Coca Cola

[Pogue]

I don't drink Coca Cola products as part of the boycott due to their murder/torture of trade unionists in Colombia. I am going to continnue this. This thread is not about how good a boycott is. I just wondered if anyone could tell me what drinks I have to avoid if I am boycotting Coca Cola. I thought Britvic owned Coca COla so I would boycott all of Britvics drinks too but now I am not sure. Anyone with some knowledge of the drinks industry who coudl tell me what companies and brands/drinks I'd have to avoid if I boycotted Coca Cola? Would I have to avoid PepsiCo products too? Britvic?

[lombas]

Isn't Britvic in cooperation with PepsiCo? What's the difference betwee Coca-Cola's and PepsiCo's policies?

[Raúl Duke]

Dasani Water, Sprite, and I think even Minute Maid juice are affiliated to Coke...

[Pogue]

So are Pepsi and Coca Cola linked?

[zider]

So are Pepsi and Coca Cola linked?

I always thought they were competitors :confused: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola_brands:confused:)



this might be of some help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola_brands

[Magdalen]

Dasani, is that the bottled tap water that causes cancer?

[Kassad]

I think Dasani is one of the few flouridated bottled waters. That might be what you are thinking of when you say it causes cancer. I haven't heard much about it.

Definitely avoid Dasani and Sprite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola
Can't say I recognize half of the stuff and I know it's Wikipedia, but here's a good place to start.

[Bilan]

Boycotting a company wont solve the problem.
Success for the workers comes from them taking action, and having solidarity and support.
Individual actions change nothing; collective actions, everything.

[LOLseph Stalin]

Coca Cola murdered workers? I used to drink it, but I think this ruined it for me. Oh well. Root Beer and Cream Soda are better anyway.

[Decolonize The Left]

I stopped drinking soda all together 4 years ago. Soda is just sugar-water; it has absolutely no health benefits what-so-ever and contributes boat-loads of money to large corporations which exploit millions.

Just stop drinking it. Coke, Pepsi, whatever... leave it out and drink water instead.

- August

[Vanguard1917]

Boycotting a company wont solve the problem.
Success for the workers comes from them taking action, and having solidarity and support.
Individual actions change nothing; collective actions, everything.

That's right.



Soda is just sugar-water; it has absolutely no health benefits what-so-ever and contributes boat-loads of money to large corporations which exploit millions.

Would the exploitation be not as regrettable if the product did have health benefits?

We need a clearer focus. Do we oppose, say, a multinational beer-producing company because of its unhealthy product, or because of its exploitation of workers?

Of course, it's the latter; we feel that people are capable of deciding for themselves whether or not they want to drink beer. We oppose the company because we argue that workers should be in charge.

[Pogue]

Boycotting a company wont solve the problem.
Success for the workers comes from them taking action, and having solidarity and support.
Individual actions change nothing; collective actions, everything.

Did you not read my first post?

[Bilan]

I did, I was just raising the point that it's utterly pointless, as is near all 'ethical consumerism'.
It's pretty much impossible to boycott companies like this anyway.
The amount of shit coke owns is ridiculous.
I don't think we sell a drink at my work which isn't owned by the Coca Cola corporation.

[Pawn Power]

SoB is right on in stressing collective action.

But yeah, Coke does kill. Not just as a result of their terrible labor practices and literal murdering unionist in the "third world" but the actual product also kills thousands in here in the US.

[Potemkin]

Yeah, collective action is definitely important, but I would argue this type of action is a display of solidarity. At least, when done by someone with revolutionary politics -- obviously, they're not doing it for the same reason that a liberal would. It's important to make that distinction. I think we all agree that "boycotts" to change corporate policy or to hurt a company financially is a waste of time and a wrong analysis. Standing with those oppressed first-hand by these corporations, though, is important.

[Vanguard1917]

SoB is right on in stressing collective action.

But yeah, Coke does kill. Not just as a result of their terrible labor practices and literal murdering unionist in the "third world" but the actual product also kills thousands in here in the US.

Lol, what?

[JimmyJazz]

Boycotting a company wont solve the problem.
Success for the workers comes from them taking action, and having solidarity and support.
Individual actions change nothing; collective actions, everything.

Agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly...but boycotting coke is what the OP considers an example of showing solidarity. Certainly we should aim for more effective and coordinated shows of solidarity, but the international consciousness of the working class is not exactly at its peak right now.

I will stop drinking Coke due to this thread. And maybe talk to some local people about demonstrating at a Coke facility or writing letters or whatever else I can come up with.

If you want to boycott every company that does bad shit and exploits its workers, you'll have to boycott them all, and in the end you'll be left with a bunch of poor capitalists and unemployed (not to mention hungry, from all the boycotting) workers; you still won't have socialism. But boycotts can still be a good propaganda tactic.

[Pawn Power]

Lol, what?

It's not particularly funny. Estimates say that one in three Americans born today will develop diabetes. Either way, at least 20 mil US residents have some form of diabetes and that is suppose to nearly double in the next 20 years. This obviously isn't a coincidence or a result of genetic mutation. In is environmental, namely our diet. It is no secret that the high concentrations of calories via sugar in soft drinks as contributed to the rise in diabetes.

Also, it is no secret that diabetes disproportionately effects poor and working class people and latino and black communities.

Soda is cheap and packs calories. It is not that wealthy people are smarter or then us working class people and don't know that there are more healthy beverages. It is that they are fucking expensive! You can get 2 gallons of soda for a buck but it costs $4 for 12oz of the good juice.

[Vanguard1917]

It's not particularly funny.

Of course it is. Making crazy sensationalists claims like that.



