Bernie Sanders: TV networks have completely ignored this huge issue...

[Playinghardball]

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. Indeed. I have yet to meet anyone "in real life" who knows much, if anything about TPP.

It's just bizarre!

[George II]

14. Including those who claim to be experts on the document.

[rhett o rick]

17. Really, someone claims to be an expert on the TPP? Or did you make that up?

If you support the TPP then provide your arguments. They should be interesting.

[George II]

23. I don't have a definite opinion on the subject.

However, for a "secret" document we seem to have a number of people with opinions on the subject, most of them based on rumors, leaks, and banter.

[Bradical79]

30. When a document is secret

Then you only have leaks and rumors to go by. Best way to combat false rumors and leaks is transparency.

[rhett o rick]

33. I hope you aren't suggesting that we should just sit back and take it like we did

with NAFTA, CAFTA, and the WTO? We certainly can comment on that which we've seen.

[Jefferson23]

2. Predictable, Senator, not amazing at all..sadly. n/t

[GeorgeGist]

3. Not amazing at all ...

surely Sen. Sanders knows the system is rigged.

[Enthusiast]

4. The TPP and the TTIP are just more of the thievery we witnessed with the crash of 2008.

The Perps were rewarded.

These agreements are so bad we can't even comprehend the damage they will do.

[rhett o rick]

18. I wonder how the betting is going in Vegas as to when the next bank bail-out will come.

I'm thinking later this year. It would be like a "Good-bye Obama from Goldman-Sachs". Couldn't they just send a card?

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. Money talks. But.....

..... sometimes it maintains a judicious silence.

[Jim Lane]

6. This is a predictable result of the secrecy

TV news staffer to editor: I'd like to do a piece on the TPP.
Editor: What's in the agreement?
Staffer: We don't exactly know yet. There've been leaks of drafts but the actual text hasn't been officially confirmed.
Editor: Let's wait until we have something more solid.

I'm just guessing at the conversations that have occurred, but my guess is based on what we've seen from TPP apologists here on DU. Late-stage drafts that reflect more than four years of negotiation are dismissed on the basis that they might be completely changed by the time an agreement is finalized. Some posters' implication is that serious analysis and discussion can't begin until then.

Of course, once the agreement is finalized and released, the administration will hope to get it approved on fast-track. That means that there just won't be enough time for that process of analysis and discussion. The process should include the mobilization of public opinion, but, for the reason Sanders points out, many people currently haven't even heard of TPP.

[Doctor_J]

7. The corporations who own big media will benefit mightily from TPP

Of course they are not talking about it

[progressoid]

9. ahYup. +1

[Mr.Bill]

8. But it's complicated, Bernie.

Journalists would have to, you know, like learn stuff. It's much more fun to talk about Sean Penn's green card joke or which Kardashian will get pregnant or divorced next. And when is that Bruce Jenner guy finally going to be a woman?

[mountain grammy]

10. They also ignore global warming, American injustice, and any real news at all.

[Duppers]

26. Indeed they do.

[B Calm]

11. The vast majority of republicans will eagerly pass it and point their finger at Obama

for the next 30 years.

[cstanleytech]

12. Its not amazing to me because the networks are owned by large media corporations

who support it because it would also extended their copyright length in other countries as well to the same absurd length it is in the US.

[B Calm]

13. I think any negative press towards republicans for passing this will never happen. But when the shit

hits the fan and people start losing jobs, the press will be there pointing their finger at Obama and the democratic party.

[appalachiablue]

15. The GOP will absolutely point to Obama when the pain from the TPP is finally palpable to

the uninformed, well after the fact. Exactly the way conservatives and the financial industry tried to blame (corrupt) govt. regulators for the housing bubble crash in 2008. It's an old game that works very well for the Right with major help from Media propaganda and an increasing fearful, dumbed down and unenlightened populace.

[Doctor_J]

16. This is a big reason dems should not support republican policies

The policies always suck, and the democrats then get blamed

[rhett o rick]

20. It makes more sense if we look at the political division as between the Progressives and the

Conservatives in lieu of Democrats and Republicons. This is a Conservative favored issue and the Progressives oppose it. When it screws the workers the Conservatives won't care but the Republicons will use it as a stick to whack the Democrats.

[appalachiablue]

22. Right, and the Dems. complicit in these actions who are greedy for money could care less

when it's exposed to their constituents and the masses, way too late, if ever. The change needed for the dysfunctional two party system- the pound of cure, or the ton of cure in this case, will take a tremendous effort. Any move in that direction is impaired by 25+ years of deregulation, then consolidation of the media by corporations, the intended death blow to truth and information. That there aren't any serious attempts to counter the rightward media shift except Current TV is a telling and very unhealthy sign. Our democracy and way of life are endangered more than I've ever seen, by far.

[cascadiance]

24. I'll bet more than any other bill, conservadems are being offered "retirement jobs" to pass TPP!

This is THE big bill that lobbyists know will be the key to them owning the government from this point forward, and they'll tell a lot of conservadems that they don't need to worry about the party any more if they're going to get a nice paycheck after leaving office to vote it in!

We need a way to heavily expose the details of this legislation in a way that can't be ignored. I do think that if enough of America understands what is really going on, those who want to continue to work in government will make sure to stand against it.

[appalachiablue]

25. If this legislation passes, I hope these conservdems are offered fortified residences and heavy

security because even with their gold as protection, the disruption and misery unleashed in the continental US and elsewhere will have equally powerful counter action. The wrath of masses oppressed by oligarchs is not something to have worked well historically. Sic semper tyrannis.

[JDPriestly]

28. Yes. Democrats and Clinton will rightfully be forever blamed for NAFTA and the jobs lost due to

it. Here we go again.

[appalachiablue]

35. Indeed. The TPP is so vast in scope and especially dangerous for a country already greatly

weakened by NAFTA, outsourcing, H1-B visas, loss of 60,000 US factories since 2000, unionism and privatization. The TPP is the ultimate corporate coup d'état as many have called it, so serious it's hard to fathom. But here we are...

[rhett o rick]

19. So do we theorizing that the Networks are Conspiring to keep this from

the public. Wouldn't that be a Conspiracy Theory? Yeah, but on the side of goodness. The CT Posse will ignore it.

[Bradical79]

31. Well it's not much of a conspiracy

All they got to do is ignore it. Pretty minimal effort compared to other alleged conspiracies out there :-P

[rhett o rick]

32. Seems to me that the only CT alerted on here, other than the well know ones, are the ones against

Pres Obama, the Democratic Party or the Good Ole USofA. For example there were post after post suggesting that Snowden conspired with China or Russia to steal secrets. Funny how the CT Posse overlooked those. But the mere suggestion that Michael Hastings might have been murdered, bingo-bango, CT Alerts out the wazzo.

[LiberalAndProud]

21. Why amazing?

The FCC has allowed concentration of media ownership to such a degree that the networks have a vested interest in NOT discussing the issue.

[JDPriestly]

27. Bernie is speaking for the majority of Americans, Republicans as well as Democrats.

Thank you, Bernie.

[TheFarseer]

29. I have heard that we will be giving up some of our sovereignty

Because TPP rules will overrule our laws so why are right wingers not losing their shit over that? I suspect because Fox News hasn't told them to.

[AzDar]

34. Bernie!!