Bush asks Japan to fully open its market to U.S. beef

Monday 07th July, 06:25 AM JST

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cleo at 12:14 PM JST - 7th July

there are people needlessly starvin' in the world

So feed them the grain that is now being 1) fed to animals to make meat and 2) turned into liquid fuel to be burned in cars.

As for the old potato about 'no cases of vCJD in the US' - http://www.upi.com/ScienceNews/2003/12/30/MadCowLinkedtothousandsofCJDcases/UPI-47861072816318/

The U.S. government's monitoring system for cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a fatal human brain illness, could be missing tens of thousands of victims....new research, released last December, indicates the mad cow pathogen can cause both sporadic CJD and the variant form....autopsies reveal 3-percent-to-13-percent of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia actually suffered from CJD. Those numbers might sound low, but there are 4-million Alzheimer's cases and hundreds of thousands of dementia cases in the United States. A small percentage of those cases could add up to 120,000 or more CJD victims going undetected and not included in official statistics....At the same time autopsies have been declining, the number of deaths attributed to Alzheimer's has increased more than 50-fold since 1979, going from 857 deaths then to nearly 50,000 in 2000. Though it is unlikely the dramatic increase in Alzheimer's is due entirely to misdiagnosed CJD cases, it "could explain some of the increase we've seen"

Read that again. the number of deaths attributed to Alzheimer's has increased more than 50-fold since 1979. Maybe it's not from the beef. But it's not anything to crow about either, and doesn't instill confidence in the American lifestyle.
USARonin at 12:15 PM JST - 7th July

JayBee, I cannot offer anything to your last post.

You've explained the "whys" of your beliefs better than I could.

Now bark. Good boy.

USAR
thundercat at 01:45 PM JST - 7th July

USAR

Obviously you don't understand the deadlock that is this issue. Japan is demanding that all beef be tested (more or less) and the US is saying there is no need to do that. Why not give assurances about the safety? If someone wanting to buy a new car asked the deal to prove that the engine wouldn't explode as soon as he got the car off the lot, he'd ask the deal to start the engine. He wouldn't just accept the dealers word that it'll be ok. What are American officials scared of? Test the friggin beef and Japan will buy it!

How safe could this stuff be if they can't even make shipments without accidently included parts of the cow that are banned?
timorborder at 04:38 PM JST - 7th July

Before the US starts whinning over the beef issue, the industry in the US needs to pick up its game. As far as I know, there is still no nationally-enforced P-to-P tracking system in the United States, like there is in Australia. Furthermore, MBM is still being widely used despite the fact that the USDA has outlawed it. At the same time, however, I am under no allusions that the US Beef Industry will address these issues because resolution would require huge investments. Rather, they will just try and have Bush come to Japan and intimidate the locals just like his dad did back in the 1990s at the behest of US auto manufacturers.

At the same time, however, I have news for those folks that associate "Japanese Beef" with the word, "Safe." This connatation is tenious at best. Through its total testing program, Japan has found just over 10 "mad cows." This is number is higher than that in the US. Moreover, if the Japanese had taken notice of Australia's stance vis-a-vis MBM back in the mid-1970s (it being recognized as a conduit for disease), they would have never had these issues with their domestic herds. There is also the issue of hormone products. The Japanese beef industry uses them as well, including a couple of older hormones that have been outlawed overseas. Then again, because these medications do not appear on the current livestock pharmaceuticals and residuals list (which gives you an indication of what can and cannot be used, and in what strengths), there are some Japanese farmers who literally pump up their cows to the eyeballs on steriods, etc.
USARonin at 05:36 PM JST - 7th July

TeeCee, you're free to visit the US Dept. of Agriculture website and do a Mad Cow Disease search.

Then decide if the US hasn't tested reasonably.

Look at the fact that there probably hasn't been one case of MCD in the US, although one of our citizens came up with it after returning from the UK.

I don't care whether nations buy our beef or not. I just think it's silly for people to unreasonably be afraid of non-issues. It's obscene for these same folks to pass their fears on to others ala second-hand smoke (ETS), DDT...

But I know it's the way of the world.

Fear sells. Fear is a tool to make others behave in certain ways.

USAR
cleo at 05:56 PM JST - 7th July

Fear sells.

If they'd only do the testing, US beef might sell, too.
roomtemperature at 08:16 PM JST - 7th July

Yes, Medievaltimes!!! This has got all to do with politics. Agressive and arrogant American politics!!

That's what the Japanese say. And that's what the Koreans say as well.
USARonin at 08:26 PM JST - 7th July

"And that's what the Koreans say as well."