It is no secret that the high concentrations of calories via sugar in soft drinks as contributed to the rise in diabetes.



And beer contributes to liver disease, tobacco contributes to heart disease, and cannabis use has been linked to mental health problems. Why not crusade and call for greater stamping down against those products, too?

Yes, that might be a bit problematic for you, since it would put you in the company of people that you may not like (e.g. the religious right). But, for the sake of consistency, that is what you should be doing.

[Decolonize The Left]

Would the exploitation be not as regrettable if the product did have health benefits?

We need a clearer focus. Do we oppose, say, a multinational beer-producing company because of its unhealthy product, or because of its exploitation of workers?

Of course, it's the latter; we feel that people are capable of deciding for themselves whether or not they want to drink beer. We oppose the company because we argue that workers should be in charge.

I agree - but you can't just throw out all consideration of one's health. That's stupid, and it'll kill you. Now what help would you be to your fellow workers if you died from cardiac arrest due to your complete ignorance to all health-related issues in the products you consume?

- August

[Vanguard1917]

I agree

I'm glad you do.


but you can't just throw out all consideration of one's health. That's stupid, and it'll kill you.

Thanks, but that has nothing to do with what is being discussed.

[Pawn Power]

Of course it is. Making crazy sensationalists claims like that.



And beer contributes to liver disease, tobacco contributes to heart disease, and cannabis use has been linked to mental health problems. Why not crusade and call for greater stamping down against those products, too?

Yes, that might be a bit problematic for you, since it would put you in the company of people that you may not like (e.g. the religious right). But, for the sake of consistency, that is what you should be doing.

I never advised the stamping out of anything. What I am saying is that poor, working class, people of color communities are targeted by certain companies. Certain products are specifically marketed to these communities. It is widely known that tobacco companies target poor and working class black neighborhoods, specific unfiltered cigarettes. Do most people regret starting smoking? Yes, and many are probably aware that they were got at a young age.

Our communities are under attack and are given very little choice in living healthy lives. Do you live in one of these communities? Haven't you heard peoples rage at the lack of affordable food? Have you been to a poor community? If so, surely you would know that there are no grocery stores and that the only affordable calories is in soda and candy. And you would have notices that tobacco ads are marketed towards poor black youth? If this stuff is so great and people want it so much how come it isn't in the rich neighborhoods? How come they get grocery stores?

[Vanguard1917]

I never advised the stamping out of anything.

The what do you advise?



Our communities are under attack and are given very little choice in living healthy lives. Do you live in one of these communities? Haven't you heard peoples rage at the lack of affordable food? Have you been to a poor community? If so, surely you would know that there are no grocery stores and that the only affordable calories is in soda and candy. And you would have notices that tobacco ads are marketed towards poor black youth? If this stuff is so great and people want it so much how come it isn't in the rich neighborhoods? How come they get grocery stores?


You're arguing that people who consume Coke are either brainwashed into doing so (or "duped", as you put it in another thread), or are forced to do so because they lack money to buy food?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

For the OP (who made it clear they weren't asking whether or not boycott's were useful): Coca-Cola has a list of their products on their website here (http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/brands/brandlist.html). I'd repost it, but it's pretty extensive.

[Pawn Power]

The what do you advise?

For communities to organize against capitalism and corporate dictated nutrition and for community and worker control around issues involving public health (i.e. food distribution). The public should have control over public health. The free market should not decide what food and drink is available in our communities, which is the current situation, a situation I think you are kind of defending.



You're arguing that people who consume Coke are either brainwashed into doing so (or "duped", as you put it in another thread), or are forced to do so because they lack money to buy food?
Though the situation is much more complex (social, economic, and political factors are interacting), what I am saying is clear- that the increased consumption of soft drinks has significantly contributed to the diabetes epidemic and that poor and working class communities (specifically black and latino communities) are being specifically targeted by capitalists as markets to sell this product. It is state-capitalism which is making the decisions on public health not us.

[Glenn Beck]

This doesn't have much to do with the OP, just an anecdote. My partner has been boycotting coke for most of her life because when she was a kid in Venezuela they bought out most of the Pepsi Co. franchise owned plants including one in her neighborhood that they subsequently shut down leading to widespread layoffs. The owners of these factories have since been involved in numerous labor disputes since Chavez was elected, I remember reading something about it in Venezuelanalysis, you could probably find it if you check their archives.

IIRC the company that franchises all the Coca Coca factories in Venezuela is based in Colombia and thus probably the same one that has been involved in all those murders over there.

Me, I always thought Dr. Pepper and 7up tasted way better.

[dumpmud]

So are Pepsi and Coca Cola linked?
Coke and Pepsi are in no way affiliated

[OneNamedNameLess]

Me, I always thought Dr. Pepper and 7up tasted way better.[/quote]

Dr.P is a Coke product. So is Lilt, Oasis, Malvern, Minute Maid, Powerade, Relentless, Schweppes, Five Alive, Fanta, Sprite and so on.

I don't drink juice and havn't done so for a few years. I drink tap water mainly and alcohol lol :blushing:

Boycotting is successful btw, South Africa anyone?

Good luck with your attempt

[OneNamedNameLess]

Shit! That quote thing didn't work. How do you all get the wee white boxes?

[revolution inaction]

Shit! That quote thing didn't work. How do you all get the wee white boxes?

put [ q u o t e ] at the start but without the spaces

[StalinFanboy]

Of course it is. Making crazy sensationalists claims like that.



And beer contributes to liver disease, tobacco contributes to heart disease, and cannabis use has been linked to mental health problems. Why not crusade and call for greater stamping down against those products, too?

LOL wut?

[Pogue]

If Britvic distributes Coca Cola drinks should I boycott Britvic?