HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-02-21, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2001. PAGE 5.
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Things go weirder with coke
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have seen a lot of bizarre things in my time,
but one of the most abiding mysteries of
the age has to be Coca-Cola.
Hundreds of thousands of human beings -
from truck drivers to advertising executives ' -
get their pay cheques from Coca-Cola.
Countless millions drink the stuff. You can buy-
a Coke in Tienanmen Square and Timbuktu; on
the Champs-Elysee and at the Esso station in
Sheep Butt, Wyoming.
Coca-Cola is the economic backbone of
Atlanta, Georgia, but its financial clout doesn't
end at the city limits. It is a multi-billion-dollar
worldwide concern. A genuine global
industrial juggernaut.
And all it is - is flavoured water.
I never thought much about Coke until -I
),ought a can of the stuff in Spain one time.
rook one swig and spat it out. "Gah! What's
'rong with this" I croaked. An American
'nearby explained that in Spain, Coke was made
with sugar cane, which was more to the taste of
'be locals. For me, it was 'false advertising - I
bought the familiar red and white can
expecting the familiar taste.
Same package. Different product.
- But I've always been bewildered by the
beverage. Take Coke's voodoo pricing
structure. I can go to the corner store and buy
one can for about a buck - or I can buy a six-
Because so much of our international
trade is done with the United States
(4/5ths to be exact), we tend to forget
that there is a third member of the Free Trade
Agreement and that Canada is its second
largest customer. This country is Mexico and
most people's knowledge of it is minimal other
than the fact that the people speak Spanish and
there are some resort areas known to
Canadians such as Cancun, Acapulco,
Cozumel or Puerto Vallarta.
But if free trade has had a remarkable, if
mixed, impact on Canada, the same impact has
been much more pronounced in Mexico which,
after all, was for years a highly protected quasi
dictatorship run for the benefit of a few and to
the detriment of many. Its 'industries were for
the most part inefficient, its labour force
bloated and its agriculture industry still back in
something approaching the middle ages.
All of a sudden it has had to make
multitudinous adjustments and. to say that it
brought about an economic jolt never before
experienced is putting it mildly.
You may be surprised to know that Mexico
has a population about three times that of
Canada, a phenomenon due to its high birth
rate. The population spread looks like that of a
pyramid with a great many young people
coming on the labour market each year, but not
nearly enough jobs for them to fill.
Grinding poverty is everywhere, especially
in the south, but the last time I crossed the
border at Tijuana, this poverty became evident
to me immediately.
No - wonder that hundreds of thousands of
Mexicans try to cross the American border
each year in search of work. Any work in the
U.S., no matter how poorly paid, is better than
what they would find at home.
The main benefit of NAFTA is that it forced
Mexican companies, just as it did in. Canada, to
become much more efficient if they wished to
survive. While it was assumed that Americans
were more efficient industrially than
Mexicans, it came as a distinct shock to
pack for $2.99. Sure, it's marked 'special' - but
it's been 'special' at my corner store for at least
two years.
And just when I'd convinced myself that
Coke was the biggest con job perpetrated on
the public since Fabio, the Office Wag hands
me an e-mail entitled The Multiple Uses of
Coke.
I: The citric acid in Coke will remove stains
from vitreous china.
2: To clean corrosion from car battery
terminals, simply pour a can of Coca-Cola
over the terminals and the corrosion will
bubble away.
3: Stubborn grease stains in clothing? Empty
a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes,
add detergent and run through a regular wash
cycle. The Coke will help loosen grease
stains.
4: To remove rust spots from chrome car
bumpers, rub the bumper with a crumpled
piece of aluminum foil dipped in Coke.
Raymond
Canon
The
International
Scene
discover just how great this difference was.
But the rush to narrow this difference was
hampered by one thing that is not endemic in
Canada; that is corruption. The government of
Mexico had been in power for so long and bad
become so corrupt in its ways, a fact which
either prevented companies from carrying out
the necessary changes or, if they were carried
out, the benefits went in the wrong direction,
i.e. lined the wrong pockets.
Perhaps the recent radical change in
government will start to correct this, but it is so
entrenched that it is a good question if the
changes will be widespread or only cosmetic.
If you have ever been in Mexico for any
length of time, you will soon discover that the
transportation system is in something of a
mess. Four-lane highways of the kind prevalent
in the rest of North America are either non-
existent or are not where they should be.
Railways are in the same condition and, as a
result, transportation costs are still too high. It
is a small wonder that the maquilladora plants,
those companies that manufacture products for
the North American market, are located almost
entirely along the American border.
Like Canada, Mexico has a lot of oil except
that theirs is much easier to get at than ours.
They sell us some of theirs; this is used in
eastern Canada.
To make matters even more confusing, the
Final Thought
The tragedy (*love is indifference.
William Somerset Maugham
5: Coke is also good for removing 'blood
stains - which may explain why in many U.S.
states, highway patrol cars carry two gallons
of the stuff for swabbing down highways after
an accident.
