Top 10 American Icons That Are Not American
Published on October 19, 2008 - 191 Comments
We all grow up with famous brands that evoke that special memory of home. Brands that are especially American - brands that make us burst with national pride. But, alas, what many people don’t realize is that many of those brands are not American any longer (or never were!) This is a list of the ten most famous American icons that are, in fact, foreign. If you can think of others, be sure to mention them in the comments.
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company was founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company was a pioneer in the mass production of tires. Firestone used this relationship to become the original equipment supplier of Ford Motor Company automobiles, and was also active in the replacement market. Firestone was bought out in 1988 by Bridgestone, a Japanese rubber conglomerate based in Tokyo and founded in 1931. Bridgestone is currently ranked first in the global tire market, with Michelin second, Goodyear third and Continental fourth.
The Dial Corporation is a maker of personal care and household cleaning products based in Scottsdale, Arizona. It began as a brand of deodorant soap manufactured by Armour and Company, the legendary Chicago meatpacking firm, and through a series of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, emerged by the 2000s as a stand-alone leading personal care and household cleaning products company. In 2004, the company was bought by Henkel KGaA, a German consumer products firm. Other brands owned by Henkel are Schwarzkopf, Sellotape, and Persil, the company’s most famous brand (and the name of the world’s first laundry detergent).
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company (”oil major”) of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas. Shell Oil Company is a 50/50 partner with the Saudi Arabian government-owned oil company Saudi Aramco in Motiva Enterprises, a refining and marketing joint venture which owns and operates three oil refineries on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Parent company Royal Dutch Shell has its origins in Holland and Britain.
Church’s Chicken is a U.S. chain of fast food restaurants specializing in fried chicken. The chain was founded as Church’s Fried Chicken To Go by George W. Church, Sr. on April 17, 1952 in San Antonio, across the street from The Alamo. The company now has more than 1,600 locations worldwide. Their slogan is “I know what good is.” At the end of 2004 the company was sold to Arcapita (formerly Crescent Capital Investments). Because Arcapita is an Islamic venture capital firm, bacon was removed from the menu after the sale (pork not being halal). In accordance with Islamic Sharia law, the company does not invest in any businesses which offer credit or charge interest, or sell pornography, alcohol, or pork products. The company also owns Caribou Coffee.
Toll House is a brand of cookies and brownies marketed by Nestle. It is named for the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, where Ruth Graves Wakefield is credited with inventing the chocolate chip cookie by mistake in the 1930s in a nearby Rhode Island town. Ruth Graves approached Nestle after the popularity of her cookies skyrocketed. The price that Nestle paid her for the recipe was a life-time supply of chocolate. Nestle is a Swiss company and owns the rights to the cookies and the recipe.
The original Holiday Inn chain of hotels was founded in 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee, by homebuilder Kemmons Wilson to provide inexpensive family accommodation for travelers within the USA. Wilson initially came up with the idea after a family road trip to Washington, DC, during which he was disappointed by the quality and consistency provided by the roadside motels of that era. The name Holiday Inn was given to the original hotel by his architect Eddie Bluestein as a joke, in reference to the Bing Crosby movie. The Holiday Inn is now owned by British company InterContinental Hotels Group PLC which owns and operates several hotel brands.
The Chrysler building is a very distinctive art deco skyscraper in New York City, recognized by anyone who has seen an American film. For 11 months it was the world’s tallest building and it is still the world’s tallest brick building. In 2007, it was ranked ninth on the List of America’s Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects. As an iconic part of the New York City skyline, the Chrysler Building has been depicted countlessly in almost every medium—film, photography, video games, art, advertising, music, literature, and even fashion, as its use quickly establishes without doubt the location in which the depicted events are occurring. This amazing American Icon is now owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council which paid over 800 million dollars for the 75% share it owns. Abu Dhabi Investment Council manages the excess oil reserves of the emirates - valued at $1 trillion.
Trader Joe’s was started in 1958 as a chain of “Pronto Market”. When founder Joe Coulombe was on vacation in the Caribbean he came up with the idea of a themed market with exotic foods - something lacking in the other chain stores at the time. The first store named Trader Joe’s was opened in 1966 in California. The original store is still in operation. The chain is now owned by a family trust of German billionaire Theo Albrecht who is behind the German supermarket chain Aldi.
