financially better.

I think it's the only compassionate position someone can take.

I'd love to hear some counter-points.

You are correct. Free trade benefits all countries with competition. The more developed countries produce high tech products while the third world countries produce labor intensive products.
The US used to produce most of our own garments several decades ago, but now produce very little. Our high tech and auto industries are doing very well.

What is being called free trade is not always free trade. These days, it is big corporations paying workers as little as possible and then selling the products here. Cuts out jobs here and barely allows workers there to survive. If they would pay good wages to all workers, regardless of geography, I would be more inclined to accept "free trade" agreements. Schemes like TPP are set-ups for corporations to pay even less while making even greater profits. Has little to do with free trade.

Also this

Bernie Sanders shared Mic's video.
13 mins ·
We now know, as a result of the ‘Panama Papers,' that more than 214,000 entities throughout the world have been using a law firm in Panama to avoid paying taxes.
The Panama Free Trade Agreement put a stamp of approval on Panama, a world leader when it comes to allowing the wealthy and the powerful to avoid taxes. I was opposed to the Panama Free Trade Agreement from day one. I predicted that the passage of this disastrous trade deal would make it easier, not harder, for the wealthy and large corporations to evade taxes by sheltering billions of dollars offshore. I wish I had been proven wrong about this, but it has now come to light that the extent of Panama’s tax avoidance scams is even worse than I had feared.
My opponent, on the other hand, opposed this trade agreement when she was running against Barack Obama for president in 2008. But when it really mattered she quickly reversed course and helped push the Panama Free Trade Agreement through Congress as Secretary of State. The results have been a disaster.
The American people are sick and tired of establishment politicians who say one thing during a campaign and do the exact opposite the day after the election.
It is time for real change. As president, I will use my authority to terminate the Panama Free Trade Agreement within six months. My administration will conduct an immediate investigation into U.S. banks, corporations and wealthy individuals who have been stashing their cash in Panama to avoid taxes. If any of them have violated U.S. law, my administration will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

Bernie can't do it alone. He needs congress.

I don't really have a counterpoint. On average wealth in the working classes is increasing as manufacturing moves to the developing world- but in some developed nations (particularly the US) it's dropping. And that is fuelling the rise of fascism-lite (or not so lite).

My issues with free trade are
a) that economic efficiency does not necessarily equate to social good
b) multilateral free trade agreements all too often cede power to corporations over nations, and corporations increasingly have very short term goals (i.e. this year's profit and shareholder return) - the TPP giving power to corporations to sue governments for decisions that harm profits (discounting the public health benefits, for example) is insane
c) free trade is not the same as 'the free market' - we see countless example of corporations who publicly argue that the free market is the best method of determining value/production/supply privately doing everything in their power to hobble the free market (dumping, tax evasion, government lobbying, insider trading, bribery, advertising, the lack of accounting for environmental and social impact, and flouting competition law through cartels and crushing competitors through unfair business practices)