Lift beef ban, U.S. pleads . . World urged to reopen borders quickly

[ConcernedCanuk]

.
.
. I don't believe this !

USA still bans most of our Canadian beef, and OUR "mad cow" didn't get fed to anyone !!

Lift beef ban, U.S. pleads

World urged to reopen borders quickly after mad cow case
Stance contrasts with treatment of Canada, other countries

WASHINGTON—The United States wants the world to start buying its beef again, after discovery of its first case of mad cow in late December, an uncommonly quick resumption of trade for nations wary of the disease.

Two dozen countries have banned U.S. beef because of mad cow, pushing cattle prices down by nearly 20 per cent. Ordinarily, 10 per cent of American beef is sold overseas. The exports are worth $3.2 billion (U.S.) a year.

/snip/


In August, the United States announced an easing of restrictions, saying boneless beef from cattle under 30 months would be accepted, along with boneless veal from calves, cattle livers and pet products. Still pending is an American decision whether to allow import of cattle from Canada, which used to ship 1 million head a year for slaughter at U.S. plants.



Don't think the rest of the world hasn't noticed the inconsistency.

B'sides, the USA hasn't been actually cultivating friends around the world lately

And it's credibility hasta be close to ZIP by now !

[RC]

1. Yeah, but..., but..., but...

Our Mad Cow ain't as bad as your's, don't cha know?

[mouse7]

10. It's not Mad Cow we swear.

The cow is just a little upset.

[zbird]

2. The arrogance and hypocrisy knows no bounds!

I would say I am speechless, but in all honesty, I am not surprised that the Bushistas don't see anything wrong with this demand. A New American Century, don't ya know.

[annagull]

3. They are begging now

Once the holiday is over, those numbers are going to start to hit Wall St. Have you noticed how cheap beef is in the grocery store now, and how much chicken is? I was going to buy 3 chicken breasts yesterday until I saw it was 9 dollars!!

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. oh - for those that are switching to chicken, beware of "skinless" cuts

.
.
. Saw a documentary on our Canuk TV re butchers re-dating/ repackaging food. The show was most enlightening / disturbing.

Besides the obvious, we all know that the meat is a different color on the underside when we take it out of the package. Yes, they use chemicals to "color" the visible side.

Main point, re "skinless" chicken.

If anyone has kept unfrozen chicken in their fridge for too long, they notice that it is the SKIN that goes bad first, especially because there is all that fat underneath the skin - -

Well, hmm guess what they found stores doing in that case ? hmmm hmmm ?

Obvious silly, - ya take off the skin, wash it up real nice, then repackage it and RAISE THE PRICE !!

Never bought skinless bird again.

If I want skinless, I'll do it myself at home thank you very much !!

[54anickel]

11. Oh YUK! Bet those nice instant froze packages of yardbird boobs

are from the yukie looking ones they couldn't sell as roasters.
:puke:

[DemoTex]

4. Puh-leeze lift the beef ban! Puh-leeze!

At least until 11/2/2004. It looks bad for the Mad Cowboy.

On edit: This is a story of Shakespearean dimensions. Bu$h, again, has been "hoist by his own petard."

[54anickel]

5. Buy our beef, or we'll bomb you with those rump roasts!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. nightmare after nightmare...hey george..don't you get it yet? you are

illegitimate....and the world will never resopect you nor your policies!...from day 1 yoou have condemned america because you stole the election....stupid man!

[sushi]

8. Even if * manages

to lean on foreign governments that have banned US beef to cancel the ban they can't force people to eat it. Maybe * can send troops to stuff the beef down the foreigners' throats.

[twilight]

9. I don't think everyone here in the USA is eating it!

Was in Safeway the other day and this guy was buying a package of bacon. We both eyed each other nervously.

I then went to the local health food store and they sell what is said to be free-range locally raised beef and no one was buying any of that either.

This whole thing is going to be the beginning of the end of * and his numerous failed policies. The main difference is that this one will affect everything from farmers to consumers right here in the USA!

Japan vows not to lift their ban for 7 years!

I think * has a REAL NIGHTMARE on his greedy little hands!

:dem: :kick:

[Gin]

12. we (the taxpayers) will bail out the farmers.....not to worry....

whenever something bad happens...we pay for it one way or another.

[theshadow]

18. I can almost hear...

those farm subsidy checks being cashed. You're absolutely right... we'll be told that we have to "support our family farms" when the bulk of the money will go to the "big boys" (especially the ones in Texas).

