Illegal Mad Cow Testing: Where are the Free Marketers?

This small item in the NYT deserves more attention. The Department of Agriculture banned a small meat packer from testing its cattle for Mad Cow disease. It seems that the problem is that the big meat packers don't want the expense of testing their cattle, but they also don't want this small meat packer of getting a competitive advantage from being able to certify that its beef as been tested and shown to be free of Mad Cow disease. This is just a wonderful example showing that the Bush administration conservatives have no interest in the free market or "you are on your own" economics. They are prepared to use the heavy hand of the government to ensure that small meat packers do not win out over bigger more politically powerful meat packers. It is clear that the Bush administration is not prepared to tell the big meat packers that "you are on your own." [Thanks to Ben Zipperer for the head up.]

--Dean Baker