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Korea Beat translated a local report interviewing Korean students on the reason for their protest against the importation of American beef.
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Based on the Wikipedia list of countries, details.
I will post a fully reasoned reply to your posts (thank you for replying).
However I just googled it and discovered Korea has the largest per capita auto fatalaties in the world (and remember, in a country of 300 million beef eaters, no one has died from CVD).
I agree with you on American drugs and guns, the gun issue relates to American frontier hunting culture, so it’s a tough one. The drug issue is a difficult, complex issue (though I think marijuana should be legalized, it’s less dangerous than alcohol).
I’ll post on the beef thing later. Cheers.
Hi, I just joined in on the conversation.
Jin has made a very strong argument on the points mentioned above.
Dave:
The main point you made is that US beef is safe. I’m sure that the beef that the average American buys and eats is pretty much safe. US citizens don’t need to know or care about how old their beef is because the FDA and the government are doing their thing to protect the population. However, the bottom line in this trade issue is that we’re not comparing the same beef. The USTRA is trying to sell Koreans beef that the FDA finds unfit, unsafe, for domestic consumption in the US.
The degree of the risk is disputable- but I’m willing to accept the FDA’s assessment that some of the beef produced in the US carries a pathological risk. At the same time, I’m unwilling to accept the USTR’s initiative to feed that beef to foreigners (incl. me).
Kim:
I hope that wasn’t a derisive comment based on a prejudice against food-preference. Yes, Koreans eat the SRM parts, and we want to be sure that it is safe to eat them.
I take it that your line of thought is that Koreans are choosing risky eating habits- well I want to point out that those habits were safe before the advent of BSE induced CJD, and we’re choosing to preserve that sanctity.
Park, Dave you guys are rambling off topic.
Guns, drugs, and traffic are all important problems and definitely should be addressed. However they have little relevance to the beef issue at hand.
Once again, as I mentioned above, and as Park notes, your risk assessment is based on the wrong sample.
Though the risk factor probably will still be smaller than that from car accidents, that doesn’t mean that the point must be discarded.
In fact, I want to follow your line of reason with drug and gun issues vs chinese toys. Reducing auto fatalities is a difficult and complex issue–maybe not as much as drugs or guns, but much more so than the beef issue. In this specific case with beef, there is a simple, clear cut solution: block the distribution of potentially problematic beef. Why leave this problem to fester when you can easily solve it and concentrate on tackling the more consequential and difficult task?
I am just fed up with some international media driving Koreans look like just crazy people who are scared of eating US beef. they are really trying to make out of focus on this issue, not introducing the really thing what Koreans are concerned about.
Please check Karan’s comments from below. those are helpful.
http://blogs.iht.com/tribtalk/business/globalization/?p=721
Another simple point (my posts aren’t seeming to be posted by I’m posting anyway :))
I’ve read the agreement. The literal bilateral agreement signed by the two countries.
In the agreement, it’s explicitly stated that the cows all must be 30 months or under.
Now, it does allow that if Korea is “satisfied” (or something to that effect) with the aggreement, that “later” or “in the future” (can’t remember and it’s hard to find it now on the net) older cows will be permitted.
Again, in my first post I said I was all for the ban. Or negotiate it to 20 months, no one would care in the states anyway.
Anyway, this whole thing, I don’t believe, is about American cows. It’s something about Korean culture where *everyone* thinks passionately the same thing. And that just disturbs me. There should always be dissent.
First of all, kudos to Amang. You just pointed out the gist of the whole beef issue. I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Dave:
Are you sure what you’ve read was the latest agreement? I assume it was the previous one written before Korean government – of the previous administration – decided to suspend beef import from the U.S. due to contractual violation.
And, what is this now?
“Anyway, this whole thing, I don’t believe, is about American cows. It’s something about Korean culture where *everyone* thinks passionately the same thing. And that just disturbs me. There should always be dissent.”
Please stick to the point, I am quite sure you’re not happy with what you wrote either.
