BSE

If you eat beef, this story in today's New York Times should alarm you. First, it shows that the beef industry doesn't really want to test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). It's afraid more cases will be found, which will scare consumers away. Second, it shows that the United States Department of Agriculture is not an independent agency. It exists to protect and subsidize the beef industry (as well as the pork industry, the poultry industry, the dairy industry, and so forth). As any student of government will tell you, agencies designed to regulate industries end up promoting them. Why not protest this ungodly alliance by giving up beef? Better yet, become a vegetarian. You should do it for the animals; but doing it for yourself and for your loved ones will suffice.