[Red_Army]

http://www.rt.com/news/bolivia-ban-coca-cola-581/

In a symbolic rejection of US capitalism, Bolivia announced it will expel the Coca-Cola Company from the country at the end of the Mayan calendar. This will mark the end of capitalism and usher in a new era of equality, the Bolivian govt says.
“December 21 of 2012 will be the end of egoism and division. December 21 should be the end of Coca-Cola,” Bolivian foreign minister David Choquehuanca decreed, with bombast worthy of a viral marketing campaign.
The coming ‘end’ of the Mayan lunar calendar on December 21 of this year has sparked widespread doomsaying of an impending apocalypse. But Choquehuanca argued differently, claiming it will be the end of days for capitalism, not the planet.

“The planets will align for the first time in 26,000 years and this is the end of capitalism and the beginning of communitarianism,” said Choquehuanca as quoted by Venezuelan newspaper El Periodiquito.
The minister encouraged the people of Bolivia to drink Mocochinche, a peach-flavored soft drink, as an alternative to Coca-Cola. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez followed suit, encouraging his country to ditch the American beverage for fruit juice produced in Venezuela.
McFailure
Last year, Bolivia became the second Latin American country not to have a single McDonald’s. The fast food giant finally gave up on Bolivia after being unable to turn a profit in the country for over a decade.
Following this failure, the monolithic multinational released a documentary titled ‘Why McDonald’s failed in Bolivia.’ Referencing surveys, sociologists, nutritionists and historians, the company came to the conclusion it was not their food that was the issue, but a culturally driven boycott.
Bolivian President Evo Morales has a reputation for controversial policies similar to the Coca-Cola ban. Morales pledged last month to legalize the consumption of coca leaves, one of the main ingredients of cocaine.

“Neither the US nor capitalist countries have a good reason to maintain the ban on coca leaf consumption,” said Morales.
The coca leaf was declared an illegal narcotic by the UN in 1961, along with cocaine, opium and morphine. The consumption of coca leaves is a centuries-old tradition in Bolivia, strongly rooted in the beliefs of various indigenous groups.

You heard it here first guys, capitalism is ending. All you wall street types better pack your bags, because the revolution's coming, and she don't drink coke

Coca Cola has a pretty shitty history in Latin America, so this isn't surprising, but its quite the proclamation from Morales.

[Soulflytribe]

Coca Cola has a pretty shitty history in Latin America, so this isn't surprising, but its quite the proclamation from Morales.

Brazil is the fourth largest market for Coca Cola in the world and Mexico is the third, only losing to China and the US. This is not the end of capitalism, but rather the final end for Bolivia and clearly the death of its legal certainty.
One of the poorest countries in the world expelling companies which pay taxes and give jobs is not really a bright move. But what would you expect from Mr. Evo "the son of Pachamama" Morales?
And when I say that Brazil has the worst neighbours in the world people say that I'm exaggerating... *sigh*

[Dr House]

And when I say that Brazil has the worst neighbours in the world people say that I'm exaggerating...

Israel?

[Smertios]

"(...)at the end of the Mayan calendar." (!)
WTF is wrong with these people?

Anyway, I think I'd leave the country if they ever expelled coca-cola from here xD

I do agree, however, that there is no basis to ban coca leaf consumption. Cocaine is extracted from the leaves and concentrated into the modern product. The amount of cocaine found naturally in each leaf is minimal and not enough to cause the damages cocaine bars can cause...

Israel?

Not even close. Egypt, Lebanon and Syria all had a history of stability at some point. Jordan is still stable. The Hispanic countries have been bastions of instability and populism for the last 2 centuries... Only now some countries, like Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay are experiencing a stable environment. others, like Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Panama etc are following the trend. But most of them are still highly unstable and under-industrialized.

[Daktoria]

Bolivia has a market for Coca Cola?

I'm not surprised McDonalds failed either. The country's in the middle of the jungle, and has a primitive/sustenance economy.

[Potemkin]

He'll have to answer to the Coca-Cola company....

[youtube]DUAK7t3Lf8s[/youtube]

[Smertios]

Bolivia has a market for Coca Cola?

Why wouldn't it have a market? Coke is relatively cheap and quite tasteful. Most people I know, from the poorest to the richest, enjoy it and buy it every now and then.

[Daktoria]

Why wouldn't it have a market? Coke is relatively cheap and quite tasteful. Most people I know, from the poorest to the richest, enjoy it and buy it every now and then.

...because it's uninspiring. People don't know how it's made, and drinking it doesn't inspire you to make anything else.

It's a luxury good, but in primitive societies, luxury goods spoil people.

