China and the Coronovirus

[idun]

I have just spoken to a friend in France and got an earful about the chinese eating ne porter quoi and that was why it was their fault and we should not be suffering because of their complete contempt for nature.

What with eating just about anything along with chinese medicine ...... you name it, it was mentioned.

As I had not seen anything about this and wondered why she was so upset. Although I have to say that certain practices, like bear bile and rhino horn etc etc truly make my blood boil.

This link should be live and if it is down to the poor poor pangolin, then I feel truly deflated and disgusted.  Nature fighting back..... I used to wonder when it would, so maybe it is.

https://www.lepoint.fr/sciences-nature/coronavirus-chinois-la-maladie-transmise-a-l-homme-a-cause-du-pangolin-07-02-2020-2361694_1924.php

 

[Lori]

Yes, Idun, I have heard similar sentiments.  Mr. Trump is also calling this the "Chinese Virus."  So, I suspect this may flame the fire. 

We did not go out today - again - as we have supplies.  I imagine we will need to go out in about 3 or 4 days for fresh supplies (long life milk, whatever fresh veggies we can find, etc.).  I have no idea what we will find when we go out.

I know that Auchan.fr says they are no longer able to deliver food items only household items.  An order to Monoprix failed as impossible to complete.  We have an order with Carrefour for delivery this coming Saturday.  We made this order several days ago, long before the lockdown took place. I have no idea if we will actually get the order.  I have my doubts.

[PaulT]

There was an interesting entry on a thread on BBC Internet News concerning a US research lab under the control of the Pentagon and references to it being deleted.

[NormanH]

I have also heard people saying that the Chinese eat "n'mporte quoi"

I pointed out that for English and American people the French eat "n'mporte quoi", in the sense that they eat horse meat, uncooked meat and shellfish, snails, frogs legs, foie gras; and Mitterand's last banquet was reputed to include ortolan....

What is regarded as "normal" is largely down to social conditioning.

This sort of knee-jerk racism usually based on utter ignorance makes me cross.

Here is a video of everyday life in Wuhan under the lockdown..

I think that the living conditions of these Chinese is probably at a higher level than many French or even English..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyucJekT87E&feature=youtu.be

[Gardian]

Well, yes Norman.

I have to say that I have been known to thoroughly enjoy tucking in to a Ginsters Pastie with baked beans.

Mrs G recoils with horror, but she has a legendary ‘sniffiness’ about some of my food preferences!

The point surely is the level of cleanliness with which any food is dealt with at any point in its journey to the plate.

[BritinBretagne]

Pasty please. :)

[mint]

I had the same conversation with my doctor today.  I pointed out to him that the French also ate whatever:  pig's trotters, all sorts of abats, gésiers and andouilletes.

Funny thing was, one of my requests to him was for an anti-nausea pill[:D]

[idun]

Oh I agree, and I remember well being sur la cote years ago and an american saying 'these frenchies will eat ANYTHING'. He had heard us speaking english and made the comment as we were all passing a stall that sold sea urchins.

My friend is a good and kind woman, but she was really on her high horse about this. Fact is that two of her children are ill both with the same condition and at very high risk if they catch this.

[Gardian]

Pasty - I stand corrected BinB

[nomoss]

I, maybe mistakenly, understood the problem not to be due to eating some exotic creatures, but breeding/raising/keeping them in a crowded domestic environment where close contact was possible.

[chessie]

This virus is believed to have come directly from the Chinese 'wet' markets.   What the french choose to eat bears absolutely no resemblance to what goes on in those 'wet' markets.  

They are disgusting; cruel, filthy, vile.  

Check out some of the web sites - there are plenty - which will give you complete information on what goes on.   The Chinese practice of eating anything, including bats for heavens sake, is a crime against nature and the planet - anything wild it seems.  For some reason the dear little Pangoline has become popular - and could soon become extinct thanks to the Chinese. 

The markets also sell animals alive;   please educate yourselves about these 'wet' markets.   Whatever the french choose to eat bears no comparison with what the Chinese get up to.

An indication of which is the infamous Dog markets;  for real hair-raising cruelty and distress go and check out some of those web-sites if anyone is not aware of them.

 

And I know how many of you feel about Mr Trump - but in this he is correct - it IS a Chinese virus and is down to their 'wet' markets - with all the animal cruelty and filth involved.

Chessie.

[suein56]

Norman wrote : Here is a video of everyday life in Wuhan under the lockdown..

I think that the living conditions of these Chinese is probably at a higher level than many French or even English..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyucJekT87E&feature=youtu.be

Fascinating .. thank you Norman. The gardens in the community were fabulous spaces.

At first I wondered why everyone was wearing jackets and (almost) outside clothes inside but then I realised that the policy is doors open everywhere .. so no heat in the living spaces .. as organisms grow quicker in warm places.

[nomoss]

[quote user="chessie"]This virus is believed to have come directly from the Chinese 'wet' markets.   What the french choose to eat bears absolutely no resemblance to what goes on in those 'wet' markets.  

They are disgusting; cruel, filthy, vile.  

Check out some of the web sites - there are plenty - which will give you complete information on what goes on.   The Chinese practice of eating anything, including bats for heavens sake, is a crime against nature and the planet - anything wild it seems.  For some reason the dear little Pangoline has become popular - and could soon become extinct thanks to the Chinese.

[/quote]

Frogs, presumably are OK? - or rather frogs' legs which have sometimes been torn off the living creature, which is thrown back into the water because it's easier.

And how about force feeding ducks and geese until their livers become distended and tasty?

Oysters and oursins are eaten live.

"Disgusting and filthy" etc. is a matter of opinion.

[nomoss]

[quote user="suein56"]...................................At first I wondered why everyone was wearing jackets and (almost) outside clothes inside but then I realised that the policy is doors open everywhere .. so no heat in the living spaces .. as organisms grow quicker in warm places.[/quote]

How does that square with the assertion that the virus will become less of a danger when summer comes, please?

[chessie]

Nomoss;  I didn't give a list of everything the french ate - I don't believe we're comparing two similar situations here, at all.

For the record I'm vegetarian.

On a personal level I find the idea of eating live oysters totally repugnant; I do indeed know about how frogs are treated - but if people wish to eat frogs then you're quite correct - they should know how the frogs are cruelly hacked about whilst alive.

I find all the foodie items you mentioned to be disgusting, have never wanted to eat and will not eat any one of them. 

I'm aware of the cruelty involved in some iof the french foodie items - sickening.

But I don't believe many of those gruesome items pose any real serious health risk to the whole world do they ?   Nor do they involve the slaughter of endangered species do they ?

Chessie

[Fourcade]

Chessie, I agree with you. Whilst whatever you find strange to eat is a matter of culture, the way animals are killed and kept prior to eating should be done humanely and with as little distress as possible.  Until you have walked around a far eastern food market it is difficult to understand how these things operate. The wet markets of China are wholly disgusting, and their capture, treatment and killing of animals, especially endangered ones should be a matter of global outrage (and by the way, they eat frogs too). Several pandemics have originated from china, and industrial and cruel nature of their animal hubandry allows viruses to cross the species barrier. We have known this for a long time, and have sat on our hands. As I understand it the enormous wet market in Wuhan is opening up again.

I am a meat eater, but if we learn anything from this pandemic it should be that Chinese animal husbandry cannot continue in its present form. If it does, the next virus to emerge from there may be a lot worse.