Anyways, no ad hominem, please.
Actually I dont understand why they are protesting about the beef,(we are free to do the things we wanna do,in other words,we’re free to buy what we want,)so If u koreans hate american beef then dont buy, korean beef are probably available in every store here in korea,No body forcing us to buy american beef. American beef wont kill us if we dont buy it,so just buy korean beef,there are lot of foriegner living in korea,ofcourse thier looking for cheaper I’m sure,so u koreans just buy korean beef and let foriegner buy cheaper,and I’m sure not only korea importing american beef there are lot of country importing amercan beef,but korea is just over acting,so foreigner here in korea wont be affected and they will just buy it, ( remember nobody forcing us to buy american beef so if u hate it then just buy korean beef)korean beef are available in every store,
If you really want to understand the American viewpoint of Mad Cow, check this out.
http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=blRCh-EDuDs
Now, this is a couple years old so it’s directed at Americans, *not* Koreans. But it reflects the American view that e coli is far more a threat from beef than mad cow.
As for the cultural observation, that’s not an ad hominem attack. That’s a cultural observation that’s undeniable. Korea has 11,000 protests a year. These candlelight vigils are a legitimate cultural phenomenon that says something about the politics of Korea. What that is, I’m not sure.
Generally, I think it’s positive they actively protest. However, if they’re gonna protest, protest the U.S. policies in Iraq, or the illegal detentions in Guantanamo. There’s tons of stuff to protest from the Bush administration.
And, even regarding beef, I’d be more worried about e coli, poor inspections (the beef industry actually wanted to *increase* inspections, but the Bush administration forbid them to do so! That’s worth a protest!), etc.
Despite my sentiments about this issue, I can’t underscore how much I really love Korea. I’ll never talk about this with my students again, the strong emotions it stirs up just isn’t worth the trouble.
Dear Dave
I don’t really doubt your affection towards Korea. However, whatever you said regarding what you call “cultural observation” is indeed ad hominem – attributing the protest to ‘Korean culture’ – rather than a valid argument that explains why you disagree with our protest. So, whether that’s agreeable or not, it’s beside the point.
“And, even regarding beef, I’d be more worried about e coli, poor inspections (the beef industry actually wanted to *increase* inspections, but the Bush administration forbid them to do so! That’s worth a protest!)”
Well, ok. Probably, e coli is even bigger problem; however, you just admitted yourself that the inspection system of the U.S. is not adequate, and therefore, should be enhanced. That’s one of the main reasons we are strongly against the reckless beef import “without putting proper limit – i.e., only meat of cattle younger than 30 months – on it.”
If even the U.S. beef industry failed to push the Bush administration to increase inspection, how do you expect us to change the U.S inspection system by protesting against the current policy? Wouldn’t it be quite unrealistic?
Actually, then, we agree that we cannot rely on the current inspection system of the U.S., don’t we?
How many issues regarding the Bush administration can we bring up, against which we all – the whole global community – should protest ?
Iraq and Guantanamo, heartbreaking and outrageous indeed. And we all must raise public awareness and take action against such injustice. However, again, that’s just beside the point at the moment – although I am seriously concerned with these global issues as well.
By the way, I genuinely understand your decision not to talk about this with your students again; come on… I should know that ;)
But still, I want you to look at this issue from a more critical perspective. You could have been quite irritated at the scenes where the cars just cannot move because of the protesters taking to the road, etc.
I am going to Seoul again to participate in the protest. I cannot ask you to join me there :), but I still believe that you also wish the best for this country.
Thank you. Hope you have a good day.
Dude. Bottom line. I will eat American beef it it comes into Korea. I mean, I will *only* eat American beef. And I don’t even want to eat beef. Beef isn’t really healthy, but because of all this stuff I will eat American and *only* American beef coming into Korea.
Yep. I don’t even eat beef. But if you put an American flag on the beef I’ll buy it and eat just to man up.