So Miranda Was Carrying Stolen, Classified Material. How SHOCKING He Was Detained.

[freshwest]

136. British beefeaters don't wan't to get into it with Brazil. Trade makes strange bedfellows.

Last edited Mon Aug 19, 2013, 04:39 PM - Edit history (1)

Brazilian beef barons claim to be protecting Paraguay's Indian lands – by turning them into ranches. Photograph: Antonio Scorza/AFP/Getty Images

Brazil is the world's biggest exporter of beef.

Huge areas of semi-forested grasslands are being cleared to make way for cattle pastures to feed the global love of cattle meat. And Britain is one of the biggest importers:

The price of cheap beef: disease, deforestation, slavery and murder

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/oct/18/bse.foodanddrink

Now, under greater scrutiny at home for their environmental and humanitarian sins, Brazilian beef barons are buying up land across the border in Paraguay – and bulldozing traditional Indian lands there. But, hey, it's all right, they say. Because, in among the ranches, they are creating nature reserves.

Are the ranchers going green – or engaging in flagrant greenwash to preserve their place on your plate? Now one company has been accused of invading the land of one of the few surviving tribal groups that are uncontacted by the outside world, and setting aside part of it for nature. And it has lined up the unlikely figure of Charlie Chaplin in its defence, bizarrely saying British-born "Chaplin would be turning in his grave in shame" at the accusations from his "countrymen" at Survival International, which has its headquarters in the UK.

More at the link:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/jan/28/brazilian-beef-greenwash/print

The USA, Russia and many nations are competing for Brazil's bounty with little regard to the results. The demands of population lead to backroom deals most of the public doesn't want to see, so they can pretend innocence, then assail their 'immoral' government.

Just as they demand their gadgets, cars, fuel, electricity right to send their sewage in the river and then scream government and corporate greed and how *they* are causing ecological disaster. Yes, I've been guilty of it too. But I'm jaded by the clueless self-righteousness tossed out in the world and blaming. For me, the solution is changing things, not focusing on the evil of whatever.

Possibly Assange's sabbatical in Ecuador's embassy has implications for trade for their goods. But Ecuador is nowhere near the economic powerhouse that Brazil has become by ruthlessly exploiting its resources and doing things many liberals consider repugnant. Yet we act as if this is going on as a secret. There is no secrecy. We use the resources of what we've deigned to call the third world, reinforcing their relationship to our first world lives and ignore principles.

Brazil, like it or not, has a lot of pull internationally and will call the shots on this. It's not like Britain or anyone else is going to bomb their food supply, are they?

As long as it's cheap, we're all best buddies. IMHO, there is a lot allegedly going on behind the scenes that we create ourselves.