The World Is Flattened

So I've been studying the recent report of the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety convened by Bush in July to make it seem like he cares, he really cares, about poisoned toys and pet food. What I've learned, talking to experts, is that the thing is a farce—no surprise—and in a later post, I'll explain precisely why. (My favorite detail, just to tantalize you: "As of October 24, 2007," the Working Group boasts, "the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Seafood Inspection Program had inspected and certified seven seafood processing plants in China and had plans to inspect another twelve plants." Well, all told in China, there are 5362 seafood processing plants—hear that, seafood lovers? Just 5355 to go!)

For now, though, I'll dwell on an aside. One of most astonishing things about the 85-page document, which you can download here, is the number of its proposals that, when you read them, you scream to yourself, "How the hell aren't we doing these things already???

It's the way, reading it, the realization dawns on you that at least a decade into Thomas Friedman's golden age of "world is flat" globalization, it seems never have occurred to the conservatives running our government to update a single trade regulation.

Take this proposed guideline: "Clarify the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) authority to require preventive controls for certain foods."

Yes, well: one would have hoped by now that it was fairly clear that this is what the FDA is for.

Then there's this: "Provide the FDA authority to require measures to prevent the intentional contamination of domestic and foreign foods."

You mean they don't have that authority already? As the kids say, WTF?

"Examine food-safety control systems of other countries to determine whether improvements can be made to the operation of FDA's food regulator program." Now, I know conservatives hate the furriners. But this is only now occurring to them?

The document also includes a recommendation to amend the authorizing legislation for the FDA, the federal meat, poultry, and egg inspection regimes, and Consumer Product Safety Commissions "to include asset-forfeiture remedies for criminal offenses."

Yes, you read that right: heretofore, and as things now stand, you can criminally poison American consumers and not fear that the government would take from you a single red cent.

So what else? The Working Group says we should "authorize the FDA to refuse admission of imported products if access...to any factor, warehouse or establishment in which a product for export to the United States is manufactured, processed, packed, or held, is unduly delayed, limited, or denied."

That's a pretty sensible recommendation—considering that, during the melamine scare, it took so long for FDA inspectors to be granted visas that by the time he got they the factory owner had bulldozed the evidence. But you know, you might think they would have thought of this kind of reform before America got to the point where its trade with other countries, as the report records, reached $2 trillion from 800,000 through over 300 ports of entry.

Nope. When it comes to thinking through how to make trade safe, we're apparently at Year Zero. "Amend the CPSA to make it unlawful for any manufacturer, distributor, or retailer to sell a recalled product knowingly and willfully after the date of public announcement of the recall"? You mean it's lawful now?

Some other principles the Working Group recommended that you'd think a sane country not infected with E. coli conservatism would already have on the books:

• "Provide authority for the destruction of medical products refused admission into the United States."

• "Make Product Safety and Important Principle of our Diplomatic Relationships With Foreign Countries."

• "Create an Interactive Import-Safety Information Network."

• "Authorize CPSC to require all recalling firms to provide the name and address of companies that supplied or received the recalled product."

• "Consider cooperative agreements between the federal inspection agencies and their state counterparts for greater information-sharing."

Fresh ideas! And finally, last but not least, there's this: "Expedite Consumer Notification of Product Recalls." Who could have thought of that? No wonder they say conservatives are winning the war of ideas.

Scared yet? Just you wait. Because next time I'll explain precisely why the language of this report makes it impossible to achieve many of its goals.

Views expressed on this page are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Campaign for America's Future or Institute for America's Future