I recommend everybody take a good long look at the following article posted by Dr. Mercola at Mercola.com. I started studying Mandarin in 1969 because I anticipated that there would be normalized relations between the USA and China, including trade, which I thought would go friendlier if some of us learned each other's language. Since China was closed (President Nixon visited China in 1972 which was a spark for opening up), everybody I knew pooh-poohed my notion. I didn't foresee the catastrophic developments that have developed from USA legislators and agencies going so overboard with normalized relations! They have been allowing devastation to rural America, the people and land/air/water, plus cruelty to so many non-human animals. In addition there is the increased cargo going over the Pacific ocean (the ocean's sustainability needs less traffic not more). I still believe in international trade and cooperation but there is no good reason for people to eat pork (cows, birds, etc.) or for Big Ag worldwide to be enabled in ruining the planet. I also don't know why the USA Treasury Department would keep the documents about the purchase of Smithfield secret. It is good there is at least one Senator awake to this problem - Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) at http://www.stabenow.senate.gov. I hope you can study Dr. Mercola's article and view the brief videos:
