12/13/06 Short memory

Short Memory Sometimes politics get in the way of good business deals. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back to tell you what I mean. A short time ago I read an article in the Western Livestock Reporter that got me thinking about how politics can complicate business transactions. The article reported South Korea's left-leaning Democratic Labor Party is preparing an anti-U.S. beef campaign basically for political reasons. After all the scientific data has been studied, all the U.S.-South Korean negotiations have been finalized and the first shipment of U.S. beef has arrived in South Korea this political party claims U.S. beef could be tainted by BSE. Spokesman for the party, Representative Kang Ki-kap, a farmer turned lawmaker says South Korea should never import American beef that has the danger of BSE. Well there goes the theory about farmers having common sense; anyway the party claims they will raise $107,000 U.S. dollars to buy the entire first U.S. beef shipment and destroy it. The Democratic Labor Party is a vocal opponent of U.S. foreign policy. Now what I got thinking about was the fact that if U.S. foreign policy had not been what it was about fifty years ago, the D.L.P. might not have the chance to exist and have the opportunity to let their concerns be heard. On the other hand maybe this party figures if the U.S. hadn't interfered they might be the only party in South Korea. You just can't figure politics. I'm Jeff Keane. Western Livestock Reporter 11/22/06