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from the not-surrendering-to-corporations-for-now dept.
Common Dreams reports
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said [August 25] that the U.S. Senate will not vote on the 12-nation, corporate-friendly Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) this year, buoying progressive hopes that the trade deal will never come to fruition.
[...] McConnell told a Kentucky State Farm Bureau breakfast in Louisville that the agreement, "which has some serious flaws, will not be acted upon this year".
Common Dreams also reports
Germany's Vice Chancellor and Economic Minister said that the controversial Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has "de facto failed", admitting that negotiations between the U.S. and E.U. have completely stalled.
"Negotiations with the U.S. have de facto failed because, of course, as Europeans, we couldn't allow ourselves to submit to American demands", Sigmar Gabriel told the German news station ZDF [1][2] in an interview that will air at 7pm German time [August 28], according to Der Spiegel. [1]
"Everything has stalled", Gabriel said.
[1] In German [2] Content behind scripts
Reported by BBC, in English.
In 14 rounds of talks, the two sides had not agreed on a single common chapter out of 27 being discussed, Mr Gabriel said. "In my opinion the negotiations with the United States have de facto failed, even though nobody is really admitting it," said Mr Gabriel.
He suggested Washington was angry about a deal the EU struck with Canada, because it contained elements the US does not want to see in the TTIP.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by EvilSS on Monday August 29 2016, @02:18PM
I am honestly starting to think the entire Trump campaign was a plot cooked up by the Clintons to get Hillary elected. It's the perfect plan. Get him to run, say crazy shit that will ignite the far-right (who happen to be the ones who vote in primaries), knowing that he will completely flop in the general election on the same platform and probably take out some congressional republicans in the process. It's the perfect plan.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 29 2016, @02:26PM
I thought this way back when there were still 10+ republicans still in the race. It makes perfect sense. In fact, I've seen a similar strategy locally in a sheriff race where the current sherrif is a former democrat who "converted" to republican during his term. As it's always hard for a newcomer to overcome an incumbent, so he has kept all other republicans from winning a primary. On the democratic primary there was only one person running as dem, thus not having to spend any money on campaigning. Of course the current sheriff won the republican primary, so the general election will be a democrat "republican" current sheriff vs a democrat "opponent", so it doesn't matter who wins, the dems win. It's a crock.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by migz on Monday August 29 2016, @02:34PM
If that is your belief then, the solution is to call their bluff. Go vote for Trump, and campaign for him. He would be a lame duck, since he will never muster a majority on any of his grand schemes.
Then punish them both in the next senate, and house votes, by flipping every gerrymandered seat. Vote for 3rd parties in your local elections, get accountable local government at least.
Take control, use your vote tactically.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 29 2016, @06:19PM
[Inigo Mode] You keep using that word.
I do not think it means what you think it means.
Gerrymandering is a method to make sure that minority voices get buried in the noise.
Unless you somehow managed to flip the majority in your electoral district, you're just pissing into the wind.
If you have a brilliant plan on how to accomplish *that* flip, now, THAT would be interesting.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 30 2016, @02:12AM
Gerrymandering is also very effective at burying majority voices by lumping them into a few, very safe districts for your opponents while giving your side slight advantages in many more districts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mky11UJb9AY [youtube.com]