So the FDA wanted to go to China to check out the source of the contaminated pet food. China said no. Our Sen. Durbin said, "Hey, that's unacceptable." He's waiting for a reply. (see release and letter to Chinese ambassador below.)Update: In comments, Steve Bates of The Yellow Doggerel Democrat redefines what saying grace now involves:
One of the big frustration in this whole contaminated pet food crisis is companies (and now nations) withholding information. There are multiple reasons for this. Some are legit. If you rush to say that company X sold something that kills people and you are wrong, that could destroy reputations. But what if you have PROOF? And you have confirmed the information and you STILL don't tell people? What if you want to get more info to SAVE lives? And the people who have that info won't share it? Or they deny reality? Are there any consequences to this refusal to share? Besides the moral responsibility, is there any legal responsibility?
There are consequences to the pets when they eat poison. What are the consequences to people who withhold information or don't share it in a timely fashion?
Grace...
God grant this food be wholesome, pure,
Not harming liver, gut or spleen,
Nor filled with pesticides, manure,
Or... Heaven help us... melamine.
- SB the YDD
10 comments:
Here's a thought. A one-day notice and boycott of all Chinese food.
But it's in our own food. Chinese wheat = chinese flour = American cereal... We need to know where our food is grown.
Nice thought, but I'd bet it's impossible to distinguish foods with Chinese ingredients. Boycotting food labeled "made in China" will have negligible effect on the amount of food from China that Americans consume.
I believe we have a right to inspection either in China or at American ports of entry. The problem is that the leaders of both countries are stubbornly waving their flags (or something else) and making this into an international political issue rather than a straightforward public health issue.
As individuals we have effectively no defense against this. That's what government is for, and why the anti-regulation activists are just plain wrong. About all we can do is cook thoroughly whatever can be cooked, and say our prayers before each bite we consume.
Saying grace just took on a whole new meaning...
The Japanese just ban anything they suspect, like US beef and apples.
We could do the same thing based on the current evidence. If it isn't inspected, it isn't accepted. The WTO is cool with that - no harm, no foul. Of course, the Chinese could decided to start demanding payment in Euros and stop buying US debt, so things are not clear cut.
Gah! We've been pwned!
Bush got us into debt, let him taste test each Chinese shipment!
Grace...
God grant this food be wholesome, pure,
Not harming liver, gut or spleen,
Nor filled with pesticides, manure,
Or... Heaven help us... melamine.
- SB the YDD
Well done! Updated my post.
China is poisoning the world. Check out the front page of today's New York Times.
"Toxic syrup has figured in at least eight mass poisonings around the world in the past two decades. Researchers estimate that thousands have died. In many cases, the precise origin of the poison has never been determined. But records and interviews show that in three of the last four cases it was made in China, a major source of counterfeit drugs."
Oh great. One more thing we need to be scared of.
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