U.S. Senators who want to read the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement with Asian countries can’t get a copy to read. Instead, they have view the long, confusing document in a secret locked room where they can take notes, but not keep them. The only way they could credibly consider the agreement would be if they had a photographic memory.
Most Transparent Administration Ever
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
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Nice democracy.
Legislators write laws? Not that much.
Legislators have lobbyists write laws for the legislators? Happens a lot more than it should.
Legislators read laws before signing them? Like the Patriot Act? No. No time allowed.
Legislators are allowed to read the laws before they sign them? Not in any meaningful way that would allow discussion. But then discussion is not allowed anyway.
Legislators need a security clearance from the very spy agencies they are supposed to do oversight of.
If a vote meant anything, I would give a vote of no confidence to this form of government.
When will the citizens stop defending this government and start defending themselves from its lawlessness under the color of law? But, Kim Kardashian has a butt rash.
“Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government”
-Jefferson
“d’Oh!”
-Crazy H
Well — apparently — they have to approve the legislation so that they can know what’s in it!
😀
Or, for example, the Senators could read the so-called «Advanced Investment Chapter working document» draught of 20 January 2015 leaked by WikiLeaks https://wikileaks.org/tpp-investment/WikiLeaks-TPP-Investment-Chapter.pdf and post a copy to each of their constituents, requesting their views and advice on how to vote….
Henri
Downloaded that and plan to read it ASAP! Thanks!
🙂