[Potemkin]

Fun Fact #374: Coca-Cola originally contained cocaine. When cocaine was banned, they put caffeine into it instead, to ensure that it continued to be addictive. The Coca-Cola Company - creating addicts since 1886.

[Daktoria]

Coke isn't inspiring either. It just makes you giddy and energized, sometimes evoking confidence. No hallucinations.

[Suska]

Nobody needs colored sugar water, it's just an addiction we don't stop them selling to children. It may seem naive but this is the face of future politics - being selective about which global predator corporations a nation embraces is the nature of our gift to the world. So long as corporations cannot form armies and the world is relatively stable the most primitive nations will have a voice and credibility far outreaching their scale, and in light of global climate change primitivism has integrity consumerism can't touch.

[Daktoria]

Nobody needs colored sugar water, it's just an addiction we don't stop them selling to children. It may seem naive but this is the face of future politics - being selective about which global predator corporations a nation embraces is the nature of our gift to the world. So long as corporations cannot form armies and the world is relatively stable the most primitive nations will have a voice and credibility far outreaching their scale, and in light of global climate change primitivism has integrity consumerism can't touch.

You think primitivism and consumerism are diametrically opposed?

Evo Morales is behaving like Pol Pot. Workaholism encourages consumption for consumption's sake because people aren't thinking about enjoying their experiences. They're simply ingesting what it takes to rejuvenate to do another day's work.

[Suska]

You think primitivism and consumerism are diametrically opposed?

Why do you paint the world as geometric? It's a different style and entails different rituals and ritual objects. Comparing Morales to Pot is retarded.

Look at this sweater of his...



He's the Elvis of primitivism

In the world there are large and small countries, rich countries and poor countries, but we are equal in one thing, which is our right to dignity and sovereignty

[Soulflytribe]

There's nothing unique about Bolivia or Evo. If this guy at Evo's left in the picture above (José Bové) were France's President he would try to do exactly the same thing Evo's been doing in Bolivia. He would definitely try to expel McDonald's and Coca-Cola from France.

Evo is just a communist who has created a folkloric persona (the son of an indigenous God or the great leader of the indians or whatever) and wants to be a dictator. There is nothing more than this. He is really no different from Pol Pot or Kadaffi or any other typical dictator.

In countries which are strong democracies regulated by neutral Institutions people like him are impeached or arrested. José Bové would never be allowed to destroy France the same way Evo is destroying Bolivia. This is not about any Bolivia's hypothetical uniqueness or "primitivism", but rather about weak Institutions allowing a lunatic to enslave a people and ruin their country end economy. Even Germany, Italy and France were vulnerable to this kind of thing at some point.

[Suska]

I've never seen Morales as a charismatic leader. He's primitive and boring.

Of course. Bolivia is poor. Welcome to what poor people do. The point was it has a place on the world stage - unless you want to start a new colonial trend.

Evo is just a communist who has created a folkloric persona (the son of an indigenous God or the great leader of the indians or whatever) and wants to be a dictator.

Of course he is a dictator, as opposed to our dictatorship by multinationals. Of course his persona is "whatever" you are not his market.

[Noelnada]

Why wouldn't it have a market? Coke is relatively cheap and quite tasteful.

I'm currently drinking a german version of it, three times cheaper, less acid, just because fuck Unilever (Litpon ice-tea, my favorite soda).

Bolivia to Expel Coca Cola "End of Capitalism"

He should rather have dubbed it "End of Free-Market"... and yeah the bolivian government has every right to pursue protectionnist policies.

Of course he is a dictator

I never felt like he was a dictator, he was elected and so on... maybe i'm just too uninformed on the subject.

[Suska]

I don't find his style at all dictatorial. Morales is dictatorial in the sense that he gets his clout by opposing the new-world hegemony, therefore according to first world media sources he is an evil person with foul intentions.

[Soulflytribe]

as opposed to our dictatorship by multinationals.

A dictatorship by multinationals which you can own multinationals and run for president... What an authoritarian society...

I never felt like he was a dictator, he was elected

Ahmadinejjad, Chávez and Putin too...

[Magnetonium]

They have to do a lot more expelling before you can hail this as the "end of capitalism" in Bolivia. Capitalism is ending in Bolivia the same way as it is ending in China. Its just being replaced by another, less visible form of capitalism. If anything, the world is shifting from communism to capitalism, because Communism/Maoism/Stalinism has failed. Socialism isn't looking so strong either. Bolivian leader, who is of native background, is simply capitalizing (how close that sounds to capitalism!!!) on public support by implementing populist changes that have a long way to go with fixing the real problems that Bolivia is facing.

[Suska]

^^Of course when a poor country has dubious elections it's such a travesty, but when America has dubious elections it's the march of progress and the bell gong of freedom...