Mad Cow and Me -2008

Want to piss people off?
Mess with their food.
For my readers back-home, here's a quick, lay-woman's update on the American beef import brouhaha broiling right now in Seoul.
Last month, South Korean and American politicians rubbed a sore spot. South Korean officials relaxed their ban on American beef imports, initiated in the Mad Cow panic of 2003, perhaps in hopes of striking a more favorable trade deal with the USA. According to political reporters at the Washington Post, "the beef issue has been a major irritant in relations between the allies and threatened the prospects for approving a wider trade agreement, one of the main items on the agenda of a summit meeting that started in Washington [in April] between South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and President Bush...Although the beef issue was not directly related to the trade pact, some U.S. lawmakers had insisted that it needed to be resolved before they could back the deal. Lawmakers in both countries have yet to approve the pact, which was negotiated last year. South Korea's Agriculture Ministry agreed that revived Beef imports were expected to begin in mid-May and to expand in stages. "

So, while everyone was arguing about US beef, I went to the USA and ate a lot of it. A LOT of it. I ate steak three times in one week. No one there breathed a peep about Mad cow disease, there was nothing in the US media about it. I went to an American grocery store with a large butcher shop (aw, American grocery stores! The grandeur!)and they weren't posting any signs about meat safety or advertising organic beef on special, like places did back in 2003 when the American public expressed safety concerns.
So what is up with all this anger over American beef? I will report some of the dribs and drabs of public opinion here. (Editorial note: I don't trust the American government, either. A lot of Americans don't. That's why President Bush has some of the lowest American public approval ratings EVER.)

Here are some bare bones details, according to the AP, about the Beef import deal that is making so many people angry:
Seoul will first allow the importation of U.S. beef from cattle younger than 30 months, including those cuts with bones. Younger cows are believed to be at less risk for mad cow disease. "Beef from older cattle will also be cleared for importation after the United States strengthens its controls on feed to reduce the chances of infection," the Agricultural ministry has said. But, right now, concerns still exist about this older cattle and the feed they are given...

It's when we get to these "older cattle" that the story even impacted my little school in the rice paddy. Even my co-workers, who generally keep their politics out of school, expressed concern. I had to ask them "What are you talking about?" as I could only understand every fifth word in Korean, but since they kept saying "Migook" in a negative tone, in a conversation they chose to have in front of an American (I was sitting right there eating my ham and cheese on rye) I wanted to know. They complained, as a group, in a long conversation, that Lee will import "old cow." My coworker with pretty good English described this "old cow" as "bad meat quality." Huh. So then a rather socially awkward translation occurred. My co-workers complained that this "old cow" is bad and it does not eat good feed.One said something in Korean to the tune of Americans don't eat this old cow (Note-I don't think that's true, I think Americans do, but I need to verify that.)It took me a while to understand what meaning they were attaching to "old" ("old" as in age? "old" as in "sell-by" date?), but later I learned more about the issue and figued it out. My co-teacher tried to say that the anger being expressed in the conversation was not directed at America, but at President Lee, who is not standing up for Koreans and trying to get them better beef or a better deal.They feel that President Lee shouldn't trust the American government so much.
This weekend, I was supposed to go on a hiking trip, but the timing didn't work out. As it is a long weekend, I was disappointed. My boyfriend also has to work the holiday at his American company, so that stinks (they get Jesus' birthday off, but not Buddha's? What kind of bias is THAT?!Kind of kidding-but still, that's lame).So, instead we regrouped, spent some time in nature, and went to the HiSeoul festival.

Enroute to the enthusiastic, brightly lit concert on Saturday, we stumbled upon one of several recent protest against US beef imports and other government policies.
We saw many people there, of all ages. Families, working men, students. Some had prepared placards. A few held obviously Socialist linked signs-and wore t-shirts with the the clenched red fist used as a symbol of the International Socialist Worker organization. (I noticed them because they, despite being Korean, managed to look just as frenzied-rigid-yet-earnest as the International Socialist Worker folks I saw at anti-war rallies at Columbia Unviersity in the 1990s. I wanted to ask them, "Hey, didn't I see you burning a flag near Times Square?" But hey, Socialism endures for a reason, it resonates for some, and they have a right to their opinion, too). It was a very large crowd. Banners posted from lightposts to the small stage area urged, in two languages, "Impeach Lee" and "No Lee. No Bush. No US Beef." There were even a few young students in cow costumes, who looked somewhat comical :). But in a large crowd they did stand out and get your attention. I missed the "act" of the costumed cows on the stage as I tried to ask a college-age rally participant, in my dismal Korean, what it was about. I figured he would probably speak a little English from school and be able to explain a little. But there were many, many riot police on hand (I saw at least four police buses there)and they were trying to move us, and a another couple coming the other way on the sidewalk past; trying to clear the sidewalk for pedestrian travel near the concert and shopping areas.
I read today that the protest was student-inspired. But not just the university students participated, the high school students did, too. The Korean press reports that Korean high school students are campaigning actively against president Lee, his education policies, and now his importation of US Beef.
Bae-Ji Sook of the Korea times writes that:
"More than 12,000 people participated in candlelit vigils on Friday and Saturday ― an estimated 60 percent of the participants were middle and high school students.
The youngsters expressed their ideas on leaflets, paper masks and other protest tools. They led the rally calmly with no physical or verbal violence.
Under the law, any one aged above 19 is given the right to vote in elections. Last December, 54.2 percent of those voted in the presidential election.
...These days the underage students are leading the online world to vent their anger against U.S. beef imports. Their rationale is that they will be forced to eat American beef at school cafeterias."
Statistics about the attendance at political rallies are infamously unreliable, and it would be convenient if only young people, non-voters who are easy to dismiss,opposed Lee. I saw plenty of adults there. But it is interesting that students left the PC bong (internet cafe) and lit a candle to oppose their president. (American teens could use some more of that energy, in my opinion!)
So, that's my take on the issue from greater Seoul. And, since this is my personal, self-absorbed,possibly reactionery, chick navel-gazing corner of the blog-sphere, I'm going to give my own opinion:
1. As a patriotic American I believe that it is often smart NOT to trust the Bush government. The protesters have a point there.
2. It is important to try to monitor what's in the food you eat. Some chemials and pesticides are bad for you. "BGH" hormones might be bad (probably are), and that is used in some, but not all, American cows.Some Americans try to avoid eating or drinking any cow-related products from farms using BGH, and some New England dairy farmer's group want to ban them (but dairy is a separate issue).
Some Americans, who have more money, spend the extra on organic beef. It is over-priced but some American swear it is worth it to know what goes into it. I have eaten it and it certainly tastes good and fresh.
3. Some Americans just chose not to eat beef AT ALL. Cattle farms eat up miles of land. Beef leaves a big carbon footprint. (They are right. I am weak; I really like beef.:))
4.But honestly mad cow disease is NOT a big deal on American farms right now. I am not part of some "Western imperialist conspiracy" (apologies to one particular xenophobic Korean blogger), I would admit there was a big mad cow problem if there was one. US beef in 2008 is just standard quality US beef. US consumers are eating it. It might have some chemicals in it, unless it meets the certified organic standards (the US state of California has pretty good ones.)But it's not going to kill you. So all these pictures of cows with steam coming out of their heads and glowing, red eyes kind of make me smile.
5. To sum up: there are lots of valid reasons to urge Lee not to kiss Bush's ass. America's involved in an unwinnable war. We're not doing enough to protect the environment. Some of our companies want to capture the Asian market at any cost. But, our cows?
Really, they're not our biggest problem...