Not only are some people egregiously dumb, they are proud to announce their dumbness to the world. Here is an example I found in an anti-TPP post. Before I proceed, I need to mention that this is not about “Bleh, TPP” or “Yay, TPP.” Both approaches are as dumb as the article I’m quoting, and I want neither of them to pollute my line of vision. Complex issues deserve of complex approaches. Having said that, here is the offending quote:
Public Citizen also has concerns. These include, among others, that the TPP would. . . tacitly permit human rights violations in partner countries (the agreement does not mention “human rights”).
The US has a long and painfully history of trying to introduce the language of “human rights” into trade agreements and making such agreements contingent on partner countries respecting those rights. Every single one of these attempts failed pathetically. Every single time, it led to extreme resentment and souring of international relations with zero gains. This happened all through the 1990s. It happened with China, it happened with Russia, it happened with many other countries. Russians, for instance, are still livid that Americans, of all people, tried to lecture them about human rights. Chinese are deeply resentful, too. Both countries stepped up human rights abuses to show Americans that they should stop butting into their internal affairs.
Since then, the language of human rights has been dropped from trade agreements because it leads nowhere but to fostering anger. This issue has been studied and discussed at length, and it’s unbelievable that “a fresh fool that has come in from the cold” would brightly chirp about the issue before reading anything about it. Dumbass.
By all means, be against TPP is you’ve managed to read the entire text of the agreement. I haven’t, so I have no right to an opinion. But don’t be against it or in favor of it for idiotic reasons.
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