Ok, lets play you scratch my back, I scratch yours.

[15444]

Just watching Global News (from Winnipeg). Apparently the US is getting frantic about getting more flu vaccine down there as the southern states are starting to press on the government for more vaccine. Well, I guess a few people were mentioning to Paul Celluci (US Ambassador to Canada) that if they open the border to cattle, we'll ship the vaccine to them.

Global News showed a clip of Celluci weighing the pros and cons of opening the border to cattle or getting no vaccine, in which he said, 'the potential of someone dying of BSE from Canadian beef is probably about 1 or 2 people. This is no where as bad as the thousands that could die from the flu.'

I was hoping for this. Damn government of ours wants to give it to them at a price. Lets play hard ball. Give it to them for free, but open the border, to at least under 30 month cattle, in the process.

[15444]

Haha, or even better, for every dose of vaccine we send south, we also get to send one animal for slaughter. Apparently Canada has a little over 1 million doses that it could send. I would say that would bring cattle prices up a bit.

[canuck]

Hope this isn't just one more instance where we end up being the nice guy helping them out while they treat us like crap.If this can be a bargaining chip then play it.If they don't like it then get the vaccine somewhere else.

[cowman]

Well I'm not so sure our government should do that! However they could use the vaccine issue to try to secure a better deal for our drugs going into the US? It seems American protectionism is in full force everywhere and Bush and company are doing everything in their power to keep Canadian drugs off the American market?
How come the USA has got so uptight about keeping all our stuff out of their country? They don't seem to care if every other old third world country sends them things?
We are their biggest trading partner, probably about the only country in the world that doesn't hate their guts, and are in reality one people....and they treat us like this?
Look at the hog business right now? Why do they bring these silly trade tariffs up? They know darned well the Canadian hog producer isn't getting subsidized! And yet they continue to stir the pot. Do they have some kind of collective desire for everyone in the world to hate them? Haven't they got enough enemies without doing everything in their power to get some more?

[Donna59]

Sorry guys too late, our good old Saskatchewan NDP Gov. has already given flu vacines to the the Americans! The article is in today's Leader Post.

http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/news/story.html?id=04ec9429-f647-493a-bd85-2443fc28f7d2

if that doesn't work go to

www.leaderpost.com

[bnyoung]

Yup, we'll be nice like always, send them our vaccine, and yes they'll crap on us. Just like they crap on anyone who doesn't bend over backwards and kiss their behinds.

[farmers_son]

Is it so bad to give vaccine to the Americans. I don't think so. This isn't a trade issue or about the U.S. attacking Iraq or whoever. Sometimes you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I am sure unhappy with a lot of American trade and foreign policy but when it comes to people, our neighbours to the south are good people who need some vaccine. As long as Bush or Kerry don't get a shot I don't have any problem with us helping our American neighbours with an internal problem. We sent people down to help with 911, we sent people down in 2002 and 2003 to help with their forest fires and we can help this time too. If we are helping the American people I am for it even if I am not for the American government and a lot of its policies.

[cowman]

I have to agree with you on that one farmers son. It might also be helpful to send a drug price list with every order!
Personally I doubt if a flu shot does you one iota of good, but if they think it works then let them have it.

[Muttley]

Let them have all the flu shots they need as long as Canadians do not go with out.
Saying no to Americains will not help our beef at all, only tick off the population of Americains that don't even realize the border is closed.
If the Americain people need something from us let them come and get it flu shots or whatever.
The Americains are starting to head up here for geese as well, I say come on up. They will also be coming for many fall agriculture shows and I welcome them. They are not politicians they are people and they will spend many dollars up here. Lodging, meals, shopping, travel, etc.

[greybeard]

Muttey: They are not politicians they are people and they will spend many dollars up here. Lodging, meals, shopping, travel, etc.
Right on Muttley.They are also the ones eating the boxed beef Cargill and Tyson are shipping. They are still our biggest supporters. I am starting to wonder how the packers got the border open to box beef so quickly, and if they had that mutch influence then,what are they saying now?
We need someone with power to lobby for us.