Wolves and the Illusion of Rancher Independence

Canadian ranchers have had a hard time of it lately. Because of the BSE crisis, which has stopped the export of live cattle, the wholesale price of cattle has dropped in half, while the consumer cost of meat has not moved. One obvious solution is that ranchers form their own meat pools and set up their own packing companies. Which is what the wheat farmers did after being screwed over by the elevator companies. However ranchers believe in the myth of their independence and are unwilling to combine together for better bargaining. This is as bazzare as the type of people who are most resistent to some sort of unionization, which would better their own lot, are the same people who are most fervent in support of "our free enterprise system". There is DS9 episode which deals with this contradiction of anti-union free enterprisers, Bar Association.

Now ranchers are up in arms about wolves, and not about the meat packing companies that are screwing them over. To make a tastless joke, wolves are nature's way to control the number and profitablity ranchers.