Japan sticks to demand that U.S. test all cattle

[DuctapeFatwa]

Japan stuck by its demand on Wednesday that the United States test all cattle for mad cow disease, even as Washington piled pressure on the biggest foreign buyer of American beef to resume imports.

Japan, which bought $1.4 billion worth of American beef last year, halted imports after the United States discovered its first case of mad cow disease last December.

"Japan's view remains unchanged in wanting the United States to test all cattle slaughtered for export to Japan," a farm ministry official said.

A high-ranking U.S. trade official warned Japan on Tuesday that legal action could not be ruled out if disagreement continued..

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/T226089.htm

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Legal action, huh?

I'm sure that will go over well with the Japanese consumer...

NOT!

I can just imagine the Japanese daytime talk shows now: "America wants to force you to buy unsafe beef!" Yoko the housewife sees that and swears she will never again buy American beef. Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand are only too glad to fill the void.

They already are, in fact. I can go to the local meat market here in Japan and buy Australian beef with no effort. And I recently bought some New Zealand-made beef jerkey which carried the label (in Japanese): "Made with New Zealand beef! Guaranteed safe! You can eat this with peace of mind!"

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. Yes. Eat this diseased beef or be punished!

The community of nations cannot form a coalition of the willing soon enough.

[Jim Sagle]

3. See, he IS a uniter. If he unites you and me against him, I'd say he's

damn good at it. ;)

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. hey, he's united the Shias & the Sunnis - after 1400 years

[Mel]

5. Good for Japan

I don't blame them at all! I'm not eating the crap either.

I don't trust the USDA to do the right thing it's obvious to me that the corporate intere$ts are served first and not the peoples.

What's the 'high-ranking U.S. trade official' going to try to do? I know the usual MO of the corporatistas they are going to try bullying Japan into buying beef?......it figures.

I say, 'Stand your ground Japan'

[cliss]

6. I love it when someone besides the US makes demands.

It makes me feel that there is a LITTLE balance in this world, after all. I've actually read in articles that the US is pushing so hard in different situations, that I find myself wondering, "are the deranged?" The US has been applying relentless pressure for Mexico to buy their tainted beef, even though they are balking.

The last time I checked, free trade is something you enter into voluntarily. Apparently the US beef producers don't know what that means. Can you just see them in negotiations with the Japanese? The Japanese are very polite, but firm. They say, "we understand you've got to sell this beef, but we're going to insist that you test all your beef which is slated for export."

Can you just see them whipping out their revolvers, and threatening to shoot them if they don't buy it? That's how insane it's become.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. The ironic thing is, we can no longer mail food from Japan to the US

Japanese food is the safest in the world, but yet we can no longer send any kind of processed food, like rice crackers or even chocolate, through the mail from Japan to the US. However, it can still be brought in in one's personal luggage.

Go figure :crazy: