MIM Notes 224   December 15, 2000

Mad cow disease reaches France

Two people in France have now died from Mad Cow disease, in 
addition to the more than 80 people in England. Taking advantage 
of the situation is the right-wing French President Chirac who is 
criticizing the social-democratic French Prime Minister Lionel 
Jospin for not taking tough enough action. 

From MIM's point of view, of course Chirac is correct, but we see 
it is a systematic problem, not just one of political leadership 
within a society of private property. No political leader who 
accepts private property can do right by issues like Mad Cow 
disease.

It's very similar to seeing the Republican Party of Long Island 
threaten to nationalize the utilities there for overcharging 
customers. Ideologically we would not expect Chirac or Long Island 
Republicans to call for government intervention, but in reality, 
social-democrats are not alone in calling for government 
regulation of capitalism.

Under capitalism, opposition to "doing the right thing" in public 
health matters frequently arises from the self-interest of 
property-owners. In France, cattle-herd owners are proposing to 
destroy their herds born before mid-1996 to stop the spread of Mad 
Cow disease -- as long as the government pays for the slaughtered 
animals. In fact, Barry James of the International Herald Tribune 
says that these animals were worthless anyway and the herd-owners 
are just looking for some excuse to sell their herds.

Such motivations make it difficult to advance the public health 
most efficiently. Under the dictatorship of the proletariat it 
will be impossible to financially gain from using methods of 
production that make people sick and die. People will still get 
sick and die under socialism, but the twisted thinking that says 
people have a right to make a profit at the expense of public 
health will be repressed.

Note: International Herald Tribune 10Nov2000, p. 10.