- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
I'm originally from St. Louis, and let me begin by saying that, yes, Bud, et al. is lousy beer. But I can think of a dozen "iconic" U.S. corporations that make mediocre products. That's really beside the point. The point is that A-B is St. Louis. In addition to the thousands who work for A-B, there are many more thousands of A-B retirees and employees who work for other companies that depend upon A-B's success. St. Louis, like many other formerly-thriving U.S. cities, has lost most of its corporate HQs in the last 20 years. A-B is one of the last and it's part of the St. Louis identity. Forget the beer, how about the brewery, itself? It's a landmark of the grubby historic variety, not some slick 'n cheesy corporate theme park. How about the fact that A-B has always been known as a great place to work--good benefits, good retirement, including a case of beer every month (or something like that).
They tore down Busch Stadium to build a generic eyesore, and now A-B is up for grabs? Soon every city in this nation will be indistinguishable from its brethren, just as every mall in America has the same stores and merchandise.
Forgive me if I cannot manage your equanimity (verging on contempt, by the end). Some things should remain the same.
