Coca-Cola's brief political history

This year marks 125 years since John Pemberton invented carbonated soft drink – Coca-Cola – “cure for nerve trouble, dyspepsia, mental and physical exhaustion, gastric irritability, wasting diseases, constipation, headache, neurasthenia and impotence”. But Coca-Cola was not only a cure, it was also the source of headache and hysteria in the political waters.

The only Coca-Cola that was colorless was created after World War II - for political reasons. It was produced in limited quantities, by special order, for a Russian Marshal Georgi Zhukov, who tried Coca-Cola during his negotiations about dividing Germany with the commander of allied forces in Europe, U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower. This Coca-Cola was packed in cylindrical bottles that had a red star as a label instead of Coca-Cola’s recognizable logo.

Zhukov really liked this drink, but since the relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union began to tighten, it was inconvenient for him to be seen with an American drink in his hands. That is why, on Zhukov’s request, and with the approval of U.S. President Harry Truman, Coca-Cola Company manufactured colorless Coke and packed it so that it looked like vodka. 

Last year, Coca-Cola Company celebrated its 100 birthday, and this year they will celebrate 125 years since John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola. 

In the beginning, Coca-Cola was advertised as “Delicious. Refreshing. Exhilarating. Invigorating” drink and also as a cure for nerve trouble, dyspepsia, mental and physical exhaustion, gastric irritability, wasting diseases, constipation, headache, neurasthenia and impotence. By often following U.S. foreign policy, rarely acting in conflict with American interests, and eventually becoming the symbol of globalization, in the past decades Coca-Cola was also and a source of headaches and hysteria in the (international) political waters.

During World War II, a special group of Coca-Cola employees called “Technical Observers” was among U.S. army soldiers. These Technical Observers supervised the shipment and operation of 64 complete bottling plants that distributed nearly 10 billion bottles of Coca-Cola to servicemen and women.

Military personnel who worked in Coca-Cola military plants became just as important as mechanics who worked on the maintenance of aircraft and tanks. And thanks to its popularity, along with lobbying in the army with the statement that this drink was a key product in the war, in 1942 Coca-Cola Company managed to get an exemption from sugar rationing.

A company that at all times sought to show how much symbolic power its drinks has on U.S. troops, also functioned and on the opposing side, in Germany, where before the war this drink was very popular. One of the Nazi statements was that “America never contributed anything to world civilization but chewing gum and Coca-Cola”.

Some publicists have stated that Coca-Cola Company had controversial relations with Germany, before and during World War II: during the war, Coca-Cola branches didn’t stopped working in Germany, but they weren’t able to import the necessary raw materials in the country. Publicist Mark Pendergrast wrote that several top executives from Coca-Cola branch in Germany were in fact members of the Nazi Party, and there are also records that this company sold millions of bottles to Hitler's Germany.

This obscure and not completely explored part of Coca-Cola history was not an obstacle for this product name to become linked not only to America but to key values of Western countries, such as "every kind of freedom, democracy and free market capitalist”, during the Cold War period. Parallel to that, Coca-Cola was expanding in the world, and the American political influence was strengthening. 

In the early fifties, those who were opposed to American influence marked Coca-Cola as an American cultural weapon.  In relation to this, in France was created a term “coca-colonization” - It was used by leftists who fought against opening of factories for bottling Coca-Cola drink. They even tried to prove that Coca-Cola is poisonous. The former president of the Coca-Cola Company, Robert Woodruff, stated that leftist’s hostility towards Coca-Cola comes from the fact that Coca-Cola is the very “essence of capitalism”.

Despite the logic of capitalism, and in the name of protecting the interests of U.S. foreign policy, until the nineties Coca-Cola was practically not present in the Eastern European market. The first opportunity for Coca Cola to install facilities in Russia, in mid-sixties, was not used because the only possible partner was a communist government (there were no private firms in Russia during that regime). For Coca-Cola, that probably wasn’t a problem, but it was for the U.S. government. In that period, U.S. Army was in war with Vietnam, and if Coca-Cola started working in Russia, they would have financed the communist side, American public enemy number one. 

To this day, connection between Coca-Cola and American values brings damage to the Coca-Cola Company in the Middle East.  There, in mid-sixties, Coca-Cola was accused of anti-Semitism and in the following decades it has become a symbol of "American occupying" and "anti-Muslim” policy. Some internet sites claim that Coca Cola, read from right to left, in Arabic language means "No Muhammad, no Mecca". Boycott of Coca-Cola is also elaborated with claims that by buying a bottle of Coca-Cola tenth of its price goes to the largest Arabian enemy, Israel.

In 1966, Coca Cola was accused of avoiding working in Israel, in order to protect sales of its products in the Arabian world. Things started to get complicated when, because of these accusations, Jewish organizations in America begun to boycott Coca-Cola. The company eventually allowed the construction of a bottling plant in Israel, in 1968, but that again caused boycott similar to that of Arabian League, which ended in the early eighties.

With that, Coca Cola found itself again on the course of U.S. foreign policy.  Respond to this was creation of authentic Arabian Colas such as Mecca Cola. Recently, the Iranian Minister of Industries, Ali Akbar Mehrabian, renewed the idea of boycotting Coca-Cola, because it is a "Zionist product”.

