Typically people who signed up would know they have a chance of getting meat fed with ractopamine. It’s the researchers who wouldn’t know which individual gets what.
You have no proof that ractopamine is used in Taiwan, or know what percentage of meat products were fed ractopamine, or how much of it an individual is getting, or a controlled study of how people do without taking it.
Double-blind means both the researcher and the subject don’t know.
But it’s not an anecdote.
They don’t know who would get it. They do know that the subjects have a chance of getting what’s being tested.
Hey get out of the way you freaking idiots. Remember, Korean fish was complaining about the lack of free trade agreements during the debates.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang (王育敏) told a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Monday that about eight to 10 counties and cities across the country have established their own ordinances with regard to controlling pork containing ractopamine and that counties and cities where such laws are not in place, like New Taipei City, will soon introduce relevant legislation. She said that the KMT will unite with local governments and legislatures to boycott U.S. pork with the lean meat additive.
Aside from fta being at least in.the short term good for.economy since we.are.an.export focused one…the real game is china and the dpp knows that. The usa might do to us what they did to canada, but it wouldnt likely play the same as in canada. plus canada doesnt have england on its back threatening them at every turn with war and taking away international relationships from them. Taiwan is using the states equally as much, and losing some cash, which taiwan can afford to lose, is worth it in trying to get more headway on the china oppression issue.
We won’t lose cash from cheaper food.
People are not always rational.
You can’t just decide to ease imports without some industries paying the price for it. And those industry leaders are not going to see the benefit to many other industries that a FTA may bring.
Sure Taiwan needs it, but when people’s lives are at stake the government is going to have to do something about it. Like maybe massive subsidies.
I think this is one downside of democracies, in that people do not ever act in the best interest of the country.
Difficult for Tsai, she’s in a box really isn’t she? She can’t get a study done on local pork to show them up, would look unpatriotic. She just has to take the beating I suppose, and try move forward.
It’s a calculated risk. She believes the opposition is in such turmoil that she’ll get away with it.
Guy
I’m still a loss at why Tsai can’t mobilize beneficiaries of freer trade to rally in support of this.
Exports are 70% of Taiwan’s GDP for goodness sake.
I am sorry to say this, Mr Omelet, but your view is honestly a really long-distance one.
If you’re on the ground in Taiwan, you would know that food safety has been a long-standing social issue here. It’s in the news a lot. It’s led to the formation of various social organizations including the Homekeepers’ Union. It’s a sensitive issue and rightly so.
Guy
I have a bird’s eye view of the situation. I can’t believe how short-sighted Taiwanese people are. This is not that hard.
Japanese, Koreans, and Singaporeans have been eating this stuff with no trouble.
Keep the ban or export my product? Cmon man, not a difficult choice.
Discard the ban or have my salary stuck where it’s been for ten years? Are you crazy?
Tsai agrees with you.
I’m trying to explain to you why about 79% of people surveyed in Taiwan do not.
Guy
The salary won’t go up because of the FTA, the laobans will pocket the difference as is tradition. So for the average Taiwanese, they don’t see how it betters their life but worsens it by eating meat with chemicals in it.
Well people tend to believe what the news tells them, so if Tsai can control the news, she can do anything. But you know Taiwan’s free press being what they are…
However the real reason local governments/meat producers may not be on board is domestic industries. I am sure they use far more ractopamine than the US does but the fact is, Tsai is going to have to placate them first. Maybe subsidies or whatever, sure it costs the government money but a FTA with the US is worth it.
I think most people understands perfectly well about the economical and Geo-political benefits of affording the US this concession.
It’s the morality of making such a decision that people are hang up on.
If we have well documented studies of how ractopamine can affect people, then yeah, it’s a no brainer. However, I tend to lean on the side of not permitting the use drugs that we have not fully studied.
But, at least we now have an internationally agreed upon level for ractopamine residue, even if that number is arbitrarily decided.
Lol wut.
Sadly, this is exactly what will happen.
Laobans sure have a way of defying gravity.