6: To bake a moist ham, pour one can of Coke
into the baking pan; wrap ham in aluminum
foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham
is done, remove the foil, allowing the
drippings to mix with the Coke for a
sumptuous brown gravy.
7: To clean a toilet bowl, pour a can of Coke
into the toilet, let it sit for one hour, then
flush.
Any truth to these claims - or are they just as
bogus as the notion that Things Go Better With
You Know What?
Well, I'm not prepared to risk shorting my
battery and I sure don't want to take a chance
on ruining a fine ham, but I tried the toilet thing
- dumped in a can of Coke Classic, waited an
hour and flushed.
Whiter than Stockwell Day's teeth.
_ Let's see now...bottle of Sani Flush: $4.95.
Can of Coke: 98 cents.
I can do that math.
But keep this under your hat. If the Coke
tycoons find out their product is actually good
for something, they're bound to jack up the
price.
oil that we extract from Hibernia, off the coast
of Newfoundland, is mainly exported, so that
Canadian oil from eastern Canada passes
Mexican oil coming to Canada.
Some day I may explain the intricacies of
these oil movements but that will have to wait
until later.
For most Mexicans survival is the top of their
list and it is likely to stay there for some time.
When they look at the standard of living in
both Canada and the U.S. they are filled with
nothing less than total envy.
Letter
Letters to the editor are a forum for public
opinion and comment. The views expressed do
not necessarily reflect those of this
publication.
THE EDITOR,
The battle about religion in school has again
come to the fore. Wise parents are sending
their children to schools where religion is an
important part of the curriculum. I wrote about
it when The Lord's Prayer was banned.
My observation was that church attendance
by our youth has dwindled to a trickle. Both
parents often work out. Religious instructions
about our spirituality never reaches those kids.
Religious upbringing is not only about the
existence of a supreme being but it also teaches
them about respect, dignity and human worth.
I, therefore, suggest that religion be included
in the curriculum and a choice be given to
attend a denomination of their choice.
Those of no religious persuasion must attend
classes where ethics, morals and respect for
others are the topic.
. If we can muster the courage to promote the
above, we would see youth violence decline
and human worth rise.
For myself, the sanctity of human life is at
stake. He me promote love and create a better
world in w we care.
A. Keet
I won't have fun
Hannibal. A rather odd name one,
would admit but one that now carries
ominous overtones. If he scared you
close to a decade ago, be prepared to have it
happen once more. The notorious Hannibal
Lecter, silent for so long, is notoriously back
again.
If you have no idea of whom I'm speaking,
then I can only presume you think Anthony
Hopkins is just some English guy. The sequel
to Silence of the Lambs, about a cannibalistic
serial killer petrifyingly portrayed by Hopkins,
is rakingin bucks at the box office. It's much
talked about by those who have seen it and
those who haven't but expect to.
And these would apparently be the only two
groups there are. At some point or another
everyone I have talked to has been to watch
evil personified do his worst on the big screen,
or they are planning to. Even my hubby, who
generally doesn't get too excited by movies,
seems keen.
On the other hand, while for me movies are
second only to reading as the perfect way to
spend some individual time, Hannibal has me
facing a dilemma. The movie is, you see not
particularly esthetically pleasing. There is
blood and gore of the highest order. However,
like Braveheart, Jaws and the aforementioned
Silence all equally gruesome tomes which
have gone before, the story piques curiosity,
draws interest and gets your attention.
Thus, as it was with those other movies, I
feel compelled to see it knowing full well that
I will be watching a veiled version. I will sit,
hand before my eyes, fingers split just enough
to do a quick edit when my brain alerts them
that we are not liking what we are seeing. It is,
I assure, you a less than satisfying way to
enjoy a night at the movies. '
So what does constitute a really good show
for me? Give me romance, give me
excitement, give me real people, give me
happily after after. I have never seen a chick
flick I didn't like, with the exception of those
that end, well, realistically. Life can be tragic
enough, when it comes to my movies there is
no room for death in romance.
I generally enjoy a comedy, maybe not the
insipid ones that Adam Sandler has been guilty
of, but there are many examples of shows that
can make you laugh without insulting your
intelligence.
I can even take a little bit of excitement,
provided it comes without too much gratuitous
'gore. A little suspense can be thrilling, some
edge of the seat, I'm getting close to being
terrified moments are okay. But mutilation,
murder and mayhem to the extreme will
always be a puzzle to me. I fail to see the
amusement. Ironically, anyone I know who
does like to get scared silly at the movies, can't
really tell me why they find it entertaining.
As far as I'm concerned make me laugh,
make me cry a little, make me care, make me
involved, and it's all good.
The last thing I want is to be grossed out.
So why will I probably find myself sitting
down to watch Hannibal? For all• the reasons I
mentioned earlier. People talk about it, they
are excited by it. The snippets they drop pique
my curiosity, draw my interest and get my
attention. There •is more to this tale than terror
it would seem.
So curiosity will kill this cat and I will go,
but believe me, I won't be having any fun.
Regarding the third member of NAFTA
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