Another one bites the dust!

[cowman]

Willowcreek: Despite the fact that many label me a Cargill/Tyson lover on here I am not a happy camper with how things have turned out up here!
Make no mistake, the Alberta government of the day did everything in its power to bring in the big boys and squeeze out the existing packers. I think it was an ideology thing, although there were always rumors that Premier Lougheed benifitted in a big way from the IBP takeover of Lakeside packers!
Unfortunately this is what we have to live with today, and rather than beat our heads against the wall and chase pipe dreams we need to deal with reality?
I don't really blame the American rancher for trying to protect his market. I do object to some of the tactics used though?
Before 1994 and the death of the CROW rate Canada was a net importer of beef. American insistence that we kill the CROW was what drove the Canadian farmer into livestock production. It was the only solution to survive as we are hamstrung from processing grain by our state controlled monopoly(CWB)that discouraged any type of value adding...you would think we live in the old Soviet Union!
For the first time in over thirty years we finally have a federal government in place that is trying to make some meaningful changes. To stand up for the western farmer and western businessman!
It might all be a waste of time though as the urban heartland is more interested in keeping the status quo where all wealth heads east!
Keep your eyes and ears open, if the Harper government fails we might be "Americans" sooner than later!

[Willowcreek]

cowman-quote "Keep your eyes and ears open, if the Harper government fails we might be "Americans" sooner than later!"

Well- I already know the words to God Save the Queen- never did learn this new O'Canada...Maybe they'll combine them all together for the new North American Union...Tho the way things are going they'll make us sing them in Spanish...LOL

[farmers_son]

There is a difference between economic cooperation and political union. You are no less an American if you can realize the benefits of cooperating with Canadian producers in areas of mutual benefit. We do have a common problem of packer control over our industries and unfair pricing of our live cattle. American producers can never benefit over the long term by pursing domestic and international policies that drive down the price of live cattle in Canada. And vice versa. It is in our best interest to see live cattle prices strong in the United States. When American producer is pitted against Canadian producer the packers are the only winner. Americans can still be Americans and cooperate with others for everyone's mutual benefit.

[Willowcreek]

farmers son--"There is a difference between economic cooperation and political union. You are no less an American if you can realize the benefits of cooperating with Canadian producers in areas of mutual benefit."

Well farmers son it appears to me like they are driving thru a political union- possibly even tighter than the EU...One currency, one set of laws, one police force, one ID card and D/L, one border/defense security plan-- to me that is political union and is giving up too much power for just the mutual benefits of the corporate world...

[silverback]

Did we not just limit the amount of imported beef into Canada??

Are we not allowing all cattle into Canada from the US?? Limitations?

[WilIow-Kreek]

What you pot smoking socialists keep forgeting is that YOU need us.Not the other way around.It's not enough that we protect the free world;we are supposed to be the dumping ground for all the inferior products these little countries want to send us.

[spudchucker]

Willow-Kreek
Would you like us to stop "dumping" our oil down there?

[coppertop]

good one spud !!! There are still a good number of people who felt that we should have turned off the tap the day the border was slammed shut .

I really doubt that WillowKreek, Willowcreek or willow bush for that matter speak for the average american anyway. Likely their only soap box is this site....

[smcgrath76]

I am in the middle of an interesting read at the moment.
http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/endofpoverty/
The End of Poverty seems to be a pretty well laid out book to this point (3/4 of the way through). I would suggest that some of our R-calfers might find it an interesting read. It may upset some of the entrenched trade (or no trade) positions that are being set out.
There are some interesting parallels in history for what is occuring right now.
Basically the gist is that trade opens up possibilities for wealth. There are several good examples in the book of situations that were made incredibly dire for whole populations by the failure to work on being open traders. The book outlines several cases where entire nations have fallen behind the world based on closed trade. The result has been severe poverty and massive struggle in several parts of the world.
WC and WK take a look.

[Willowcreek]

"To Achieve World Government it is necessary to remove from the minds of men their individualism, their loyalty to family traditions, and national identification"
Brock Chisholm,
Director, World Health Organization

"The nation state is a relic of the past...what I'm trying to do is promote a process of reorganization of the world."
Bill Clinton

smcgrath 76--Heres an interesting article you may want to read:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_kent_wel_070110_laboratory_of_nation.htm

And here is a Lou Dobbs (CNN) newspiece you may want to watch....

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2007/090107NWO.htm