The United States of America is an exceptional nation. It is the motherlode of beef genetics, technology, science, and innovation for a large part of the world.
As an exceptional nation, it is home to the very best and the very worst of just about every discipline – culture, food, music, fashion, ideas, policies, education, cattle… you name it! After traveling to over 125 countries worldwide, I mean this earnestly – not just in jest.
American exceptionalism is exceptionally good – and exceptionally bad!
As beef producers, it’s our job to make sure we’re always plugged into the exceptionally good pockets of excellence that the USA offers. The antithesis is destructive.
The rest of the world has the advantage of cherry picking from the top 5% of our industry. And even in countries like Argentina, Paraguay, or Uruguay, where the average commercial herd is superior to the average American commercial herd, those producers still come to the US to select genetics from our exceptionally good programs.
This polarizing phenomenon can be best dealt with by having a good dose of hubris and humility at the same time. Kris Kristofferson could have been talking about the American cattle industry when he penned, “He’s a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, taking every wrong direction on his lonely way back home.”
Quote Worth Re-Quoting
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think for himself.” ~ H.L. Mencken
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