Comment Re:the rigamarole is political, not diplomatic (Score 1) 169
Durable generational trade agreements like GATT 1947 are formed from open discussions of mutual interest, and finding points where both/all sides can agree, or can at least agree to compromise.
Indeed, we are seeing the U.S. Crony Corporatist Capitalism reaching its highest level of development. Corporations now write out laws in secret - even from our elected representatives (despite the fact that they strictly vote the corporate lobbyist line anyway). And the clear intent here is that this will be presented as a fast track "deal" - no modification permitted, the corporation writ is final.
It should be remembered that "fast track" - secret trade deals with no modification allowed - only came into existence in 1974. It is one of the founding cornerstones of the crony capitalist edifice that has been built since 1970 - when worker wages stopped growing with economic growth as had been the historic norm, and a reasonable expectation by the American people.