At his April 28 Press Conference with Obama, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan confirmed that the Trans Pacific Partnership, the secret treaty that he is negotiating with Obama, is designed to enable the free flow of people among the 12 participating countries (which include both Mexico and the United States). You can watch this statement at the 47:06 mark. He says (according to the simultaneous translation):
"First of all on TPP, this is not something that we create out of consciousness about China. The economic growth of the region will be a positive and create opportunities for Japan, the United States, and the world. The TPP is such that to the eyes of many countries, it has to become a model.
It should be a model for China in that it's an ambitious attempt to create a new economic sphere in which people goods and money will flow freely within the Asia-Pacific region....
On these points we see completely eye-to-eye between President Obama and myself.
Watch this humorous YouTube video from Redacted Tonight to see CNN instantly cutting away before its viewers could hear Abe's statement:
Let's compare Prime Minister Abe's statement with that made by Rep. Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee who is promoting "Fast-Track" which would prevent Congress from amending whatever Obama negotiates. Just two days after Abe's statement (Paul Ryan to Newsmax: Immigration Reform in TPP is 'Urban Legend'):
"There's no way we [House Republicans] would sign on immigration reform in the trade agreements," said the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, adding that he and his colleagues "are unified in this."
There are at least three possibilities: (1) Abe was misinterpreted; (2) Ryan was lying; or (3) Ryan wants to take away Congress's power to amend, even though he does not know what Obama is negotiating.
[An] extensive argument for balanced trade, and a program to achieve balanced trade is presented in Trading Away Our Future, by Raymond Richman, Howard Richman and Jesse Richman. “A minimum standard for ensuring that trade does benefit all is that trade should be relatively in balance.” [Balanced Trade entry]
Journal of Economic Literature:
[Trading Away Our Future] Examines the costs and benefits of U.S. trade and tax policies. Discusses why trade deficits matter; root of the trade deficit; the “ostrich” and “eagles” attitudes; how to balance trade; taxation of capital gains; the real estate tax; the corporate income tax; solving the low savings problem; how to protect one’s assets; and a program for a strong America....
Atlantic Economic Journal:
In Trading Away Our Future Richman ... advocates the immediate adoption of a set of public policy proposal designed to reduce the trade deficit and increase domestic savings.... the set of public policy proposals is a wake-up call... [February 17, 2009 review by T.H. Cate]