Absolut Nonsense

Apparently trying to gain favor with those Mexican consumers unfamiliar with Guadalupe Hidalgo, Absolut Vodka unveiled a new ad campaign showing a crudely (and inaccurately) redrawn border of Mexico that includes all the lands lost and sold to the US after the Mexican-American War of the late 1840's. Evidently, Absolut believes that this land rightfully belongs to Mexico, and those Mexican's who agree should imbibe their vodka. Anyone who has passed sixth-grade history has learned that almost every country that has ever existed in this world has seen its border expand or compress based on wars and land-sales. Thus the problem with Absolut's cherry-picking of history.

We all know how chic and cliche it has become to criticize the world's sole superpower, and America-Envy is rampant across Europe and Asia. But how telling that Absolut would have to go back over 150 years to find a war in which the US actually kept the land it had won. Maybe the Swedish company is still pissed about Finland and is just commiserating with our southern amigos. Thanks for the history lesson, Absolut, but I'll stick with my Belvedere and Tonic.