7-Eleven is a worldwide chain of convenience stores which is the largest chain store in the world - beating McDonald’s by 1,000 stores. It is located in eighteen countries. Among 7-Eleven’s offerings are private label products, including Slurpee, a partially frozen beverage introduced in 1967, and the Big Gulp introduced in 1980 that packaged soft drinks in large cups ranging in size from 20 to 64 fluid ounces. 7-Eleven is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd. which is a Japanese company and the fifth largest retailer in the world. Seven & I Holdings also owns Denny’s and White Hen Pantry.
Budweiser is one of the most popular beers in the United States. It is an American style lager and is made with a mix of barley malt and rice. It is produced in a variety of breweries across the US and the world. The name originates from the German meaning “From Budweis” which was a Bohemian city. On July 14 it was announced that Anheuser-Busch (the company that produces Bud) was to be bought out by Belgian company InBev for 52 billion dollars. This deal sees the largest US brewer now owned by the beer giant from Belgium.
This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains quotations from Wikipedia.
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1. Saffa - October 20th, 2008 at 1:29 am
Barack Obama?
I kid, I kid….
2. bubbly_512 - October 20th, 2008 at 1:35 am
wow! I never knew the chrystler building was frm the uae since i live in the uae its a shock cuz they just started building this country up like 30 years ago. But it figures the locals here have always had a thing for buildings you should look up the projects their doing now in dubai
3. bubbly_512 - October 20th, 2008 at 1:39 am
*chrysler my bad
4. wornpath - October 20th, 2008 at 2:01 am
You are correct in that Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser) is owned by InBev and that it is partly Belgian, but it is also half Brazilian. InBev is a merger between Belgian Interbrew and Brazilian AmBev — hence InBev.
5. jajdude - October 20th, 2008 at 2:37 am
Impaled guns on the list, g. 7-11 in Japan is absolutely amazing - love their rice burgers and Asahi Honeybrown Beer.
6. ChuChu - October 20th, 2008 at 3:02 am
I once sent an e-mail to the Church’s HQ about the store in my hometown (no doubt one of the rudest, most incompetent stores in the Church’s universe.) You know what response I got……….NOTHING!!!!!
7. Tenebrae - October 20th, 2008 at 3:08 am
Belgium should be ashamed for producing that yellow, fizzy water tha claims to be beer!
8. Spence425 - October 20th, 2008 at 3:21 am
jajdude…”Impaled guns on the list, g.” every time…i don’t get it.
9. jhoyce07 - October 20th, 2008 at 4:04 am
wow..7-11 stores are not from the US?? whoa..
10. Jo - October 20th, 2008 at 4:42 am
Budweiser is not allowed to be sold by its name in Germany because they lost the trial on brand issues with the original Budweiser from Budweis, which is now České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. The other one is therefor simply called Bud. But its not common anyway here. You can read more on this topic here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.....%BD_Budvar
11. akino - October 20th, 2008 at 4:44 am
lol @ saffa.
12. Ghidoran - October 20th, 2008 at 4:46 am
Heard of, like, one.
13. FifthSonata - October 20th, 2008 at 4:50 am
Fantastic!
I can’t wait to share this with my students.
14. Anon and On - October 20th, 2008 at 4:51 am
Interesting thing about Budweiser beer. Although Anheiser-Busch chose the name because of its German sound, the city of Budweis (more often referred to as Ceske Budejovice) had its own Budweiser. There was a legal battle over the name, and they agreed that they could both use the name (or at least variations thereof), but not within the same market, where the two would likely be confused.
15. The Dread Pirate Bob - October 20th, 2008 at 4:54 am
What about the Radio City Music Hall, that has been owned by a Japanese company (Sony?) since the 80’s which according to a Japanese professor I had in college was actually embarassing to the average Japanese person for some reason.
Rolling Rock, while not as big as Bud is owned by Molson now
16. Fromthefuture - October 20th, 2008 at 5:28 am
Slurpee?? Thank you come again!!
