Western farmers are mad as hell, because the U.S. has decided to keep the border closed to our anti-ballistic-missile beef just a little while longer.

That's right: Any country who refuses to defend itself and its neighbor must be mad, from the PM down to the cows. So stay the hell out, and don't expect us to return your calls.

A federal judge Wednesday blocked the reopening of the U.S. border to cattle and expanded beef imports from Canada because of mad-cow fears.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to reopen the border on Monday. But after a U.S. livestock group objected, U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull granted a temporary order preventing the action.

R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America, based in Billings, had argued that the USDA plan would pose a risk to both consumers and U.S. cattle producers. The organization asked the judge to block the reopening until its lawsuit is heard.

The group's attorney, Cliff Edwards, told the judge that it would be "insane" to allow the import of cattle from a country that has already reported two new cases of mad cow disease this year.

"This boils down to plain old common sense," he said.

As I read the paper this morning, I thought to myself: What's the worst thing the U.S. could do to prove its point, other than to let us get blown to bits in the event of attack? Well, they could change their minds (a la Dithers) about the beef...

Sure enough, they have. Too bad it affects our most conservative province - Alberta. I do feel bad for them. But for Canada as a whole, led by Paul Martin, c'mon people: how did you not see this coming?

Not that the anti-war, anti-defence people will care - they're all vegan. But for the rest of us, it's no real surprise.