As the wags say, you can’t make this stuff up.
The Bolivian Minister of External Affairs has decided, for good astrological reasons, to banish the Coca-Cola company from Bolivia.
“David Choquehuanca, the minister in question, explained that Coca-Cola will be expelled from Bolivia on the same day that the Mayan calendar enters a new cycle — December 21. According to Choquehuanca, the date marks the end of capitalism and the start of a culture of life in community-based societies.”
Quoting Choquehuanca himself: “The twenty-first of December 2012 is the end of selfishness, of division. The planets will line up after 26,000 years. It is the end of capitalism and the beginning of communitarianism.”
This fits perfectly with Bolivian President Evo Morales’s pronouncements against genetically-modified crops on the grounds that they cause baldness and homosexuality.
Bolivia is being run by anti-economic socialists, anti-science astrologists, and anti-biology organicists. Amusing, except that it’s part of the explanation for Bolivia’s poverty, as indicated by this sad ranking in per capita income.
[Related: The “Monsanto is evil” puzzle. Thanks to Robert Marks for the Forbes link.]
Thanks. It is important to keep abreast of these concrete examples of the amazing degree of irrationality throughout our world. We then identify the somewhat more sophisticated reflections in our own society for what they are.
The Bolivians have nothing on the American administration and intelligentsia – except more honesty regarding their marriage of mysticism and force. The consequences for our society will be the same.
Not humorous at all. A tragedy for many Bolivians and Americans, but justice for the many who support such administrations.