US Battle Worldwide Fallout from Mad Cow Disease

[GCP]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20031224/ts_nm/food_disease_madcow_dc

Top Stories - Reuters

U.S. Battles Worldwide Fallout from Mad Cow Case
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By Randy Fabi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States battled the fallout on Wednesday from its first case of mad cow disease as the world's leading importers slapped bans on American beef and nervous investors punished fast-food giant McDonald's.


In a huge blow for the $27 billion U.S. cattle industry, Japan and South Korea (news - web sites), the top two buyers of U.S. beef, swiftly halted imports along with Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine and South Africa.


U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman urged Americans not to panic, saying the risk to their health was extremely low.


"I plan to serve beef for my Christmas dinner," she said.

snip

I remember the British Agricultural Secretary saying something very similar at the beginning of the Mad Cow epidemic over there.

The idiot gave his daughter a hamburger to eat as a photo-op.

Unbelievable.

[cosmicdot]

1. odd that Ann had been paraded out on the eve of (pre-) the MCD news

I thought it was because we were a year away from an election, and she hadn't had much face time with the public ....

we've known that Ms. Monsanto was 'there', but not a household name ... but, a corporate staple ... that may change now ...

just a day or two ago, the lounge had a thread about the spike in beef prices ...
... perhaps it was sort of a hedge? ... someone had inside info, maybe???

... so, Ann is serving "beef" ... she didn't say she was serving USDA non-organic beef from the local supermarket? it could be organic from New Zealand???

what's she been doing the last 3 years?

Ag Secretary Predicts Mad Cow Case 'Isolated'

[Benhurst]

2. I think you are being a bit hard on Ann Veneman.

She may be on to something with her "I plan to serve beef" statement.

The White House should follow suit, making an announcement it will serve only beef as an entrée. Little Tony Blair can fly over here and scarf down hamburgers with Dubya, providing The Leader with yet another great photo-op.

Laura can lead the nation in a "Mad About Beef" campaign, taking to the road to eat at hamburger stands, surrounded by adoring little people, selected in advance by the Secret Service.

Just like everything else, there's nothing in this crisis that can't be cured with a Rovian spin, given a little help from the corporate press.

[2cents]

6. lol..

...but given that mad cow has to do with brain erosion, I don't think they would want "Dopey" to be a poster-boy for the beef industry.

[NNN0LHI]

11. I want to see the whole damn crew march into a micky dees and order up...

...1/4 pounders for all. That will set everyones mind at ease. I hope one of our candidates suggests this. Call their bluff.

Don

[are_we_united_yet]

13. Maybe * could follow suit and eat a Mad Mooburger?

[underpants]

3. Oh this is going to be huge

I saw this last night and was shocked. This could be disastrous to the beef industry.

Cars
Steel
Beef
what's left?

[NashVegas]

4. Considering the Previous Freak-Outs, Yah

..

[aquart]

16. Wow, ironic, huh?

They voted for the little vonce, didn't they?

And those industries beefed up his campaign fund, didn't they?

And he's screwing them just like everybody else, isn't he?

I know vengeance is the Lord's, but how often do you get to see him run with the option?

[lebkuchen]

5. Doing battle...

what the US does best.

[candy331]

7. Wow we have another war

war on terror
war on drugs
war on obesity
war on beef

war on, war on, war on,

Is this going to affect the great numbers on the economy?

[are_we_united_yet]

8. THIS IS ALL BILL CLINTON's FAULT!!!!!

Too late freepers we beat ya to it. Nah nah nah nah nah.

[lumpy]

9. Veneman should get on the ball

and make an effort to set standards for beef raising and handling instead of a 'who me,why worry' attitude. She should be reassuring us that she will do something to prevent the spread of this debilitating disease.

[DuctapeFatwa]

10. Mexico, Australia, and Chile have now banned US beef

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20031224_241.html

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/reuters20031224_228.html

on edit, this is addition to Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, Taiwan, did I leave any out?

[leesa]

12. Ain't deregulation grand?

[lumpy]

14. You nailed it, leesa

Thanks to Reagan, deregulation was esculated. Started out with Savings & Loan industry scandals in the 60s and the gradual deregulation of banking in the US which led to industrial deregulation. The Republican dream came true. One of the most devistating US economical events of the century. Revenge against FDR's policy regulations.

[Character Assassin]

15. Please tie this to specific deregulation

Instead of mouthing empty slogans.

Thanks.

[SOS]

19. Empty slogans?

"The US scrapie eradication program was dismantled in 1983 deregulation under Reagan so only lamb and mother, female line within flock were slaughtered, source flock ignored, causing disease incidence to soar and become established and widespread across 39 states according to Hadlow, JAVMA 196 1676 1990."

[Scurrilous]

17. Israel bans U.S. beef liver imports after mad cow fears

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/375615.html

Oy!

[truthseeker1]

18. What comes around goes around

It was inevitable. Serves the industry and the administration right since they covered up the fact that the "Canadian" mad cow was actually from Great Falls, Montana, USA!!!!!

I'm not happy about this, but that coverup pissed me off.

By the way, "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser is an excellent eye-opening read and reveals the horrors that exist in the beef and meat-packing industry. I highly recommend it.