Mad Cow Cover up??

[ivbinconned]

Letter To The Editor
People Being Misled About BSE

Hanna Herald — Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter as a concerned Albertan in regards to the current condition of the cattle business. I feel that the everyday cattle producer needs to be aroused and become more involved in helping to solve this issue. I am frustrated with unscientific assumptions the media, the government and the powers in the cattle business are making with regard to the cause and development of this condition. I am disappointed that there has not been more of a forum regarding the incredible weakness of the prion hypothesis, which at present is the most popular explanation for BSE. For those who are not aware of the prion hypothesis, it basically states that small convoluted proteins somehow take on their own life and destroy the brain tissue of cattle. The suggestion that these protein particles are somehow infectious is very brave since this has never been proven, despite the furious attempts by various governments and pharmaceutical companies. In fact any good quality study has proven the opposite, that there is no contagious aspect of this disease. Medical science has used a group of rules known as Koch’s postulate for proving the existence of an infective agent. All rules of Koch’s postulate must be broken to keep the prion hypothesis on the table. Despite this, the media continues to accept the prion theory and use words such as infected, incubation and contagious when reporting on BSE.
I wouldn’t be near as upset about this subject if I hadn’t been aware of the work of Mark Purdey in England. His work can be viewed on his website www.markpurdey.com. All people in the cattle business must at least familiarize themselves with his research, and his working hypothesis on the cause of BSE. His ideas follow some sort of scientific reason and indeed he has solid evidence to support his hypothesis. Once you become aware of his work you will at least have the tools to open up the forum on this subject and discuss it with the agencies that can help
I would suggest that all media that continues to refer to this as an infectious disease be taken to task until they can produce some shred of evidence that supports this position. If the sources the media cites, whether it is government agencies, cattle commissions or others, continue to maintain the prion theory with the vigour that is currently being maintained, then these groups should also be taken to task until they can produce a thread of evidence that supports their positions. This subject requires much more work before we can accept these wildly speculative inferences that are presently being currently accepted as gospel.
Environmental factors have for too long been covered up as the causative agents in the disease of both humans and livestock. I beg you to educate yourselves, and challenge the dogma that is being propagated presently. I thank you for reading this letter and hope it may enlighten you.
Yours Truly,
Dr. Dave Warwick

[boone]

Excellent topic ivbinconned. There is another excellent essay in the February issue of Alberta Beef Magazine titled madness over mad cow disease. I am very impressed with Alberta Beef magazine for having the guts to print this stuff along with Mark Purdey's theories in last September's issue. Verboven told me, while I shook his hand over the phone, to prepare for even more next month. No doubt in my mind that this infectious crap is bogus. Let's here more, more, more.

[grassfarmer]

I fully agree with the above theories - I've been arguing these since 20th of May and since the mid 90s in the UK when Purdeys theories first came to light.
I am fearfull that it will be difficult to sway world opinion at this point given that Europe has left BSE behind as far as consumers, beef producers and politicians are concerned. To accept Purdeys theory would leave the UK Government and various Chemical manufacturers open to massive lawsuits. Having said that I would love Canada to be the country that does prove once and for all the true causes of BSE and whether in fact there is any link to vCJD. We have some outstanding scientists and thinkers in Alberta so maybe we could pull of the coup?

[cowman]

Two excellent articles in the Feb. issue of "Cattlemen". One by nutrtionalist David Price basically agreeing with Purdys theory. He further states he formulates high copper minerals for the deer/elk population in Colorado to counter CWD.
The other article is about the theory of researcher Frank Bastion that BSE is caused by bacteria. Now I'm no rocket scientist but this theory makes sense to me and answers a lot of the questions that current"gospel" doesn't?
Then if you turn over the pages you get Neil Janke trotting out the "gospel" with a few inaccurate and dumb statements thrown in for good measure!

[cowman]

As far as I can see, this is the only way to stop the madness. All of the displaced anger and blame will never stop if the BSE issue is left up to the uninformed power hungry politicians and the tunnel visioned money hungry
corporate entities looking to, and making a buck from the irrational behavior. I am neither anti American nor anti capitalist but the histeria has led us all into a blame somebody world while the only blame lies in the false nature of the BSE definition.
I would like to suggest the word "condition". BSE is a condition. It is not a disease and is not contagious. I really like grassfarmers idea of having Alberta and our Canadian scientists prove these facts once and for all.
I like the fact that a thrust of this type cannot help but gain support as nothing but common sense drives it.
It is time to take this matter into our own hands. It is time to relentlessly put these articles (Mark Purdey, David Price, etc.) in front of our politicians, our government scientists, our media, and anyone else who will, or will not listen.
This is the way out of this mess. Our current path will only lead to another case of BSE, more useless animal deaths and more irrational trade barriers.

[cowman]

The problem is who will the politicians believe? We have our cattle organizations telling them all theories other than the one they hold to are fantasy or something? The CCA and the ABP have the BSE "gospel" down pat and don't want to consider anything else.
Sort of the attitude "We know the truth and don't try to confuse us with facts!"
And lets face it who should the politicians believe? The guys taking them out to dinner and telling them what fine fellows they are or a bunch of dumbies who do nothing but bitch and whine for money?
I find it funny that our so called "cattle organizations" do everything possible to promote the interests of the large feedlots/packers while doing nothing for the cow/calf producer. A clear example was the total waste of money thanking Canada for eating beef! Who made the money on that beef...the packer! Cargill and IBP should have sent out that postcard, not you and me! And make no mistake here, the feedlots do not pay the checkoff in reality! They pass that cost down to you and me...the cow/calf producer! So by the time that calf gets to the packer we have paid the checkoff two or maybe three times? To promote what?...the packers product!
Another clear example of our cattle organizations complete disregard and contempt for the cow/calf sector was how they downloaded the complete cost of the ID tag onto the cow/calf sector(and liability I might add)! We need a real cattle association for the cow/calf guy instead of the phony ones we have now, who work for IBP and Cargill?

[grassfarmer]

Yes it was interesting last summer cowman in Rimbey where a meeting was held to talk about BSE last summer. Reps of the cattle organisiations, Alberta Ag, Local MP, federal MP and CFIA all attended as well as the local vet. A month later all these guys were invited back to attend the Mark Purdey meeting at the same venue - not one attended which makes it hard to promote this theory on cause of BSE. Why the entire "establishment" is so against listening to this alternative theory baffles me.

[boone]

cowman: now you know what were up against in the genetic wheat department, the chemical reps drink the same brand of scotch and came through the same university indoctination process, so explaining to either of them that our worries have validity is a leap.

[boone]

I guess that we are simply forced into niche markets where we challenge the mainstream by offering the alternative from a personal prospective. I still think it would be nice to have a common approach to exposing the truth about BSE, but if we must be the outcast crew, at least I plan to try to make a buck doing it. Their are a lot of people who like the farm traceback aspect of niche markets, as well as no implants, and little or no medicinal interference. Someday someone with enough clout will say the right words at the right time and all of this BSE BS will start to change direction. Simple common sense will prevail.