France angry at US foie gras ban

BBC ^ | 2-25-04

[Celantro]

>Why isn't PETA setting up headquarters over in Paris

They are! If you want to drive PETA crazy, enjoy fois gras. If you're anti French, make it American fois gras.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Just as some veal were once penned cruelly and mistreated, and the photos make it into PETA propaganda, most aren't. And there is no evidence that force-feeding is the rule for foie gras geese.

I LOVE foie gras!

[DonaldDuke]

And there is no evidence that force-feeding is the rule for foie gras geese.

Lol. Really?

Foie gras, a southwestern tradition

[Ken H]

There you have the reason for America beating the sh* out of the French in every field.

Their breakfast-- foie gras and crepes.

Our breakfast-- Steak and eggs!

[lawdude]

"They are! If you want to drive PETA crazy, enjoy fois gras. If you're anti French, make it American fois gras."

Buy some liver sausage or Braunschweiger [sp?] and drive ETA nutz!

[LibKill]

"Our reaction is obviously not to be happy," said Mr Gaymard.

Mr Gaymard, would you like a wedgie with your whine?

[gd124]

And there is no evidence that force-feeding is the rule for foie gras geese.

It is the force feeding that gives the liver it's particular flavour and texture (due to being diseased). You can't make it without force feeding.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Diseased?! You sound like PETA. It may be abnormally enlarged, but "disease" is a word with meaning.

[gd124]

Disease is a word with meaning, and fois gras clearly fills that meaning:

disease - A pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms.

BTW, the comparable condition in humans is called "Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease".

[Atlas Sneezed]

disease - A pathological condition...

---

I'm sorry, but having a big, rich and tender liver isn't "pathological". Getting your head chopped off and having your liver cut out might be, but the lever wasn't diseased.

(Your definition would count a callus on your hand from hard work as a disease. Or getting an orange complexion from eating too many carrots.)

A medical dictionary provides a more helpful definition:

Disease: An alteration in the state of the body or of some of its organs, interrupting or disturbing the performance of the vital functions, and causing or threatening pain and weakness; malady; affection; illness; sickness; disorder...
http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?disease

[gd124]

Pathological simply means relating to disease, not necessarily relating to a fatal disease.

How can you claim that the liver in post #15 is not diseased? Are you also claiming that "Fatty Liver Disease" is not a disease?

I would say that fois gras definitely fits your definition. I visited a fois gras farm in France many years ago, and the geese definitely seemed to be in pain.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Then you are using a tautological definition, and the term "pathological" has no meaning. Your defintion is thus"a condition...evidenced by signs."

Most people understand "disease" to convey unhealth, or harmful conditions, not merely abnormalities.

A callus is still under your unusefully broad definition.

I prefer the medical definition, which matches what is understood by the term.

Incidentally, Kobe beef would be considered "diseased" under your silly definition.