US finally finds native case of mad cow!

[rsomer]

I would say that BSE IS POLITICAL MADNESS is much better.

My only personal crusade is to see our family’s farm survive this BSE crisis and that there is a good future in farming for my children if they want it.

I believe you have read more into my comments than what was there. I do not take exception to be called pigheaded as it is necessary to be a somewhat resolute and determined character to farm in this part of the world where nature is even more difficult to deal with than the Americans. Now if you had called me a pigheaded redneck you’d be pretty close to the truth. :--)

Have fun at your meeting with Stephen Harper.

[kato]

How about "TAKE THE BS OUT OF BSE"? LOL

Whatever you put on the sign, hold it high and make 'em see it!

Smile for the camera.. we'll be watching for you!

Oops.. that should be GRRRR for the camera. It's a better photo op.

[15444]

Hmmmm....'TAKE THE BS OUT OF BSE'...I think I saw a picture of somebody with that same sign in the Winnipeg Free Press, during the Convention, Kato. Nevertheless, it is very true indeed.

[15444]

Stood 6 feet in front of Harper as he read my sign. Looked me in the eye and nodded.
BSE IS POLITICAL MADNESS
OUR BEEF IS SAFE
LET US TEST AND PROOVE IT

I am sure we will see an end to all of this madness the day after tommorrow.LOL
Thanks for the help rsomer, as always I feed off your defiance.

http://www.leiss.ca/bse/157
Thought this article might be of interest to you rsomer, it is a bit dated but still carries a very good message.
http://www.rense.com/general49/cheap.htm
Here is another one. Personally I don't like the talk about vCJD, but the rest of it makes some sense.

Happy reading everyone.

[kato]

Good going rpkaiser. I bet you got him scared real good! (I wish! LOL) Hope he remembers it later.

Yup, I saw that sign at Winnipeg, too, and it was my favourite one. Credit goes to the person who made it, but I'm not sure who it was.

The one that said "We feed politicians too" was a good one too.

[gwf]

When we talked this morning, you said you were going have a sign for Harper. Doesn't it make you feel a lot better when you have the opportunity, and are able to follow through with your gut feelings? You were holding that sign for a whole lot of other folks as well.

[cswilson]

RPKAISER you may have some good ideas but if anyone who posts the least little resistance to you is a pigheaded dork maybe you should take a big old helping of maturity medicine-stop the name calling most of us left that crap back in the playground-I assume your a fairly intelligent human being maybe try acting like one.

[cowman]

How about a sign:
GIVE ME THE FREEDOM TO TEST
It is very obvious the "powers that be" don't want any real testing? And they definitely don't want testing that might rock their crooked little deal?
The thing I am trying to point out here is a fundamental right we should all be concerned with...which is our right to protect our property and to realize the net value of that property?
If Joe Cowboy doesn't want to test his cattle then that is okay, too? But if I want to, who took away my right to do so? I really can't remember signing away my rights...
Our government has really dropped the ball on this one. And they are so incompetent that they aren't going to be able to get it fixed. All a person can hope for is they get the hell out of the way and let the beef producers do what they have to do, to survive?
If they won't do that, then we really have to ask ourselves, who are they really working for?
Unfortunately all our current political parties are a bunch of plodders? We need a new party with a leader of vision and integrity. Also unfortunately everytime we've tried that the "establishment" crushes them like bugs! The people who really control things don't want a fair deal for all...they want to continue raping and pillaging at will!

[rsomer]

Cowman: About the right to test. The argument is made that if a business such as Creekstone or a packer in Canada wants to test why not let them? You and others point out here is a fundamental right we should all be concerned with...which is our right to protect our property and to realize the net value of that property? Why shouldn’t commerce decide the international rules on trade?

As long as we expect our governments to defend our country then government will have a role to play in international trade. There have been more wars fought over trade than there ever has been over territory. Have we all forgotten in 1941 the U.S. imposed a trade embargo on Japan that on December 7, 1941 resulted in Japan attacking Pearl Harbour? Does anyone doubt the U.S. involvement in Iraq does not center around trade in oil?
When trade does take place and it is disrupted for some reason, who does business turn to for solutions, they turn to government.

Government does have a role to play. Now there is a point to be made that our government has not done enough to protect our access to our markets and that the international rules do not provide mechanisms for solving disputes that work fast enough to protect producers of perishable products. Yet two wrongs do not make a right. We all know that Japan is being unreasonable in their demands. And for that matter we all know that the U.S. is being unreasonable in continuing to delay the opening of the border to our live cattle.

It is possible to say that the answer lies within business to meet those challenges and test beef for Japan and build more packing plants in Canada. But your comments in other threads point out that without a proper regulatory environment provided by government the ability of a new business to meet those challenges within Canada by building packing plants is limited. Left alone business could meet Japan’s demands but our nations producers are still left vulnerable to whatever unreasonable protectionist trade actions that Japan put in place next. The role of protecting the nations citizens and providing a business environment that allows commerce to take place in a manner that is fair to all falls to governments. That role has not changed because of BSE.

[kato]

Absolutely, that is the role of government.

The big question is, does our government fulfill it's role?

[kato]

cswilson - I am sorry for my reactionary name calling. I'm as redneck as the next guy and should take a bit of time after reading some of rsomers BS before posting my own.

Yes rsomer, it is policy change that is needed. Major policy change. The fact that Canada is telling the Japanese to make an excetion for Canadian Beef while upholding our own rules to keep their "tainted beef" out is ludacrous.
If testing is to be allowed, of course it will need to be legislated. And to ever get close to that point it needs to be a raised through a democratic process. I have appreciated your arguements all along, but sooner or later your words could change a bit to help this call for freedom.

[grassfarmer]

C'mon rsomer, that gave me a chuckle! The fact that Pearl Harbour happened because the US put a trade embargo on the Japanese? The Japanese must have been trying some major trade expansions around then when they similarily "fell out" with Burma, Thailand, Viet Nam and the rest of the far east and had their eyes set on Australia and India as well.

[cswilson]

Was talking to a brand inspector and he told me that alot of the smaller abbatoirs could be slaughtering for resale but there aren't enough meat inspectors to go around-everything is in place just nobody to do carcass inspections-maybe the gov. could address that issue. Also RP the fact that we aren't allowing Japanese beef in while begging at their door is patently absurd-I don't blame them for blocking our access. Guess I'll see everybody at Saskatoon on Wednesday.

[cswilson]

Was talking to a brand inspector and he told me that alot of the smaller abbatoirs could be slaughtering for resale but there aren't enough meat inspectors to go around-everything is in place just nobody to do carcass inspections-maybe the gov. could address that issue. Also RP the fact that we aren't allowing Japanese beef in while begging at their door is patently absurd-I don't blame them for blocking our access. Guess I'll see everybody at Saskatoon on Wednesday.

[cowman]

The fact is the federal government has not protected our interests? What have they done? Have they filed a suit against the USA under NAFTA or any other trade organizations? Now I might be just a dumbie but I suspect they could have done a lot more?
How come the US can do outrageous things like the corn deal two years ago and our useless bunch of bums in Ottawa do nothing? If the shoe was on the other foot the US would have had the darned tariffs up the next day...and if they lost a year later who would care?
We are a mouse sleeping with the elephant! That does not mean we are powerless! We have things the elephant needs...and I'm not necessarily talking about raw materials!
How about this fact: Other than the UK, we are about the only nation in the world that doesn't hate their guts? Maybe we need to start playing a little hard ball with Uncle Sam? Can America afford to lose its only friend in the world?