17. Du - October 20th, 2008 at 5:35 am
leave it to the japanese to totally pwn McDonalds =P
18. Chris - October 20th, 2008 at 5:37 am
Unfortuneately, what this list neglects to mention is that the only reason that these are icons are because of America, not Germany, or Japan or any other country. And just because the Chrysler building is owned by Arabs, doesn’t mean it isn’t an American icon.
19. Angryfeet - October 20th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Interesting list!
20. DiscHuker - October 20th, 2008 at 6:24 am
the title for this list is confusing. it should be something like “10 american companies no longer owned by americans”. they are still american icons.
i don’t care who owns 7-11 now, it was founded in texas which makes it an american company.
church’s was started in san antonio. even though it is the worst fast food fried chicken place and is blown out of the water by popeye’s, it is still american.
21. Randy - October 20th, 2008 at 6:33 am
I take issue with the title of this list. These icons are American in origin, but within the last few years have been bought by foreign companies/investors. That doesn’t change the fact that they are still American in origin and, in the case of the Chrysler Building, still reside in America. As economies go global, there will be few, if any, icons from any country that aren’t owned by some multi-national conglomeration. IMHO, a better title for this list would have been “American Icons Now Owned By Non-Americans” because that’s all this list really is. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the research put into the list and I love the site (I check it out everyday). I just think this list’s title is misleading.
22. Randy - October 20th, 2008 at 6:36 am
It took me so long to post, DiscHuker beat me to the punch. But I concur, wholeheartedly.
23. Randy - October 20th, 2008 at 6:39 am
Ditto on Popeye’s. “Love that chicken!”
24. 803cpkeenan - October 20th, 2008 at 6:49 am
In Bev does not own Budweiser. The deal is still pending they need word from the shareholders and regulation agencies before they can announce any sale. So for now Budweiser is still us.
25. thewebpromoter - October 20th, 2008 at 7:00 am
7-11 is famous convenience store in the Philippines, especially in Manila Area(Luzon)
26. cannabiscallan - October 20th, 2008 at 7:00 am
nice list, those tollhouse cookies look sooooo good
27. White Satyr - October 20th, 2008 at 7:04 am
@Tenebrae :
Belgium is proud of its beers, and we have many many good ones. Budweiser may in the future become partially Belgian-owned, but that won’t make it a Belgian beer.
Try a Leffe, a Duvel or a Westvlieteren 12° (voted best beer in the world ;-)) if you want to taste the real Belgian beers. (Jay to free commercials for Belgium :-p)
28. artmadd - October 20th, 2008 at 7:19 am
The title is misleading. I was thinking the list would contain items like the dollar sign ($) which is originally spanish.
29. tobbytoy - October 20th, 2008 at 7:49 am
Hmm, the title of this list is a bit misleading. The truth, apparently, is that most of these companies are “no longer” American, rather than “not American.” I think that is an important distinction as most of the companies on the list were originally American. The list should be titled: “Top 10 American Icon that are Not American Owned” or something like that.
I like the list though. Its interesting to see companies that were once American or were never American at all. It demonstrates how globalization has spread. Although, I suppose that fact negates any lamentation an American might feel about the companies that are so iconic to them not being owned by an American or American company. Why should it shatter our image of a brand that it is owned by a foreign company? Globalization shows us that the intricate network of businesses in the world reaches beyond culture. The result: Church’s Chicken no longer has bacon on the menu… No big deal.
30. tobbytoy - October 20th, 2008 at 7:51 am
I forgot to mention:
The only other problem with this list is that it provokes something very deep in the American heart: Pride. Don’t mess with the US.
31. Jules - October 20th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Big Gulps eh? … Well, see ya later!
32. Hugo Chavez - October 20th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Citgo is Venezuelan
33. bigski - October 20th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Seems to me someones trying to stick little pins in America.Do i detect a little Anti- American bias on this site or you just like sticking it to us on a regular basis ? If you dont like Bud beer thats OK with us taste good to me.Millions of people cant be wrong!
34. bigski - October 20th, 2008 at 8:02 am
I agree with tobbytoy !
35. onwisconsn - October 20th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Here are a few more, though probably less-known: Coors and Miller Beer (South Africa), GE Plastics (Saudi Arabia), IBM’s PC unit(China). Also, until recently, Chrysler (Germany).