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21th century woman goes to war!

Armies all over the world are starting more and more to include women in their army troops. In the beginning they served mainly in medical services, but today they are serving as combat pilots, military police officers and even generals. Experts are indicating that they are best as war negotiators and intel agents.







Although the military service is considered as men’s occupation, more and more women are applying for military service. Until 20th century, women did part-take in wars, but they generally weren’t directly involved in bloody battles like today. Their jobs were mainly administration volunteering and helping out in medical services.

American army today has most women soldiers, more than 356 000, or 16% of all count. In 2009, 57 women in American army had the rank of a general or admiral, which is twice the number from 1999.

At the end of war in Vietnam, America was faced with breaking of all illusions and lack of men’s interest for the army. The real breakthrough occurred in 1973 when voluntary units were formed. Pretty soon women made it to the West Point, and other academies. Today, they are present in all ranks of army and American air-force has even women as combat pilots. Nevertheless, until 2001, no woman was located on the first lines of combat, but military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq changed a great deal of things. Doctor John A. Nagl, president of a Center for a New American Security, is stating that USA would not be able at all to fight in these wars if women weren’t present there.

Combats in Iraq demanded a completely different approach. The commanders were forced the erase any sex limitations. According to Peter R. Mansoor, retired colonel, the war in Iraq caused a complete integration of women in the army, they now gained confidence and respect from their men colleagues. According to regulations, they are not serving in infantry, but they are participating in wars in armor, special and artillery units.

From 121 women that were killed in Iraq, 66 were killed in combat, and the others died in accidents, by suicide and because of illness. So far, 620 were wounded in Iraq.

In November 2008, Ann E. Dunwoody was the first woman in U.S. history and uniformed service history to achieve a four-star officer grade of a general, which is a highest grade anyone can achieve in the U.S. army. Last year two women were awarded with the silver star, and the researches have showed that a great deal of women were awarded with medals of honor.

However, active involvement of women in the army and on the battle field didn’t occurred without some problems. Besides facing sex discrimination, one of the biggest problems was raping by fellows soldiers. Every third woman who participated in a war mission was raped, while 99% of them were at least once a subject of harassment. According to the research conducted in the American armed forces, women soldiers in Iraq were more afraid of people they shared food with, then the Taliban’s.

British colonel Simon Wendler says that women are necessary for many military specialties because of their characteristic and social personalities, observation abilities and better organized minds.

“They are great as commissaries, radio connection maintainers, logistics, negotiators and military police officers. 20% of British military police officers are women” – says Wendler.  He underlines that there is no place for army feminization story.  Actually, the place where most experts places the soft gender is the function of a negotiator, a person who creates, which means that in conditions of interchanged safety of world, on key position should be brought persons who will be able to apply “soft power” to either prevent or calm down conflicts.

The Bulgarian army, which, until the end of 1980s, was hardly opened to women, today counts around 2000 women in the army, and it sends them to peaceful missions. Like most of Scandinavians, the Swedish have allowed their women to become real troops. The Norwegians have, for example, become the first ones who allowed women to serve in submarines, but also in all other ranks. The French have, since 1970s ,equalized women troops with men troops but until 1980s they didn’t make any serious steps toward better integration of women in the troops. The French women are participating in peaceful mission today. The Belgian women have entered the army in 1970s but they are present today only as 7% and they serve mainly as logistic back-up or in the administration. Spain started with women recruiting in 1988 while Portugal did it in 1992. Although Portuguese women can officially apply for all ranks, in reality they are unable to become marines or any other special force. Greece has opened army doors for women in 1979 but military high schools were closed for them all the way until 1990. Greek women even today have limited access to troops and military schools. Not until 2000 the first Greek woman served in the navy. While in Poland women served for a long time inclusively as medical officers, in Czech Republic and Hungary this process has advanced. Nevertheless, women in the army of these counties are mainly tasked with traditional roles. In Romania one woman has even a rank of a general.

A country that could brag about real women warriors is Israel, where women are obligated to serve in the army. With the measures that are introduced two years ago, women have the option to train in all military units, and even in commandos. In this country, military obligation for men is three years while for women is two years. Until several years ago they were mainly tasked with administrative jobs, but there existed even tank instructors, military police officers, technicians and rescuers.




Some facts:

#Due to huge interest of visitors for Muammar el-Gaddafi's bodyguards, here is a link to 14 additional photos of his protective female bodyguards#

#You can also check this cool video on You Tube#

Since 1969 when he took over Libya, the safety of Muammar el-Gaddafi is in hands of his female bodyguards. How important to him they are he showed by founding the first female military academy. With this he showed the whole world that they are just as equal and good bodyguards as men. Vatican is also more and more prone that their bodyguard unit be consisted from women. In fact, the Swiss guard which is in charge of Pope's safety is consisted mainly from young Swiss Catholics, age 19-30. Although there are many obstacles for soft gender to enter in this famous service, like to small space, and inability to place women in separate rooms for dressing and hygiene, this decision is still under reconsideration. There exist a theory that woman bodyguard is preferred in VIP security, because snipers, no matter how trained, are hesitating to pull a trigger on a female bodyguard and that they need extra 5 seconds to do it.

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