It was cold by Florida standards. Cloudy, too. But we showed up and waved our signs. I grabbed some occucards on the subject and set myself into engaging with the folks passing by.
I talked with all sortsa different people at first, then focussed on expensively dressed white people just because they are the ones I feel most intimidated to approach. Regardless of who I talked to, the convo typically went like this.
Me: Hi, have you ever heard of the Trans-Pacific trade pact?
Them: No (all but two)
Me: Have you ever heard of NAFTA.
Them: Yes (about two thirds. If they didn't say yes I explained that NAFTA was the North American Free Trade agreement that had been passed a couple of decades ago.)
Me: Well, you remember how NAFTA was sold to us by telling us it would create jobs and spur the economy and make us and everyone on two continents better off?
Them: Nod
Me: Do you think it did that?
Them: Nope.
Me: Yeah, me neither. In fact, the US government has documented the loss of over 850,000 US jobs specifically because of NAFTA since it was passed. And wages in the US have stagnated since NAFTA was passed. And what the TPP is is a NAFTA type agreement with Asian countries. More "free trade" (eye-roll) that benefits multi-national corporations at the expense of workers in all countries.
Them: look of interest
Me: So here's the deal. In the State of the Union Address this week, President Obama asked congress to fast-track the TPP. Now, I like lots of what our president says he wants to do, but I don't like this. Not at all. It's been negotiated in secret for at least two years and if congress fast-tracks it, that pretty much means 90 days from now, we're fucked (or screwed, depending on my read of which word would be more effective), because fast-tracking means they can't amend it and won't have time to read it.
Them: Start checking out the occucard I handed them.
Me: But fortunately Harry Reid, you know the head guy in the Senate, a democrat, said he was against fast-tracking. So we have a real opportunity right now to contact our reps and senators and tell them to vote against fast-tracking. At least that will slow down the process. It will give us time to look at the treaty and see if it makes sense. Don't you think it would be a good idea for us to have input on a huge, global trade agreement BEFORE it goes into effect?
Them: Very interested and often vigorous nod followed by, "I'll look into it, thanks."
Me: Yeah, cool. Thanks for taking time to listen, have a great day.
So, was a pretty good effort we put on, I thought. What about the others of you who were out there doing this thing today?