Is it possible for New York city Mayor Michael Bloomberg to be considered both a fascist and a national laughingstock? We’re about to find out:
The proposed ban would affect virtually the entire menu of popular sugary drinks found in delis, fast-food franchises and even sports arenas, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited under the first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March.
The measure would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes, or alcoholic beverages; it would not extend to beverages sold in grocery or convenience stores.
So the ban doesn’t apply to fruit juice and milkshakes — which are so loaded with sugar they’re not any different than soft drinks in how they contribute to obesity — nor does it apply to alcoholic beverages. Good to know this is both an unprecedented and arbitrary prohibition.
Prediction: The first presidential candidate out of the gate condemning Bloomberg will probably reap a fair amount of positive media coverage, to say nothing of making inroads with voters. I didn’t think anything would make Mountain Dew A.M. seem appetizing, but now it tastes like freedom.
