Saturday, October 23, 2004

Retaliation or What?

After finding one case of mad caw disease (BSE) in Alberta last in summer of 2003, the beef industry which is one of the best industries in Canada and is located in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B. C. (More than 80% in Alberta, as far as I remember), many countries stopped importing Canadian beef. This ban cost the beef industry in Alberta almost $2 billion. The ranchers suffered the most, not the plants because the only thing they did was they laid off a few employees and slowed down their process.
Japan, Mexico and the US were among the many countries round the world which banned Canadian beef. Japan never purchases beef from Canada after that and all of Canada's effort led to a big goose egg. They even invited Japanese agricultural minister to Alberta and prepared tours of beef processing plants but he wasn't convinced! Mexico and the US (I don't remember anything about the other countries but think South Korea was one of them) eased the ban gradually but after more 15 months the US still doesn't let live cattle cross it's northern border.
The new problem that Americans face is a shortage in flu shot. Every year as winter starts Canadians and Americans get a flu shot to be insured that cold and flu won't bother them during the winter. It's so in Calgary but I never waste my time and money on that and I really hate that. It really makes me angry and I know it as one of the most stupid things that somebody may do in his or her life (I don't know why it makes me so outrageous!)
Canada announced that there is enough vaccine for all Canadians but Americans face shortage and are goin' to ask Canadians to help them.
The question here is should Canada retaliate or should they be generous and help them? I guess they will chose the second alternative.

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