US Congress Approves M-COOL

[WilIow-Kreek]

My nephew returned from Afghanistan a few weeks ago.He was raised by my brother and his wife a half mile down the road from my house.
When I finally had a chance to visit with him the first thing he told me about his tour was that his life had been saved by a Canadian sniper team when he and his squad were in a very tight spot.
I know many of you won't care what I say on this thread but I will say it anyway..Thank You for what your military is doing.Obviously Willowcreek is being very shortsighted but I can honestly say now that I view Canada in a very different light.
I will never support R-calf in the future.If your soldiers can risk their lives alongside ours then I think I can compete with you as friends in the beef buisness.THANK YOU CANADA.

[smcgrath76]

WK - First let me say I am glad your nephew is back and alive. Military service is a big sacrifice and I am sure those on the ground don't always make the policy or the decisions that put them in harms way.

COOL - I think this does create some niche opportunities for Canadian producers however I don't think that works for every animal in this country. I agree with FS that COOL is basically just an extra cost structure to industry. I hope that US producers have determined all the costs to themselves. I suspect that those down the chain will not bear the brunt of the costs.

COOL is a pretty good way to ratchet up a national ID requirement stateside.

I think isolationism may come back to bite the US on the hind end. It can't work both ways. Consumers can't drive Honda cars running on Canadian oil and watch Toshiba televisions all the while failing to allow freer trade in agricultural commodities.

I really struggle to see where US trade policy is going. Ambivalent or hypocritical are two words that come to mind. Kind of makes me think of a society in senescence.

[Willowcreek]

"But should any nation, contrary to our wishes, suppose it may better find its advantage by continuing its system of prohibitions, duties and regulations, it behooves us to protect our citizens, their commerce and navigation, by counter prohibitions, duties and regulations, also. Free commerce and navigation are not to be given in exchange for restrictions and vexations; nor are they likely to produce a relaxation of them. " Thomas Jefferson

Canadians don't (or don't want to) remember that they were the ones that first set a NAFTA precedent on using health restrictions as a trade barrier to protect their cattlemen when they came out with their "ALL US CATTLE ARE DISEASED"... And then continued the barrier for over 10 years, even tho it was proven to be a facade...

But now when the teat got in the wringer and the US cattlemen countered-want to say it is and always has been just one big North American Herd-- and one big happy family... LOL

[kato]

WilIow-Kreek, thank you for your comment. I'm glad he got home OK.