Anheuser-Busch sale

The sale of Anheuser-Busch to Belgian InBev is like a history of the United States (7/14, A-1, “Anheuser-Busch says yes to buyout: InBev’s purchase of the St. Louis staple would create the world’s largest brewer”).

An immigrant brings beer-making and business skills to America and becomes wildly successful. Over the years, the beer becomes America’s favorite suds with an astounding 48 percent of the market.

The company survives moralistic politicians and Prohibition by making ice cream and soda.

The stock becomes widely dispersed among employees, distributors and mere investors over several generations. Generally, the company was a good corporate citizen and mostly fair in its business dealings (its ill treatment of the Roger Maris family being a well-known exception).

Now the stockholders receive a nice bonus in the InBev acquisition.

Families, and America generally, seem to be cashing out our productivity and inheritance by our aggregate conspicuous consumption (vehicles, vacation homes, electronics).

This Bud is for all of you at A-B for the last 148 years. Thanks for selling to Belgians (no telling what Brits would have done to the beer).

Jim Dingwerth
Kansas City

Comments

[Pub 17]

Oh, hi, Kate. Meet you at the downtown Starbucks for coffee? I'll be wearing a flannel shirt.

[Kate]

“one of the reasons I can sit here all day playing on the computer is that financially, I'm covered six ways from Sunday.”

Translation: Mom does laundry and Dad pays his allowance til graduation. Lots of free time cause BFFs are all at band camp.

[Rogue]

Hoppy Casaday = "Arrogant Dorkwad"

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Finally they will start making real beer like they do in Bavaria?

[Engineer]

Pub 17
I guess I'm what friend Jim calls a neandrocon. I never did like President Bush's push for social spending. And I have an antipathy for MBAs. This was acquired in the old days when the species had just started to become abundant. Those were the days of the big take overs, with hot shot "bottom line" young MBAs being given free reign to run old, established companies that had been taken over. Many times they posted spectacular bottom lines before moving on up and leaving a discredited and at least partially destroyed company behind them. The species and their goals have evolved since then, but the taste remains. In any event it seems clear that the Administration's miscalculation was re the time and effort required to stabilize the situation in Iraq after the formal armed conflict was terminated. Examples in Europe, Japan and Korea indicated that this could be done in a relatively short time. It id now obvious that these examples did not apply. But once we were into the situation it was the President's duty to see that things be worked out so that a stable Iraq is established. This is being done but at great cost.

[Pub 17]

No, Engineer, I'm taking great pleasure that those who salivated at the thought of an MBA business-oriented straight-shooting Republican president, and the neo-con "movement" in general, are having their heads handed to them by the colossal failure of the Bush administration. Even Nixon had the guts to go to China.

[Engineer]

Pub 17
You seemed to be taking pleasure in the thought that the US is, in your opinion, in decline. The condominium allusion was intended to denote that we all have vested interests in the US. But perhaps I have been giving you credit-or blame-for being more subtitle than in truth you are. In dealing with complex people I found that often what they implied was more important than what they said in so many words. But perhaps this can be overdone.

[Pub 17]

Oh, goody, a twofer.

As both of you can confirm by actually reading the posts I said nothing of the sort in either case. It would be nice for one or the both of you to admit that.

I'll simplify this even further:
Because of stupidity starting at the top this administration thought it could fight a war without reducing current consumption.
The dollar has been substantially weakened by a drop in confidence in the dollar.
Even American firms that are otherwise competitive are now vulnerable to takeover by foreign interests because this administration gave them a 40% markdown in the price.
To all those who thought they were voting for a sensible pro-business administration, enjoy the flavor of your slice of the pie.

Incidentally, Engineer, one of the advantages to a real education and ideology-free analysis is that you can in fact protect yourself from the stupidity of others. I have no idea what the "condominium is burning down" remark is supposed to mean, but I can assure you that one of the reasons I can sit here all day playing on the computer is that financially, I'm covered six ways from Sunday. If I had invested per Democratic or Republican beliefs, I'd be at work all day.

[Engineer]

Marctnts
No, what he is saying is: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA the condominium is burning down and all you dumb people are losing your homes. Of course I am losing mine as well but it is fun seeing yours burn.

[Marctnts]

Pub17,

So, your position is that it is principally wrong when a foreign company exploits a weak US dollar to acquire assets but it's great when a US company exploits a weak foreign dollar to acquire assets. That seems a little xenophobic to me.

[Pub 17]

Marctnts
We should care because this NOT a case of market competition leaving one firm in the lead and another far enough behind that it can be bought ought by a competitor. Putting the entire Iraq War on the national credit card instead of paying for it by reducing current consumption has skyrocketed the value of the euro against the dollar. With no change in intrinsic value, American corporations became targets for buyouts at what, to the euro-eaarning corporation,is a huge discount.
We were told that for American corporations to survive they had to send jobs overseas; at least the profits stayed in the U.S. Now the profits start going overseas.
Remember:
1. The European Union is bigger than we are in every economic dimension.
2. The euro has almost doubled in value against the dollar during the Bush presidency.
3. The Communist Chinese government now holds almost a trillion dollars of our paper.
4. The Chinese don't like us. The Europeans used to like us, and Clueless George piddled all over them.

[Casady]

That's exactly what I was thinking, Marctnts. We are the founders of modern multinationalism for Pete's sake. Why is this such a big deal? Not to mention the fact that the major American brewers bought out microbrewers by the boatload. The real question however, is whether or not Charlie Hoopers will include Bud on their list of specials on import night.

[Marctnts]

Who cares?

No one seems to complain about global economics when an American company acquires a foreign firm, why should the inverse be any different.

[Pub 17]

...and a flacon of fine super unleaded for M'sieu Rouge-yes, the fellow over there with the F-350 V-10 parked outside. Make it two.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAAA...

[Casady]

"Dorkwad"? Even my 9 year old has outgrown that little gem.

[Rogue]

Pube 17 = Dorkwad

[Pub 17]

...and I'll have a side of Pommes Frites de Liberte with that Bud Biere Blonde, garcon...

M'sieu has no euros with which to pay heez beel? Quel dommage...

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA...