Bush, Vicente Fox, and Paul Martin met today in Waco, Texas. They talked about economic issues and immigration policy. But near the end of the New York Times coverage, I ran across this:
Prime Minister Martin alluded pointedly to Canadian resentment of American fears over mad cow disease north of the border, fears that he has said are unfounded.
“We look forward to the day in the future when, notwithstanding all of the lobbying, all the legal challenges, all of North America is open to our safe and high-quality beef,” he said.
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Now, a few questions:
Are Americans really afraid of Canadian beef?
Do we even have any idea when the beef we’re eating might be Canadian?
Why shouldn’t we be worried about Mad Cow disease?
And are Canadians really resentful of American skepticism?
Is this sloppy reporting, or have I missed a source of serious international tension?