[Deege]

13. I'll never eat beef again

The Bush thugs demonstrate over and over that they are only concerned with big business and don't care one twit about protecting the health and safety of the citizens of this country. It is my hope that other countries tell the Bushies to shove it. The repukes have sided with beef industry and just several weeks ago defeated a measure that would have made testing of downer cows mandatory. According to the USDA's own survey this year found that 35 percent of beef product samples tested in 2002 contained "unacceptable nervous tissues.

Yet they stand there and tell consumer that the beef is safe. The don't say anything about the fact that bovine spinal cord and brain waste is fed to pigs and chickens and then their nervous tissue waste is fed back to cattle. We are not told that calves are regularly fed bovine blood as a protein supplement. In countries, like Canada, downer cows are never added to the food supply. Here, even the cow that tested positive was sent into the food supply.

We're told there's no danger in eating the muscle of diseased animals, however a researcher in Switzerland found concentrations of prions (the disease agent that causes BSE) in the muscle tissue of humans who were autopsied after dying from the human from of the disease. The beef industry will lie, twist facts, and hide information in the hope that consumers will blindly go on buying their product and make them wealthier. They play roulette with our safety and then ask us to trust them. It's time to use our consumer power to send the message if you choose your pocket over human safety we'll speak with our pocket too and leave your product rotting on the shelf.

[cliss]

14. tsk tsk (shakes head)

I'm not sure that 'inconsistent' describes it. Maybe 'hysterical', or 'groveling/aggressive'. On the one hand, they do not hesitate to stomp on anyone who pisses them off (like Canada), and yet they have no problem pulling out the crying towel when it comes to people who are not doing what they want (i.e., 30 countries who have now banned beef imports).

Acting like complete lunatics.

The bottom line is, these people have forgotten what the word TRADE means. Trade is where you engage in mutually beneficial trade of goods and services, which benefits both parties. There is never any coercion.

It would not surprise me if we threaten to bomb the countries who have banned our beef.

[depakid]

15. Veneman's quote says it all-

"Our goal is to see trade resume as quickly as possible," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said earlier this week.

The USDA is only interested in promoting beef- safety is an afterthought that only concerns them when people die of food poisoning or when the industry's corrupt and egregious practices come to light and become public knowledge. It's all a marketing game- and likely soon to be a strongarm game. It would be nice to see other coutries stand up to the US- and NOT touch any American beef imports until the US institutes responsible safety procedures that are on par with their own. That would be a win/win situation for everyone in the long term.

Fat chance of that happening in the Bush administration, though.

[54anickel]

16. Check out this article discussing "sacrifice" of the infected cattle

Reads to me like this is more if a jesture to promote "safe feelings" among consumers. Does not actually address the issue though does it.

Thought the term sacrifice instead of destroyed was an interesting spin on words.

The cattle producers offering a sacrifice to their god, the almightly buck of the comsumer.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20040102_809.html

[depakid]

17. That short article used the term "sacrifice" 3 times!

You don't get the feeling that they're trying to instill a meme, do you?

[54anickel]

20. The Corporateers are in the final design phase of the altar now....

I envision a huge slab of marble, large enough to hold a middle class family of 5, with a big golden disc suspended above that has
$$$ P/E $$$ embossed on it.
They test it out with this first herd of cattle before they start monthly offerings of middle class faimlies.
:evilgrin:

[Q3JR4]

19. Yet another reason

we should all pick up and move to Canada.

:bounce:

[impeach the gop]

21. LOL

Now look who has whom by the (was gonna say balls, but smirk inc got none,) throat? lol


We seem to be without the leverage to control the world we've been so fucking arrogant and demanding of.

Nice to see this power shift at last. Pay back time. And damn well deserved.

They don't want regulations, cool. But nobody wants are deadly products either. And the cattle Barron's and the factory farms will maybe crash and burn and the family farmers can take back their lives and feed us, and be paid for their hard work. I trust mom and pop. I don't trust some factory farm since money comes at expense of public safety. Yes!!! I feel a revolution coming. Slowly, but it's catching on.

And they blame Canada, Clinton, and whoever they want. They have no credibility whatsoever. Heard we won't be checking all beef. So they aren't even interested in safety. They will say and push how they are really on top of this shit, but we know it's pr, and it ain't truth.

Yes, it's payback time

[impeach the gop]

22. Just thought of something else too

Didn't we pass or soon will pass something to where smirk doesn't want point of origin to be put on products? The way to cover up and not be able to trace bad products and keep coroprate pockets safe from accountability or bad press?

We should keep that from happening. Or repeal if its already in place. But with our record as liars and cheats, people already got red flags up with our dirty tricks. May not even have to worry bout Nafta, they may kick us out for our world's most unfavored nation status. China even got the most favored. Ironic! Yes Virgina, there is a Santa Claus.