Sponsor Silliness and Soda Sanity in London

Food nannies at home and abroad are raising a stink about McDonald's and Coke's sponsorships of the Summer Olympics in London. In the CNN clip below, a member of London's city council whines about the fact that McD's actually tries to make its food tasty so that people will want to buy it repeatedly. Oh dear, oh dear.

Olympics officials have even questioned whether McDonald's should be allowed to continue sponsoring the games, under the assumption that promoting McDonald's is equal to promoting obesity. But why shouldn't companies like McD's or Coke sponsor the Olympics? The Olympics may be an inspirational celebration of athleticism, but at the end of the day they are a form of entertainment, like any other sport. History books do not tell us that The Olympics were the Ancient Greek forerunner to Let's Move.

Especially in light of this faux controversy, and of NYC Mayor Bloomberg's big-soda ban, it is encouraging to hear these words from London Mayor Boris Johnson: "What I will say is that refugees from the soda tyranny in New York will have sanctuary in London ... I don't want to sound jingoistic, but if you do wish to come and drink soda from a 16 ounce pot, come to London. Bring your huddled masses yearning to break free."

Mayor Johnson describes himself as a libertarian conservative who nonetheless believes strong government is needed in certain cases, and has a fondness of bicycle commuting (which may explain his tousled hairdo) and public transportation schemes that is much more common among liberals, at least in the U.S. He's not the English equivalent of a Tea Partier but he is an Anti-Bloomberg on the issue of banning soda (and in appearing not to take himself too seriously).


Isn't it ironic that the founders of our country came here seeking freedom from tyranny, and now we have flee back across the pond in search of soda freedom?