Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Democracy Comes To Myanmar*

Oh, our mistake. Not democracy, but capitalism. Never confuse the two.

As a matter of fact, when you hear the word "capitalism" or its paid escort, the phrase "free market reforms," take some practical advice from the Nazis & reach for your revolver. If you hear both at the same time just start shooting before it's too damned late.
Pinya Manufacturing Co., the local Coca-Cola bottling partner in Myanmar,
is producing and distributing Coca-Cola and Sprite in 425-ml PET bottles
with uniquely scripted Myanmar labels.
The company announced in a press release the ceremonial inauguration of its bottling plant on Tuesday in Hmawbi Township, a suburb of Yangon, the country’s biggest city, with local partner Pinya Manufacturing Co.

The return of Coca-Cola is emblematic of the opportunities U.S. companies see in Burma as it builds a free market economy after decades of military rule. The economy was socialized after a 1962 military coup, and most investment by U.S. companies was banned after Washington applied economic sanctions against the junta that took power in 1988 due to its repressive policies.
Coke knows nothing about "repressive policies," of course. So the people of Myanmar will get a few hundred (at most) no doubt poorly paying jobs at the breweryrefinery plant & a future as toothless diabetics. God bless America & the Coca-Cola company!
*Or Burma, whatever the fucking hell. We note that the AP goes w/ "Burma," yet uses Yangon (new) rather than Rangoon (old school) in the dateline, while our source Breaking News prefers Myanmar. Ask us & we'll tell you "cobbled together shithole of colonialism," no matter what it calls itself.

1 comment:

Weird Dave said...

As far as I can tell, you can get Coca-Cola® in China, Vietnam, and Iran (as well as being able to get KFC in the Gaza Strip. But that's a different story) so I don't think it has much to do with democracy*.

And I am sure Ms. Albright is just pleased as punch (whatever that means) by this development.

*Just out of curiosity, has that stupid no two countries that have McDonald's® have ever attacked each other mime been disproved yet? (Maybe I'll care enough to look it up.)