US finally finds native case of mad cow!

[whiteface]

I sure agree cswilson that not allowing in Japan meet while we position oursleves to ask them to take ours is hypocritical on a good say and downright shameful on any other day. Aren't we taking American meat AND LIVE CATTLE these days while they refuse ours???!!!! You know that whole ploy a month or so ago where if we relaxed our "science" they would too and then R-calf stepped in? Why are we worshipping them and not Japan? This is going to make us look stupid at best if we don't consider seriously who we want to crawl into bed with and then nurture that relationship rather than acting flaky like the States are famous for.

[whiteface]

No they sure can't afford to lose us cowman and I want our politicians to stand up for our country and demand better treatment for us. I like your sign rpkaiser, and thanks for letting me know he acknowledged you, makes me feel a little more confident in voting for him. I like his platform of our country counting for something in big decisions, that even if we argue we don't have to be arguementive. I want that to mean that he will work to help us achieve some independance as a country while still being able to work with others, on all issues not just BSE.

[rsomer]

Grassfarmer: You will be interested in this story from the BBC, December 7, 1941. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/7/newsid_3494000/3494108.stm

Beginning of Paste: Details of the attack in Hawaii are scarce but initial reports say Japanese bombers and torpedo-carrying planes targeted warships, aircraft and military installations in Pearl Harbor, on Oahu, the principal island of Hawaii.

News of the daring raid has shocked members of Congress at a time when Japanese officials in Washington were still negotiating with US Secretary of State Cordell Hull on lifting US sanctions imposed after continuing Japanese aggression against China. End of paste.

These sanctions revolved around scrap steel. Historians point out the role that steel had in the U.S. not entering the war sooner than they did. Of course Japans bombing of Pearl Harbour forced the Americans hand. The role trade played in World War II is now often overlooked.

[grassfarmer]

More than trade they were looking to take over some more territory though - much the same as the Germans at the same time. They kind of thought the world needed a bit more of their domination.

[BWC]

The history report is very interesting , but I fail to see what in the *%$# it has to to with improving our situation as producers. Don't get me wrong history and knowledge are important, but I think that is a part of our problem at every level one group goes one way and another goes a different way , and then someone in the middle, stands up and provides a total distraction to the situation at hand. The important chronology with the Japanese is that we reproted a case of BSE on May 20/2003, they wanted to be a part of walking us thru the first steps of CFIA investigations... we sent them packing, on top of keeeping the gates closed to their insignificant few tonnes of tested safe beef, and on top of that the North American industry tells them they are unreasonable. Now if I were a Japanese official I might just have a jaded view of this situation too. Way too much emphasis is being put on the Japanese market there are other countries in the Pacific Rim, maybe some talk with these countries would bear fruit. My apologies for the rant but all of us seem to get caught up in meaningless disractions , if we do not work together towards common goals for the beef industry, the fanily farm will disappear, yours , mine and everyone elses. Personal survival is most certainly the number 1 goal in everyones mind right now, but we are all all in the same boat let's start talking about positive solutions, rather than history lessons.

[grassfarmer]

BWC , sorry if my postings offend you by not being relevant but sometimes points are raised in a thread that seem factually incorrect to me as was the case here with rsomer. I think it is my right to respond to these if I want to - bottom line as you will discover once you visit this site more often is that many "side issues" are raised and discussed and that is good as it relieves the tension we are all feeling at the moment. You needn't tell me to focus on the BSE issue, I dealt with that for 14 years in the UK before moving here and believe me after a while you realise you need occasional distractions.

[rsomer]

I am glad BWC found the history lesson interesting. Before we can improve our situation we need to understand it. And grassfarmer, if you notice I have raised a point that appears factually incorrect feel free to point it out. The U.S. involvement in WWII is a matter of considerable debate and there are differing points of view on all sides. There was lots of factors involved in WWII, just like there are lots of factors involved in the U.S. invading Iraq. Some of those factors are truth and some are made up to drum up public support for the war. Hard sometimes to separate fact from fiction. For certain, since WWII the world has put in place mechanisms to regulate international trade which is a much better way to solve these kinds of disputes.

Once politics got involved in our BSE crisis a solution was made more difficult to find. Japan certainly was part of our problem right from the start. They were raising issues with the U.S. importing our beef immediately. Canada acted no differently towards Japan than the U.S. did yet Japan is dealing with the U.S. in a different manner than they are with Canada. Obviously, there is more involved here than simply beef, there is the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Canada not sending troops while Japan did for starters. If we do not understand the issues we cannot see the solutions. I think there is more involved in opening the Asian market to Canadian beef than just testing. North Korea is certainly part of the equation.

[rsomer]

One thing we all know about rsomer is that his war against the idea of testing will never stop. I cannot for the life of me understand his personal need to add a quip to every post.

I only hope that you receive personal satisfaction in your words rsomer, because if you would look once at the big picture, you would actually see no harm whatsoever in testing beef. What is it that you hope to accomplish by finding negatives every day?

[BWC]

Point well taken grassfarmer, it was'nt the fact that we can't use a distraction from our situation that bothers me as much as the fact that those who believe the only answer to this situation is an open border, seem to be masters at leading those that believe there could be other solutions, off in a completely different direction, frustates the #%*& out of me. I too would like to see an open border, but the way things are coming down it seems more unlikely every day. Without plan B this game is over. I am also of the belief that there has been more talk and movement in this crisis in the last 4-5 weeks since a few producers stood up and questioned what the powers to be were really accomplishing, than there has been in the previous year.
Your comments on history do not offend me in any way, and I am not easily offended anyway, but I hope you see my point, that it seems that when some of our industry leaders are questioned on what they are doing, they have become masters of deflection.
My apologies in advance for stepping on your toes or anyone elses. Discussion in its self is healthy.

[grassfarmer]

Point taken BWC, rsomer maybe tries to lead me off the true path with his thought provoking distractions but I'm not fooled. I'm actively working for the BIG-C cause and we will suceed despite the nay sayers!