Brooks is a DB. I won't debate that point. I was baffled last week, however, when democrats refused to discuss strengthening protections in the deal, and instead opted to just torpedo it. It was a cynical move motivated by politics instead of sound policy. Also, the US's manufacturing base is bigger than before nafta was signed. The number of workers needed are not as great, but it's a myth that we don't have capacity, even if great numbers of goods are produced elsewhere. That said, I totally agree that producing goods is the backbone of economies, and brooks' insistence that we focus on services is misguided.
Isn't everything in politics motivated by.. politics? I presume you mean "politics" in the sense of politicians jockeying for personal gain. That's pretty much why they're there. But how would you define "sound policy"?It was a cynical move motivated by politics instead of sound policy.
Every President since Bush has had Patriot Act powers. I'm not okay with that either. The fast-track authority, like the Patriot Act, was supposed to be temporary, and ended up being a permanent expansion of Executive power. Executive power is a double-edged sword. It helps us be efficient and get things done, but risks tyranny. Case in point: The Patriot Act. And just like the Patriot Act, the President now wants fast-track to approve a tyrannical treaty which empowers corporations against humans. Sounds to me like a pretty good reason to check the Executive branch's power.