Obama and Republicans pushing TTIP & TPA–Democrats not so sure

French owned cargo ship (Simon Greter)

US President Barack Obama would like to finalize two international trade deals, but is having some resistance from his own Democratic party:

May 1, 2015

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is pressing hard to win approval of controversial trade legislation in Congress, as a series of news reports say the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill is in trouble. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there is still “important work to be done” on this issue.

The effort includes a gathering of dozens of moderate Democrats at the White House, a briefing by a top economic official for the press, and a campaign-style trip by Obama to a major exporter on the West Coast.

House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, says his party strongly supports trade and urged Obama to “step up his game” in terms of persuading skeptical Democrats to vote for trade legislation.

The first issue is Trade Promotion Authority which is sometimes called “Fast Track.” TPA is strongly opposed by many of Obama’s usual allies in the labor and environmental movements and a number of his fellow Democrats in Congress.

The TPA would set rules for congressional consideration of other trade agreements with Pacific nations and the European Union. TPA would allow members of Congress to approve or reject proposed trade deals, but not permit them to make changes.

TPA supporters say U.S. trading partners are not going to make their best offer in negotiations if they expect the U.S. Congress to pick apart the measure.

TPA opponents say Congress should not surrender authority to another branch of government. They also criticize the proposed agreements that would be facilitated by the TPA, the Trans Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Critics argue that the TPP, T-TIP and previous trade deals like NAFTA (The North American Free Trade Agreement) do too little to protect U.S. workers and the environment, and in some cases, give too much legal clout to foreign companies.

But White House Spokesman Earnest says the new agreements are an improvement over NAFTA because they include “enforceable” provisions to protect labor and the environment. And since NAFTA nations Canada and Mexico would be part of the new deal, it is a chance to redress problems with the prior deal. He says Obama believes that raising labor and environmental standards in nations that trade with the United States will “level the playing field” for U.S. firms. That is because when U.S. competitors have to go to the trouble and expense of meeting these standards, American firms that have to meet similar standards will no longer be at a competitive disadvantage.

The leading Democrat in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said trade deals might get more votes if there were some “accommodations” to meet the concerns of critics. She said the current proposal offers far too little money for a program that retrains workers displaced by trade deals for new jobs in the future.

Pelosi told journalists that, so far, she does not see any “big movement” toward support among her fellow Democrats. http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-turns-up-heat-on-trade/2745097.html

While trade should help the economy, there are many concerns about these proposed deals. Basically, the Democrats rightly point out that NAFTA did not work out as expected, there are labor concerns, and there are environmental concerns.

The Europeans, particularly the Germans, are upset over aspects of the deal, but many are protesting because of growing anti-American sentiment as well as the belief that TTIP will make them have to accept more genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) as part of their diets. GMOs are not good, and the Germans should have concerned about them (see also GMOs and Bible Prophecy).

As mentioned before, I believe that trade agreements, in general, are going to give the European Union more power as far as regulatory control over trade than the USA. That is what the Europeans want and the Bible tells of a time when a Babylonian European Beast power will control buying and selling and dominate world trade:

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:16-18)

19 Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! (Revelation 18:19)

The Bible shows that this will make some in the world wealthy (cf. Revelation 18; Ezekiel 27:12-16). But prophecy seems to suggest that the Europeans will have set a lot of the rules and that is what TTIP seems to be intended to do.

In general, trade agreements benefit both parties involved. Yet as I warned about the current trade talks in the past, ultimately, the deal with the EU will not be good for the United States of America nor the British (nor their Anglo-Saxon dominated allies like Canada, Australia, or New Zealand).

I suspect that there will be a few areas of major disagreement that will happen in such a trade deal, and that to hide their disappointment, some representing end-time Europe will declare that all is basically fine before they end up taking over the USA, which is prophesied in such scriptures as Daniel 11:39, 8:24-25, etc. The results are more than the loss of normal sovereignty–the USA will be no more.

This does not mean that there are no short-term economic benefits for the USA or others from proposed trade deals. Only that prophetically, the Bible shows that the Europeans will, for a time, dominate international trade.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras? Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues?
The Snowden Leaks are Leading to the Destruction of the USA Can what happened with the leaks of what the NSA has done help the USA to be taken over? What does the Bible teach that seems to be related to this? Here is a related YouTube video titled Are the Snowden NSA leaks leading to the destruction of the USA?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here are links to two sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
Prophecy Obama: Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies. Watch also the YouTube Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.