Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Fascism and Big Business: The Case of Coca Cola

Histomat: Adventures in Historical Materialism
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

KKK-event-sponsored-by-Northern-Coco-Cola-Co


Given that the Klan often reflected a cross-section of the community, its members were often deeply embedded in the local power structure. In Atlanta, Georgia, the Klan pervaded the political and legal system--Klansmen filled prominent positions in the police, the courts, and the city government. Newspapers sanctioned their activities and important local businesses like Coca-Cola advertised in their publication.
'Making the Invisible Empire Visible:The Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s'

The men in white emphatically embraced an emergent consumer culture, made prominent links with business, and never missed a trick on the merchandising front. Robes and paraphernalia were mass-produced in factories, and gimmicky, KKK-themed advertising surrounded the movement at every turn.
Interview with Craig Fox author of a new work 'Everyday Klansfolk: In Search of the Mainstream KKK'

While Coke was storming through Europe in the 1940s supporting American GI's , Coca-Cola GmbH (Germany) was busy collaborating with the Nazi regime. The company advertised in the Nazi press, thus financially supporting it. It built bottling plants in occupied territories. Then in 1941, when Coca-Cola GmbH could no longer get the syrup from America to make Coke, it invented a new drink specifically for the Nazi beverage market, out of the ingredients available to it. That drink was Fanta. Yessiree! Fanta is the drink of Nazis!
Mark Thomas in the New Statesman

Thank goodness Coca-Cola don't back any dodgy people or terrorist organisations today, hey?

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