Exclusive: A leaked Trump bill to blow up the WTO

[brooklynite]

Source: Axios

Axios has obtained a leaked draft of a Trump administration bill — ordered by the president himself — that would declare America’s abandonment of fundamental World Trade Organization rules.

Why it matters: The draft legislation is stunning. The bill essentially provides Trump a license to raise U.S. tariffs at will, without congressional consent and international rules be damned.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/trump-trade-war-leaked-bill-world-trade-organization-united-states-d51278d2-0516-4def-a4d3-ed676f4e0f83.html

[sakabatou]

1. Putin must be thrilled.

[Martin Eden]

11. Donnie has his performance review coming up

He's trying to score some extra credit with Vlad.

[Iliyah]

2. The Republican party ain't gonna do nothing.

[duforsure]

3. Bypassing Congress

Is exactly what he wants , and this should make some GOP real nervous, this will only escalate.

[Perseus]

9. Someone needs to make a comparison to what Hugo Chavez did and what trumo is doing

I may take a crack at it, but this is exactly what happened in Venezuela and other countries where dictators, not only destroyed the countries for their own economic benefit, but have ruined it completely for everyone else.

Changes to the constitution come next, and he will hold a booklet of the constitution to let everyone know he is doing things abiding by the law...which of course will be a false.

[displacedtexan]

13. Fortunately, he doesn't have the time or the sway necessary to change the constitution.

Otherwise, he'd try it.

[Perseus]

16. That is what you think

There is time for all that and I am sure they are already thinking about it, on what to change. He has already talked about it, and with a congress and a senate on his side, it just makes it easier.

[DonCoquixote]

24. he does not need that

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/10/21/a-constitutional-convention-could-be-the-single-most-dangerous-way-to-fix-american-government/?utm_term=.f7060ee0cb68

[SergeStorms]

29. Fantastic!

Then we could revisit the 2nd amendment and enact safeguards against gun crazies who believe it's their Constitutional right to own as many types of weapons imaginable. Messing with the founding fathers' work would stretch both ways, so maybe they should remember that before demanding a Constitutional Convention.

[Botany]

4. I wonder if it is in its original language Russian?

If people can not see that Trump is working for Russia now then I give up.

[Turbineguy]

5. This seems to be standard trump deflection.

Create chaos while doing something else.

[kennetha]

6. This is Not A Drill

Trump is bound and determined to break the international order!

[still_one]

7. This man is compromising the security of the U.S. It is beyond politics. It is pretty certain that

he also has plans to either abandon NATO, or compromise it.

This man needs to be removed from office, and it will take both republicans and Democrats to do it.

The danger is very real

[Clarity2]

8. This is absolute proof

That Trump’s loyalty is to Putin. This would be the opposite of what those who underwrote a lot of his agenda (Koch, heritage foundation, lobbyists, corporations and wall street) would want. He is defying even their wishes. He is willing to blow up the economy for Putin. He must be getting one huge payoff.

Hypothetical question: could anyone here ever sell out not only the u.s., but the whole world for any amount of money? Allow a russian asset to become & remain president, trash economies, pollute land, water & air, take away human rights, perhaps commit mass genocide, etc. etc.

I’d die on the street penniless before I’d ever let that happen. But that’s exactly what the GOP are taking a part in.

[bucolic_frolic]

10. I'm sorry, Trump is not cooking this stuff up on the fly

There have been elements in the GOP that have raged against the UN and WTO for the better part of 20 years. Trump is merely the vehicle for their nefarious agenda, a stooge who hasn't the slightest idea the consequences of these policy changes.

[erronis]

17. Look to the AEI and ALEC. Look to the Kochs/Mercers. Look to those that will win big $$$s.

There's no honor among these thieves.

[McCamy Taylor]

12. Trump wants the ability to accept bribes, in other words. Grifter in Chief.

Does the Tea Party really expect that Trump will share any of this extortion money with them?

I hope that Mueller is following the money that Trump, Jarred and Ivanka are squirreling away. What is the going rate for "protection"? 1% of the gross? More?

Trump supporters who think that organized crime is an American value deserve to be sent back to their "homes" in Germany/Scotland/England/Italy--you know, the countries that kicked them out for being criminal scum. Except that no one would take them.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. Six-front trade war not enough for Don Dong Ill. Gotta take on the whole rest of the world too. . nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Free trade used to be religion for Republicans. Now just a cult that rubberstamps Trump lies. . nt

[Duppers]

18. K & R

GawdFuckingDamn!!!

I agree with Michael Moore and Bill Maher: this sick shitbag never intends to leave office. He never intends to obey consequences of courts or elections.

We are living in the most dangerous times and our democracy and lives dependent on November elections.

[JDC]

19. And he and R's will blame Democrats when it all goes to shit

[AlexSFCA]

20. WTO, UN, NATO, NAFTA

and help to break EU. My understanding he has the power to withdraw from NATO without congress which is a very high priority for the new global order and TrumPutin alliance. This is the end of free trade. I have no doubt it will result in contraction of overall US economy so privatizing social security and medicare will be a piece of cake for them if GOP holds on to power. He is moving fast to make sure all of this damage is irreversible.

[pansypoo53219]

21. PRAY we only have a recession. can you say hoover?

[elmac]

22. the wall street banksters will love this

they must have some huge short positions by now.

[MarvinGardens]

23. Republicans want to raise taxes on the middle class.

Their tax cut was mostly for the rich. Middle class got peanuts. These tariffs tax everyone who buys imported goods, which is all of us.

Trump and the Republicans want to tax the country to death.

[LudwigPastorius]

25. Trump's trade wars are going to crack the economy like a rotten, hot egg.

With the current real estate bubble and the stock market in year 9 of positive gains, we've been overdue for a correction for a while. The machine is overheated and Trump is going to throw sand in the fuel line.

His attempt to buy votes with arbitrary tariffs will bring on a steep and long-lasting crash. I could see unemployment reaching 12 - 15%.

[greatauntoftriplets]

26. Paging Robert Mueller!

[dawg day]

27. do you remember only a couple years ago--

the GOP used to whine about government interference and presidential overreach?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. The rest of the article says that the bill has no chance of getting through Congress.

Everybody hates it. Nevertheless, it reveals what kind of trade relations Trump favors and how little he understands what damage this would do.

[calimary]

30. Oh great...