36. thesharkguys - October 20th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Belgium can have Budweiser…it’s an awful beer and there are so many AWESOME microbreweries in the States (counter to the running joke in Canada about how US beer sucks)
37. jeffsterz© - October 20th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Hey bigski,
Millions of people can be wrong. Just look at all the votes George W. Bush got!
38. Foxhill - October 20th, 2008 at 8:27 am
More would include: Ben & Jerry’s and Popsicle (both owned by Anglo-Dutch Unilever); Baby Ruth bars, Eskimo Pies and Hot pockets (Nestle) and possibly more ‘brands’ that have now come under multinational corporations following buy-outs and takeovers.
39. jeffstirsuptrouble - October 20th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Shut up, jeffsterz. Look at all the dummies voting for obama. And by dummies, not only do I mean the 600000 fake votes cast for him already in absentee ballots, I mean the people in the middle class that actually think THEY will be the ones benefiting from his tax plan. 8 years of Clinton raising taxes on the middle class and you democrats still dont learn.
Get the hell off this forum, too, you troll
40. Randall - October 20th, 2008 at 9:07 am
jeffstirsuptrouble:
Okay, first off, pinhead:
A) You sound exactly like a desperate loser who can’t accept that his worldview has failed.
B) “Dummies,” eh? You want to call ME a dummy? Try it. And in point of fact, people are going to vote for Obama because of the godawful last eight years of Bush and his mounting errors, and the clear evidence that the ideas and philosophy of the Republican party have gone bankrupt. Dummies? Hardly. People are fed up and want a new direction. It’s as simple as that. And while McCain looks erratic, indecisive, temperamental and volatile, Obama consistently looks cool, calm, presidential and intelligent.
C) Fake absentee votes? Cute. Loosen the foil hat, it’s a trifle tight, “jeffstirs.”
D) I’d love to hear your explanation for how Obama’s promised CUTS for middle class taxes becomes a RISE in taxes on the middle class. I’d simply like a good laugh on a Monday. An elucidation on this ludicrous claim that Clinton raised taxes on the MC for 8 years would also hand me a chuckle.
E) Take your “get the hell off this forum” advice and heed it yourself.
41. gregory311 - October 20th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Um, this list should be “Companies that used to be American owned but have been purchased by international groups.”
And when was anyone ever “bursting with pride” over Dial soap or 7-11?
42. segue - October 20th, 2008 at 9:31 am
39. jeffstirsuptrouble: The “Is the U.S. Ready for A Black President” is another list.
Go there to discuss politics.
43. tobbytoy - October 20th, 2008 at 9:35 am
yeah, i think this is a crappy list now.
44. segue - October 20th, 2008 at 9:37 am
A very interesting, and sad, list.
It just seems as if everywhere one turns these days, another great American icon has been bought by an outsider. Good thing we get to keep the actual item!
45. P.J. - October 20th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Hell, his name alone–jeffstirsuptrouble–epitomizes trolldom! Ironic that he’d lob that label at another, huh? Go find yourself another website to stir the pot, asswipe.
46. lamar - October 20th, 2008 at 9:46 am
im not sure if anyone knew about the Anti-Trust lawsuit filed against In-Bev to try and prevent the Bud buyout. As far as I know the sale still hasn’t gone through yet. you can read about it here
http://www.jointogether.org/ne.....trust.html
47. MzFly - October 20th, 2008 at 9:47 am
The 2 that surprised me were Trader Joe’s and Budweiser. Can’t stand to drink Budweiser but it seems to be the all american, high class redneck choice of Beverage!
Has 7-11 ever been an American company?? My Mom worked part time there in the early-mid 90’s and it was owned by a middle eastern company at that time.
48. Dejay Clayton - October 20th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Definitely Barak Obama…
49. Rylan - October 20th, 2008 at 9:49 am
The Statue of Liberty was built in France.
50. smurff - October 20th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Somehow I think this list has swayed to the political side a wee bit - Im a regular commenter and only adding my thoughts.
51. eh - October 20th, 2008 at 9:57 am
wtf is Trader Joes and Churches Chicken? I wouldn’t call stuff that is NOT at LEAST in every Continental state an “American icon”. Hell, I drive through half the country every 24 months and never seen either of those.
