Paying the price of conservative ideology: Mad Cow Disease

[Postman]

It all ties in folks.

Rush Limbaugh types screaming about government regulation and overzealous consumer protection on a daily basis to a significant amount of people DOES have an effect.

To deny so is like saying advertising doesn't work.

When will the morans wake up to the fact that they're being propagandized by the rightwing to the detriment of their own safety?

[ixion]

1. if you apply the same perspective freepers apply to AIDS...

then it must be god's will. :eyes:

[htuttle]

2. But, if you took that perspective on everything...

...wouldn't that mean that the attacks on 9/11 were 'God's Will'?

Doh!

:spank:

(ps. that's what Jerry Falwell said after 9/11, isn't it?)

[DBoon]

5. God is Hindu!

does not want us eating beef.

[ScotTissue]

3. Ideology equals BSE??

Not so fast. Try explaining to the UK, Gemany, and Canada--all of whom have had Mad Cow outbreaks--that the reason was GOP-inspired deregulation or the blatherings of Rush Limbarph.

What I say is, you're stretching.

[DBoon]

4. British outbreak = triumph of Thatcherism

Deregulation of the beef industry in England contributed to that country's outbreak of mad cow. Prior to Thatcher, cattle feed was strictly regulated. As part of her effort to de-regulate, under-treated cattle feed was allowed, causing the disease to spread rapidly.

See:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/britain401.cfm

[ScotTissue]

6. The 88 outbreak, sure.

There have been repeated food crises (BSE, fott and mouth) in the UK since then. And Germany and Canada?

I'm not saying human mismanagement is nowhere in the equation. But it's importance is dwarfed by plain biology. Nature will get you every time.

[maggrwaggr]

7. exactly. This is what unregulated capitalism brings you

It also brings you giant monopolies that thwart competition.

The notion that deregulation promotes capitalism is utter nonsense.

The regulations are intended to not only protect people from unscrupulous business practices, but also to promote competition, which if left unregulated leads to monopolies rather than more competition.

Right-wingers are just plain stupid to think otherwise.

Imagine a basketball game with no rules. It would turn into Shaquille O'Neal standing on a chair dunking one ball after another. That's not competition.