Those practices are low risk.  An experienced sushi chef can look at fish and
tell if is safe to eat by texture smell etc.  I have never eaten steak tartar
however I think it is thin strips of meat with some kind of acid fruit sauce
that reduces bacteria.
Again it is all about calculated risk
-David

> I wish I
> did!  I guess I look at it the other way sometimes, why have certain
> raw meat-eating practices been handed down through the centuries, and
> why do so many cultures have raw food dishes, such as sushi, sashimi,
> steak tartar, raw oysters, etc.