Anheuser-Busch to be gulped by InBev--Fear of globalization in US?

As many of you have heard. InBev, the maker of Beck's and Stella Artois beers, offered last week to buy Anheuser-Busch for roughly $46 billion. Anheuser-Busch has not yet officially responded to the offer

I was hearing this news in the NPR radio broadcast while driving. The related news story was about the watered- down- beer-drinking Budweiser loyalists who were appalled after hearing the acquisiton news.
"I think companies that are American should stay that way," said Becky Larschied, manager of Harry's Hide-A-Way bar in Lima, Ohio, where Bud Light is the biggest seller, with Budweiser not far behind.

A Web site called SaveBudweiser.com claims to have more than 40,000 signatures for its online petition opposing the deal. Another site, SaveAB.com, claims to have 24,000. "We don't want another American icon turned over to a foreign company," one site says.

Anyway my point is, in this of era of globalization I have no empathy for the bud loving crowd and their xenophobic opinions. Remember the press when Tata Motors made a bid for jaguar- “I don’t know that the United States consumer is ready to deal with a premium brand like Jaguar being owned by an Indian company,” Gorin told Automotive News.

This topic made me think about the time not too long ago when countries around the world were afraid of the Coke & Pepsi taking over all the brands. America was the strong vocal supporter of free market capitalism. The numerous McDonalds and KFCs around the world killed the heterogeneity and the variations in the world cuisine to offer the factory designed crap they call a meal ( this is a topic for another day!!)

In principle I agree with the concept of free market, but I am surprised about reaction in America on foreign brands acquiring US companies. I can even understand the sentiments of common people who are more emotional than logical, but united states congress and senate jumping in and providing the Jingoistic rhetoric is pathetic, when 5 years ago the same people advocated free open markets for American firms to compete in India & China.


While in the topic of drinks, i remembered my favorite drink during my childhood in Chennai,India where we used drink the orange flavored soda called Goldspot-the zing thing that got killed by coca-cola to promote thier sugary Fanta brand.

All I can think was...what goes around comes around. Maybe in next few years InBev might have the audacity to bring a Budwiser pale ale or an IPA to the light beer drinking crowd and improve their palette!!