Hi Hakan >You have just shown something that makes Americans great and >makes me like them so much and I am grateful for that. Myself and >many Europeans do not have the same ability to apologize as you >have and that is something that we really can learn from Americans. > >I think that this is more of a lack of information from your side and >that I assumed that you had the same information as the Europeans. >It is a very big issue between US and EU, where EU have >rules against using hormones. EU does not approve the import >of US beef because they cannot prohibit hormones in beef, based >on potential health risks, and then turn around and allow import >of American beef that uses this prohibited practises. US is >leaning very hard on EU to approve US beef import and are trying >very hard to force it. I do not think that it is any problems with >beef that can be proven not to use this practices, but this is such >a small percentage of American beef, that US cannot accept that. > >This is a factual case and the Europeans are very upset with the >American attitude, especially the English.
Similar scene with GMO exports from the US to Europe, with the US threatening WTO action. "Substantially equivalent", yes, certainly - despite all the mounting evidence to the contrary. >The English see it as a >try to circumvent the regulations, an attempt to piggyback on their >problems with "mad cow decease" to capture a traditional English >market segment. That is also why I made the remark about the >English export to developing countries, of the same animal food >that causes the "mad cow decease" in the first place. Also a >factual case that I did not hear anyone on the list complain about. There was quite a lot about it, though some people kept sneering at the "off-topic" Mad Cow Disease posts. Never mind that it obviously had a bearing on biodiesel feedstock. This message pinned down the worldwide export of infected BSE material from the UK by Prosper de Mulder: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?view=2540&list=BIOFUEL There's a full list of the countries involved and how much they received. Some of it also went to the US, and later there was a row over the very belated and half-hearted US controls, with one list member involved in the industry there claiming the "professionals" knew best - exactly as the "professionals" in all the other countries had claimed before BSE hit them too. Including Japan. "Trust us, we're experts". For the rest of this discussion, maybe k5 puts me in the same bracket as you. I agree with most of what you're saying here. I certainly criticize the US, but not only the US. It's mostly from a 3rd World perspective, since that's always been my focus, and our focus at Journey to Forever. It's the OECD countries in general and corporate globalization and neo-liberalism that I take issue with, but in all these issues the US is the clear leader, and current US unilateralism exacerbates that. But it's mainly to the Americans that I look to find our way out of these problems. I've said that quite often too. I wouldn't like to think of a Planet Earth without Americans. >Why should those in the states that are promoting alternative growing >methods in the states, be the only ones who has the right to expose >US political/corporate practices. They are actually helped by every >word that mention the problems with the current practises in US. >It is actually a opinion building process that every changes must go >through. Again, this is probably more the case with the US because it's the leader - changes in the US tend to get exported, what happens there is influential, so in a sense it is everybody's business. Conversely, someone promoting sustainable agriculture, or sustainable technology, in the US is probably representing a much bigger constituency than he/she might realize, stretching far beyond Americans themselves. A lot of what might look like US-bashing might really be solidarity. >In my field, energy transmission in buildings, I do not only >pick on US, I am talking about current practises in a lot of countries. > >US is using 25% of the worlds energy resources and if they change, >it has a big effect on the whole world. They also have well developed >systems for building codes etc. They also have well developed >engineering resources and if they change and apply at home, what >they want to "help the developing countries" to do, it would be >more space for the developing countries to develop. I think that's true in several ways. >I have worked in America and with Americans far more than most >Europeans. I do not have to "preaching to the choir", anything I am >saying is based on my experiences and are my views. I have never >said that Americans are greedy, because that is not my opinion. >Politics/corporations that are naive, careless, based on short term >profits and irresponsible, YES, but greedy no. Hm... Yes they are. The record of corporate malpractice in the US over the last year is rather spectacular, and includes greed on a fairly awesome scale, it's hard to think of a precedent. But I always insist on the distinction between people and their societies and communities on the one hand, and their institutions on the other, and I think that distinction is especially wide in the US now. I also think that all the war talk is not succeeding in quelling the popular revulsion against corporate (and other) greed and malpractice, though it might look that way superficially. Best Keith >I see the quarterly >profit fixation in US as more of seeking social acceptance than greed. >It is also a historical burden from the great depression. > >Hakan > > >At 07:48 AM 1/5/2003 +0000, you wrote: > >--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Hakan Falk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > I am very sorry a typo, of course it should be Moose in American. > >I'm sorry for my reply. > > > > >I cannot generalize, > >You do, not just you, but I took offence to the resent post about > >antibiotics,adrenaline and us "forcing" one to buy our meat. Don't > >buy it!, but I overreacted, partly because its true and I can't do > >anything about it. But your "preaching to the choir". Some in the > >States are trying alternative growing methods, energy reduction > >measures and alternative fuels. And still get pasted as an greedy > >American. I should know better and I apologize, I just couldn't > >handle any US bashing at the time and I took it out on you. Sorry! 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