The Politics Thread 3.0

[Moggy]

Well I for one believe Gove. He's an honest man that would never say one thing but do another.

[BID0]

I think generally it goes like this... whatever Gove says, expect the opposite.

He doesn't even believe in climate change so I am very surprised by "we need to be in a position as we leave the European Union to be leaders in environmental and in animal welfare standards"

[Lagamorph]

So Corbyn is now in trouble because he said some things about student loans, but that did not appear in the Labour manifesto? And he didn't win the election making it impossible to decide if he lied or not.

Whereas the Tories are in power but have dumped pretty much every manifesto promise that they made, but that's ok?

Yep. I suppose it could affect him in the long term or whenever the next GE is called. But the fact that he's not even in power makes this kind of silly to me. Makes me wonder what gooseberry fool news the Conservative party is trying to suppress.

They're in talks to allow exports of chlorinated American chicken to the UK. The American Farming association are basically saying that any trade deal between the US and UK must allow the export of chlorine washed chicken and hormone fed beef.

The UK would back out of any trade deal that required it to accept lower standards, such as allowing imports of chlorinated chicken from the US, the environment secretary has said, deepening the cabinet split over the issue.

Michael Gove has opposed the suggestion by the trade secretary, Liam Fox, that the UK should be open to the prospect of allowing poultry treated with a chlorine wash process, which is banned by the EU, as part of a trade deal with the US.

The row has overshadowed Fox’s trip to America this week to discuss the potential for a deal and, on Wednesday, Gove went further, indicating that lowering environmental or agricultural standards would be a deal-breaker.

On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Gove was asked whether chlorinated chicken, given as an example of a product that does not meet EU standards but which the US produces, should be allowed. “No,” he said.

Gove agreed that the US would have to “kiss goodbye” to a trade deal if it included such imports. “Critically, we need to ensure that we do not compromise those standards. And I said last week when I was speaking to the WWF environmental charity that we need to be in a position as we leave the European Union to be leaders in environmental and in animal welfare standards.”

Theresa May’s spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday and has repeatedly declined to answer questions about food standards protections during trade negotiations in the past.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... e-liam-fox

Nobody singing from the same hymn sheet, it would seem.

Michael Gove is against it, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson are in favour of it.

[Grumpy David]

Is there any long term study into regular consumption of chicken that's been washed in chlorine and having an impact on the health of those who eat it?

I'd never heard of chlorine washed chicken before but I've happily consumed lots of chicken and meat when I've been in the USA.

Do meat eaters in the UK become temporary vegetarians when in the USA?

As long as it's labelled as such, I have no problem with it being an option. If the British people don't want it, they'll vote with their wallet and buy British/non American chicken.

[Hexx]

Think you've missed the point.

The issue isn't "Chlorine Chicken" is bad in itself - but that the Chlorine Wash is used to "cleanse" the chicken at the end of the process, and make up for much more lax health and safety precautions at other stages in the process.

[Moggy]

As long as it's labelled as such, I have no problem with it being an option. If the British people don't want it, they'll vote with their wallet and buy British/non American chicken.

Which is fine for the wealthy and the comfortably off.

Poor people will end up with no choice.

Plus you are assuming it will have to be labelled in the supermarkets.

And that restaurants/fast food places will have to inform you.

Above all though, why the hell would you be willing to support rules being relaxed to allow worse products?

[Tineash]

Above all though, why the hell would you be willing to support rules being relaxed to allow worse products?

Because he's in favour of dismantling the regulatory state, and letting 'the market' 'decide' what is acceptable. Raw milk, anyone?

[Lagamorph]

Is there any long term study into regular consumption of chicken that's been washed in chlorine and having an impact on the health of those who eat it?

I'd never heard of chlorine washed chicken before but I've happily consumed lots of chicken and meat when I've been in the USA.

Do meat eaters in the UK become temporary vegetarians when in the USA?

As long as it's labelled as such, I have no problem with it being an option. If the British people don't want it, they'll vote with their wallet and buy British/non American chicken.

It's not actually banned in the EU because of health concerns though, studies have shown that someone would have to eat at least 3 entire chlorinated chickens a day for a prolonged period to suffer any health effects.

The reason it's banned is because allowing farmers to use Chlorine means they can cut corners when it comes to hygiene.

[KK]

It won't be the majority of supermarket own brand, it'll be backdoored in via the catering industry (just like halal was/is). Some UK farms will then want to know why they're unable to compete, so you may see it introduced here too. You won't know you're eating it.

On the health front more generally, you go buy an American brand that has been imported and then compare it to the same brand that has been produced here or in the EU. High fructose corn syrups instead of cane sugar. e numbers, preservatives and colourants with SAFETY WARNINGS FOR KIDS instead of fruit juice. GM organisms. Higher salt. Higher sugar. It's loaded with CRAP.

That's not to say I don't think governments don't interfere too much, but unfortunately some people have no restraint so we end up with things like a sugar levy on Coke because Fat Fiona and Diabetic Dave down the street had 10 cans earlier.

[Moggy]

Above all though, why the hell would you be willing to support rules being relaxed to allow worse products?

Because he's in favour of dismantling the regulatory state, and letting 'the market' 'decide' what is acceptable. Raw milk, anyone?

Oh I know his views on this sort of thing.

He's basically GRcades uncool version of Ron Swanson.

Chlorine chicken you say?

[Hexx]

Oh come off it. Ron doesn't eat Chicken. It's Steak. Big meaty steaks.

All the time.

[Moggy]

Oh come off it. Ron doesn't eat Chicken. It's Steak. Big meaty steaks.

All the time.

That's why GD is the uncool version.

[BID0]

At least it'll be another in a long list of reasons to go Vegan

[Lagamorph]

At least it'll be another in a long list of reasons to go Vegan

There's no such thing as a list if reasons to go vegan, Vegans would get too hungry and eat the list.

[That]

I find the idea of chlorine-washed chicken a bit gross - Why does it have to be chlorine-washed? What was on it beforehand that required that? - but I would rather eat 10 chlorine-washed chickens every day until I die of chlorine poisoning than go vegan.

[Moggy]

At least it'll be another in a long list of reasons to go Vegan

There's no such thing as a list if reasons to go vegan, Vegans would get too hungry and eat the list.

We should just eat vegans.

[BID0]

At least it'll be another in a long list of reasons to go Vegan

There's no such thing as a list if reasons to go vegan, Vegans would get too hungry and eat the list.

Ah yes because of eating grass. Clever.

[Preezy]

So long as the chicken is clean when it reaches the shelf/plate I'm not really that fussed about what goes on beforehand. I'm already eating a foodstuff that's arrived on my fork from a long journey of industrial-scale pain and suffering, so I can't exactly get my back up about what the thing is washed in to make it edible.

[Moggy]

So long as the chicken is clean when it reaches the shelf/plate I'm not really that fussed about what goes on beforehand. I'm already eating a foodstuff that's arrived on my fork from a long journey of industrial-scale pain and suffering, so I can't exactly get my back up about what the thing is washed in to make it edible.

It's not about what it's washed in. It's about the reason for washing it.

[Preezy]

So long as the chicken is clean when it reaches the shelf/plate I'm not really that fussed about what goes on beforehand. I'm already eating a foodstuff that's arrived on my fork from a long journey of industrial-scale pain and suffering, so I can't exactly get my back up about what the thing is washed in to make it edible.

It's not about what it's washed in. It's about the reason for washing it.

But again, so long as it's edible at the end of it, do I care? No I do not care. I've got 5 kids to feed (chlorinated chicken to) man.