So apparently Ireland is Communist and thats why you fail

Overheal

http://consumerist.com/5360389/coke-ceo-soda-taxes-are-communist-conspiracy-to-sap-our-precious-bodily-fluids

Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent has lashed out at a proposed federal tax on soda as "outrageous" and something akin to the policies that landed former Communist regimes in the dustbin of history. "I have never seen it work where a government tells people what to eat and what to drink," he said. "If it worked, the Soviet Union would still be around."

Kent's statement was in response to comments by President Barack Obama in the latest issue of Men's Health magazine. When asked about taxing soft drinks, the President answered that ‘‘I actually think it's an idea that we should be exploring There's. no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda."


While the U.S. government has, in fact, told consumers what to eat or drink, through everything from prohibition to agricultural subsidies (not to mention the venerable food pyramid), it seems unlikely that a national soft-drink tax will be enacted any time soon. Even local efforts, such as one proposed earlier this year by New York Governor David Paterson, have faced stiff opposition (in Paterson's case, that included a threat by New York-based Pepsico to leave the state if the tax was passed).


We do understand why Comrade Kent is concerned with Soviet-era food policies. After all, it was a backroom deal between Nixon and Khrushchev that got Pepsi into the Soviet market in the 1970s, forcing Coke to wait until the 1980s to compete. When Coke finally became available in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe, the cadre of executives that helped bring it to the masses was led by none other than Muhtar Kent. Under the same circumstances, we might grow to resent the policies that allowed the competition to get a foothold so much earlier. Resentment could turn to obsession. And then, well, before you know it, you're scrawling acronyms on scraps of paper and grumbling about fluoridation. And we all know where that leads.

How are you today Comrades?

/the over-reaction over here is delicious - they should tax it.

Wazdakka

You say Comunist like it's a bad thing

Overheal

Wazdakka wrote: »

You say Comunist like it's a bad thing

...Yes.

bonerjams03

Where does Ireland come into this?

Neamhshuntasach

Yes finally it's arrived. Time to wipe out my opponents.

peasant

thread fail

My name is URL

Wazdakka wrote: »

You say Comunist like it's a bad thing

psst... he's American! The Commies hate America & Freedom and everything in between :pac:

indough

Wazdakka wrote: »

You say Comunist like it's a bad thing

you say that like it isnt

ScumLord

IRcolm wrote: »

Where does Ireland come into this?

We must have accidentally bought the US on Ebay, no wonder we're broke.

cherryghost

In Soviet Ireland, thread fails you!

rossie1977

IRcolm wrote: »

Where does Ireland come into this?

i don't understand either, food is exempt from tax in ireland as is exports, medical services, childrens clothing, insurance and banking services, and fertilizers

Biggins

I'm just taxed about this whole thread!

Kintarō Hattori

Ehh what Overheal. You have us all a little puzzled sir. Fill us in please.

Dirk Gently

either he's confusing European union with Soviet union or he thinks Ireland is in eastern Europe.

chin_grin

I for one welcome our new Overheal.

ejmaztec

clown bag wrote: »

either he's confusing European union with Soviet union or he thinks Ireland is in eastern Europe.

He's caught usgeographobia, a disorder brought on by a blow to the head, followed by the first symptom, the belief that Paris is in Mexico. After that, the symptoms get much worse, and it becomes incurable when the victim starts to believe that Ireland is in Moscow.

AnonoBoy

.......we drink Coke or because we bottle it?


Personally I'm a Communist because I believe in an egalitarian, classless and stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general, not because I enjoy a certain popular carbonated soft drink.

Wazdakka

Yo Overheal..

I'm happy for you, I'm gonna let you finish But we don't have a national soft drink tax or communism.

You Suck!

control of the means of production and property in general

Which means control of the people otherwise they won't co-operate.....they never do. Centralized economys are an ugly ugly business.

Reindeer

Wazdakka wrote: »

Yo Overheal..

I'm happy for you, I'm gonna let you finish But we don't have a national soft drink tax or communism.

Ireland has imposed and withdrawn their taxes on soft drinks, and is the one most quoted when researchers speak on the subject. In some states in the US, there is already a tax on recyclable soft drink products.

ScumLord

Reindeer wrote: »

Ireland has imposed and withdrawn their taxes on soft drinks, and is the one most quoted when researchers speak on the subject. In some states in the US, there is already a tax on recyclable soft drink products.

Piss?

Kintarō Hattori

Typical Yank. Wade in, make a big fuss, brash statements and then feck off without quantifying what he said. :pac:

QOTSA90

Lads, Im lost. Is it possible that its too late?... in AH!?

Reindeer

ScumLord wrote: »

Piss?

Yeh, most don't recall it since it was a while back. The States that do tax soft drinks do it in a roundabout way usually, though - and not directly on the drink itself. Only fast food soft drinks may be taxed directly, if I recall. That is usually at the state sales tax rate which can vary between 5-9pct ish. In markets it is considered a food product, and not taxed at all.

However, as it stands, our soft drink tax is at 21pct. Unlike the US where taxes are required to be plainly stated and added only after the sales price is made clear - ours aren't. As a result, few Irish realise exactly how much taxes they actually pay, all considered.

If you buy a car with a 2.5 litre engine, you pay upwards of 58pct taxes on it. Then it's another grand or more a year road taxes. The same car in America cost nearly half as much to start, and then rarely more than 70-400USD a year in road/reg taxes, depending on the state.

