In the midst of chaos in Washington, it took more than a week of government shutdown for me to find something to be grateful to the Republicans for. It’s a short list, but not an insignificant one.

1) Keeping Obama from attending the TPP negotiations. Because of the continuing resolution and debt ceiling disputes, the president opted not to go to the APAC summit in Bali to join in advancing negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership, a “trade agreement” he has been promoting as a great opportunity for the U.S. economy. I put “trade agreement” in quotes because, as always, these pacts are not so much about trade as about investor’s rights. Like the Multilateral Agreement on Investments (MAI), NAFTA, and other similar instruments, the TPP would establish rules and requirements that would supersede those of national governments. That means environmental, food safety, labor, and a host of other regulations could be overridden in what would amount to a race to the bottom in pursuit of unfettered corporate-driven capitalism.

Candidate Obama promised to depart from this approach to trade and investment during his 2008 campaign, but he has since pulled a 180, very much like he has adopted the foreign policy portfolio of the 2006-08 Bush Administration. I think this is just a reflection of the permanent state of imperial governance that persists through administrations of both parties. This level of consistency is no accident. So, hey … thank you John Boehner for throwing a monkey-wrench into their efforts towards negotiating the TPP in secret and ramming it through Congress (on a fast track, with no amendments allowed). This sucker needs to be stopped. (Learn about it on the Public Citizen trade watch site.)

2) Historic lows in G.O.P. popularity. A recent Wall Street Journal / NBC poll showed the Republicans have driven their party to a new low in favorability ratings, boding ill for their fortunes in the coming election cycle. This is the sort of thing only self-inflicted wounds can achieve, so again, John Boehner, I thank you.

That’s all I’ve got, aside from some hilarious public statements that have come out of this. Given the amount of suffering they are causing amongst the poor, the unwell, the unemployed, etc., it’s useful to have something to smile about, however briefly.

luv u,

jp