Bush War on Roquefort Raises a Stink in France – washingtonpost.com — Let me summarize. We have a cattle industry pumping up animals with hormones and anti-biotics and all sorts of things not allowed in the EU where they have some respect for the food supply. The EU bans our beef. So we screw over the farmers who make this delicious and specialized cheese. Pathetic. Of course now the French are thinking of dropping a huge tariff on Coca-Cola.
In its final days, the Bush administration imposed a 300 percent duty on Roquefort, in effect closing off the U.S. market. Americans, it declared, will no longer get to taste the creamy concoction that, in its authentic, most glorious form, comes with an odor of wet sheep and veins of blue mold that go perfectly with rye bread and coarse red wine.
The measure, announced Jan. 13 by U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab as she headed out the door, was designed as retaliation for a European Union ban on imports of U.S. beef containing hormones.
40,
Negative? Moi?
No. Irradiated ecoli are not more “protein”. It’s more shit. But, if you like shit on your meat, you’re golden. Cause you’re getting it. Now, consumers should always be given the “choice” as to what you want to buy. But the corps like ConAgra and Monsanto make sure that the consumer doesn’t HAVE that choice.
And the law should be changed. There are many laws that should be changed. Unfortunately, in the US, the government is run by the corps.
Methinks you’re feeling too sensitive today. Honestly, this is a web site with dummies clacking away at keyboards, myself included…. As XKCD said… “Someone is wrong on the Internet!”
I could care less about this particular issue.
“November 25, 2008 Restricted documents seen by The Daily Telegraph, show Paris will demand subsidies to French farmers are protected before agreeing to allow global free trade talks to take place next month.”
http://truthabouttrade.org/content/view/12876/54/
#37, the producer should be responsible to prove their technique / product is safe.
Agreed. At one time there were private entities that inspected beef — specifically to satisfy foreign countries who were screaming about America quarantining imported animals due to disease.
Meat Inspection Act 1891
The Act required inspection of beef that was shipped interstate – reassuring consumers (foreign and domestic) that beef was safe.
The Act raised relative costs of large meatpackers because the small within state
butchers and slaughterhouses not affected.
The bill was aimed at the large meatpackers:
1. ranchers alleged that meatpackers had
market power because cattle prices had been falling;
2. butchers alleged that the
meatpackers shipped diseased beef.
There is no evidence that meatpackers had market power but prices were falling. On
the diseased beef issue: economic logic would suggest that meatpackers would not
use diseased beef because it would ruin their site-specific investments. There is also
no secondary evidence, e.g. newspaper accounts, indicating that the people were
getting food poisoning.
Like the Sherman Act the motivation for the Meat Inspection Act appears to have
been to help cattle ranchers, farmers, who raised cattle for markets, and butchers
rather than being an act to protect consumers. Consumers seldom clamor for legislation when prices are falling which was the case for beef during the 1880s.
The Federal Government took over the inspection process because the meatpackers claimed it was too expensive to hire the (cottage) industry of meat inspectors that popped up due to the legislation. “You’re making us inspect this stuff. You do it or we’ll go out of business.”
Socialize the costs, privatize the profits.
#34 Paddy-O
“I could care less about this particular issue.”
The phrase is …
“I could NOT care less …”
If you could care less, it implies that you care at least some.
Sorry … pet peeve.
/T.
#42, Cow-Paddy,
I could care less about this particular issue.
Then do us all a favor and STFU.
# 45 Mr. Fusion said, “Then do us all a favor and STFU.”
Still a little miffed at being owned on the Blago thread I see.
Remember, I told you a while ago about your rabies vaccination being overdue….
#43, LL,
Actually there was considerable newspaper as well as Congressional concern about meat packing.
BTW, Upton Sinclair is widely regarded as the impetus for the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. His book, The Jungle was actually a fiction novel but upset so many people they reacted with speed that was only surpassed when Congress declared war on Japan. I guess the truth takes a little longer than fiction.
#19 QB
I was just echoing the claims by liberals with regards to taxes. That behavior doesn’t change based on taxes, and therefore lower taxes doesn’t yield economic growth.
#46, Cow-Paddy,
Still irrelevant.
I see your picture is now making the rounds. Geeze, you’re a handsome fella.
#47, Fusion,
The uproar you speak up didn’t happen for another 10+ years and that was due only to Sinclair’s book.
And I am not sure you can credit a self-proclaimed socialist with giving an unbiased report that would negate the need for government oversight.
That would be like asking Rush for his opinion on government sponsored health care.
50,
Government sponsored health care? Why, that’s the language of the devil! Or, more appropriately, the civilized.
# 51 Named said, “Government sponsored health care?”
I don’t know of any country where the Gov’t pays for health care.
#52, Cow-Paddy,
I don’t know of any country where the Gov’t pays for health care.
Then you don’t know very much do you. Even in the United States we pay taxes that are used for Medicare and Medicaid, Veterans Health Care, and Federal Employees Health Plans.
PLUS, every other Western nation pays for their citizen’s health care.
Don’t you ever get tired of being the fool?
# 53 Mr. Fusion said, “Then you don’t know very much do you. ”
Actually, I do. The government doesn’t pay. The citizens do. The gov’t just takes from their pockets as the middle man.
There. Maybe, you just learned something about economics, for a change..