Petrol taxes are enormous, totaling more than the original cost of the petrol itself, and now we will see another 8pct added(the second or third increase in the last decade, if I recall).

Be aware that the gov often hit us with both excise taxes and VAT on a products. These add up quickly.

All in all, we are one of the more heavily taxed countries in the world. So a soda tax shouldn't really be a surprise, nor should far less taxed countries labeling us communist surprise you.

What does this mean? It means you don't get to keep much of what you earn. It simply goes to someone else that doesn't make as much as you after the government wastes it on limousines etc. It also creates inflated rent, leases and property prices, amongst other things. As long as we give it, the government will be more than happy to take it. And, as I stated, not knowing how much taxes we pay hinders the knowledge we need to spark reprisals; whether at the vote or in the streets.

There's far more sheep in Ireland than people know...

As an aside, part of the Lisbon treaty[ies] also sought to rectify the discrepancies in tax rates amongst EU countries. We would only benefit from such treatment. Food for thought.

brendansmith

This thread fails

Mr Benevolent

Most pointless thread of the year. Pepsi addling your thoughts, OP?

Zillah

ejmaztec wrote: »

He's caught usgeographobia, a disorder brought on by a blow to the head, followed by the first symptom, the belief that Paris is in Mexico. After that, the symptoms get much worse, and it becomes incurable when the victim starts to believe that Ireland is in Moscow.

You were able to call this mental disorder absolutely anything you liked, and you went with -phobia, which any fool knows means a fear disorder. Bravo.

DamoDLK

Geography.. has FAILED you me boy!

super_furry

20% tax on Overheal threads.

Kipperhell

Reindeer wrote: »

Ireland has imposed and withdrawn their taxes on soft drinks, and is the one most quoted when researchers speak on the subject. In some states in the US, there is already a tax on recyclable soft drink products.

I am not sure that is true. There was a tax on soft drinks in Ireland that had some connection to the Boar War (sp?) that the state "forgot" about. When they decided to remove the tax they simply replaced it with another tax. I think it happened in the early 90s but can't remember the details.

Nodin

Overheal wrote: »

How are you today Comrades?

I'll tell you after the daily Vodka delivery.

Biggins

Ok - now I know this thread has lost the plot!

Biggins

Biggins wrote: »

Ok - now I know this thread has lost the plot!

Plot?? what plot. It's a collection of jigsaw pieces from different puzzles. :pac:

Whiskey Devil

Oh when, oh when will they ever learn..

Húrin

Well Obama is basically saying that the companies selling the soft drinks mus shrink rather than grow, in the name of the country's health, the CEO is of course freaking out.

me-skywalker

coca-cola is one of the most valuable brand item in america and the sales are beyond comprehension. If they taxed it, it wouldnt be for health purposes it would be to fill there pockets with the millions of revenue it would generate!! nothing to do with health!!

Capt'n Midnight

What they should do is to remove subsidies for corn in the US.


Corn is cheap because of subsidies, and itsn't very nutritious. And most importantly corn syrup is one of the main "empty calorie" sweeteners in US for soda and other Junk food ( bonus points if you can name the 3? items on the McDonalds menu apart from the beef burgers that don't contain added sweetner. )

Excess corn is dumped to the third world as food aid, keeping the price at home high and undercutting third world farmers , who then don't have enough money to buy food and so the cycle continues ( one poor harvest becomes a disaster ). In most cases you don't need food aid for famines , just money so locals can buy food (or controls on food exports from the affected region )

dsmythy

Am i the only one hankering for a soft drink after reading all this? You don't work for a soft drinks company by any chance Overheal?

ejmaztec

Zillah wrote: »

You were able to call this mental disorder absolutely anything you liked, and you went with -phobia, which any fool knows means a fear disorder. Bravo.

It's a fear of places moving around outside the US, silly.:P

me-skywalker

What they should do is get rid of the idiot in the hot seat! He's useless... Was the lesser of 2 evils in a hero deserted ticket... Can anyone else sense another 'terrorist' disaster?

Overheal

I leave AH for one day...

I was referring to the tax on everything from cigarettes to alcohol and the levies on imports that Ireland fines: basically the Nanny State Thing, wherein according to this wild-eyed cocacola CEO, you must all be commies.

I meant it sarcastically. Jayz. You're not there. I think the CEO is over-reacting.

Sherifu

Tenuous at best young yank.

Dirk Gently

http://www.stockphotopro.com/photo-thumbs-2/APRD65.jpg

Biggins

Overheal wrote: »

I leave AH for one day...

I was referring to the tax on everything from cigarettes to alcohol and the levies on imports that Ireland fines: basically the Nanny State Thing, wherein according to this wild-eyed cocacola CEO, you must all be commies....

Well that clears that up... aaa not!

Adamcp898

Overheal wrote: »

I leave AH for one day...

I was referring to the tax on everything from cigarettes to alcohol and the levies on imports that Ireland fines: basically the Nanny State Thing, wherein according to this wild-eyed cocacola CEO, you must all be commies.

I meant it sarcastically. Jayz. You're not there. I think the CEO is over-reacting.

Too late my American "buddy", the Russian submarines are already on their way under the arctic *evil laugh*

/Russian accent

Kintarō Hattori

Biggins wrote: »

Well that clears that up... aaa not!

I reckon he hit the sauce and didn't know what was coming out of his gob. He's only a young 'un after all. Kids these days Biggins, kids these days.