Well, ArrTee, we all now Koreans are not easily provoked and are well known for their easy-goin' temperments. You must be right.

That's an interesting handle you chose, ArrTee. In my culture, when we say someone has achieved "room temperature" that means we're sayin' that individual is... dead.

USAR
VoXman at 11:29 PM JST - 7th July

This is all politics and protecting Japanese farmers and beef producers. I remember when rice shortages in Japan were a big deal in Japan. And American Rice growers offered to fill in the gap for Japan consumers. No only did the consumer not get a choice, but the J-Gov flat blocked the importation of US Rice. Fact is folks. Japan cannot feed itself. Who wants to pay 1500 Yen for a 4 slivers of beef. Funny thing is you guys think that little bit of beef you buy at Seiyu or AVE is the same as the Kobe beef the rich pay the big bucks for. See in Japan what they do is change labels and "Say" its from Japan. They "Say" its no expired. And then bow down with tears int heir eyes saying, we couldn't afford Japanese produce and beef to sell you so we took a short cut and bought Chinese. So all you posters full of your..."I buy only Japanese beef" are not only getting ripped off, but you missing out on the real experience of eating a juicy T-bone. Oh and Aussies, you gov did a study on children born since 1970 and found that their growth has been fundimentally altered by the "over" injection of hormones in their cattle industry. Yes, the milk the kids drink is laced with Aussie hormones. YUM drink up mates!!! Finally, as for Korea? You didn't mind all that beef we fed your moms and dads after WWII and the Korean civil war. You are a happier,healthier, and taller generation thanks to US Beef and Milk.
usaexpat at 12:02 AM JST - 8th July

Well I bet the Japanese won't be rioting or striking companies if US beef sales are resumed. Anyway, if the US wants to sell beef here they just need to meet the testing and documentation requirements that Japan (the customer) lays out. It's no different than any other sale in that the customer gets to dictate the specifications.
sf2k at 10:17 AM JST - 8th July

Japanese don't riot, they just walk and stare at their feet. I mean, they barely vote as it is.... This should be an engaging political issue, but instead becomes another moment of Japanese shrugs. If the youth of the nation took action politically, their voted in PM would rock the nation. (sorry, dare to dream there...)

I prefer Japanese food made the Japanese way. It's fabulous. I know it's not popular to support the farmers markets and keep them protected, but I believe that in doing so Japanese have protected themselves from manufacturered food and GMO moreso than anywhere else. It is Japan who should ask for higher standards in American production, (which they are doing) not for America to beg for fewer standards.

Also Korea and Japan could form a joint refusal of American Beef thus improving Asian relations! Nothing brings people together like opposing Bush.
teaabe at 05:48 AM JST - 9th July

u.s. rice? people there can't stand rice, so there's not much of a rice industry in the u.s.

there are other diseases associated with cattle other than mad cow. our country can determine how we import goods, not somebody else.
smithinjapan at 06:04 PM JST - 9th July

If Bush REALLY wants the government to bow down, reject its moral authority on the case, and accept American beef, he should have a one to one with Fukuda over dinner that goes something like this:

Bush: (chewing on an American steak) Now, what was it you wanted to talk about? Fukuda: We want you to bring pressure on NK at the six way talks so that they'll do more to resolve the abduction issue. Bush: The 'what' issue? Fukuda: 'Abduction', you know, the abduction of Japanese nationals by NKoreans in the 70s and 80s. Bush: You know, I just can't hear you.... maybe if you take a nice bit piece of this steak and eat it up, it'll clear your throat and I'll be able to hear what it is you want me to do. Here's some good American beef for you.... eat it up, enjoy, and then perhaps I'll be able to hear you better. Fukuda: gulp

I know I'm giving Bush too much credit for being clever and subtle in the dialogue, but you catch my drift: He could easily say something like, "Once you lift the restrictions on American beef and get it importing into Japan again, that'll be one more issue out of the way and we can move on to another like, say, your abduction issue!"
yosun at 01:26 PM JST - 10th July

Have you checked the photo of this news? and u know generally the one host a meeting always smile when his guests are speaking.... but pls take a look of Fukuda san's face when he heard Bush talking about beef. photographs don't lie!
berri_fusion at 07:13 AM JST - 12th July

Maybe we should stop importing electronics from Japan...lol. They may test it all but they're testing it all to make sure it'll stop working in a couple years so people will line up to buy new. lol. It's weird how two Playstation 2's have done that in a row now for me...

I guess this ban makes beef cheaper for the U.S. huh? Maybe that would be part of the reason why Americans are gaining weight, too much cheap meat. lol.