52. Dejay Clayton - October 20th, 2008 at 10:01 am
The Chrysler Building is owned by United Arab Emirates? those middle eastern bastards? no wonder they bombed the other two buildings but not the Chrysler building.. damn!
53. factsplease - October 20th, 2008 at 10:08 am
The thing we should be thinking about is that the money we pay to these companies are going to foreign countries. We wonder why our ecomony is down. Without even knowing it we are finacing other countries. Maybe what we should be doing is researching these companies to see who is really behind some of them and what they stand for in their countries.
54. P.J. - October 20th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Funny, I don’t recall “the other two buildings” being bombed, Dejay.
55. James - October 20th, 2008 at 10:24 am
One thing few people realize is that America is one of the few major countries in the world that did not originate its own native sports.
Baseball - First played in Canada and England. Later adopted by Americans as their “national sport”.
“American” style Football - First professional league was started in Canada in the 1800’s.
Basketball - Invented by a Canadian (although he was living in New York at the time)
56. Neouka - October 20th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Greyhound
Now owned by FirstGroup PLC, a British company.
57. quietmonkey - October 20th, 2008 at 10:59 am
“You are correct in that Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser) is owned by InBev and that it is partly Belgian, but it is also half Brazilian. InBev is a merger between Belgian Interbrew and Brazilian AmBev — hence InBev.”
I believe that both the listing of Budweiser and the previous comment are incorrect at this time. the sale is pending and, given the financial climate, may not go through. BTW - To each his own. I happen to find Bud to be an excellent, and still American, beer. I’m sure that millions of Bud drinkers would agree. Obama 08!
58. bigski - October 20th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Baseball,Football and Basketball Hummm.I dont even want to comment. Bet we dont sell them otherwise they would turn to CRAP too.
59. infallibleangel - October 20th, 2008 at 11:15 am
This list seems a little contrived. How exactly does one decide to which country any multinational corporate monster belongs to these days?
For example, Coca Cola, which I think is unarguably one of the first names that comes to one’s mind when thinking of “All American” products, now has a Turkish president and CEO. Investors from all over the world hold stock in the company.
And most other huge corporate/conglomerate names are just the same. They all factories and distributors in 200+ countries.
No, I think that big businesses today are all of them above any national institutions that we humans consider our countries.
Unless you count where the said products have the largest market shares… in which case Budweiser and Coca-Cola, and probably many of the others are indeed “All-American”.
60. infallibleangel - October 20th, 2008 at 11:16 am
P.S. Obama 08
61. Seanithan - October 20th, 2008 at 11:16 am
James:
Baseball: Origins of the game go back to Romania in the 1300’s.
The earliest description was in a British publication and it’s said to have been played there first.
“American” Football: American football is derived from rugby and thus was invented in England, though the first games with the traditional rules were played in America (Cambridge) between Harvard(USA) and McGill(Canada), but then rules were changed later to be more like McGill University’s rugby style rules.
Basketball: Was indeed invented by a Canadian, but in Springfield, Mass. Not NYC.
62. Vomitous Antiglobalist - October 20th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Don’t they make our M-16s/M-4s in Belgium now, too?
63. FPM - October 20th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I used to be a homeless rodeo clown but now I am a world class magician !
64. jfrater - October 20th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Guys - I assure you there is nothing political about this list - I wrote it and am not American but am very fond of the US and had one of my best holidays there. There is no intentional bias in this list.
65. anthony p - October 20th, 2008 at 11:55 am
i second Rylan, shouldnt the statue of liberty be here somewhere.
66. butterflykisses427 - October 20th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Interesting list. It also shows (not that it was the intention of the author) how jobs/money we’ve shipped over seas.
67. cheechwiz300 - October 20th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Inbev is a Belgian/Brazilian conglomerate that trades as Ambev in Latin America and Inbev everywhere else.
68. Blogball - October 20th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
This is a little sad but inspiring too. Some of these Companies probably started with just a hand full of employees. It’s a global market now and that’s just the way it is now. Plus some of these companies could wind up back as US owned. (Who Knows?)
At least Church’s Chicken didn’t change its name to Mosque’s Chicken. “Just kidding of course”
69. coastroads - October 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Ford owns Volvo and GM owns Saab. These are still Swedish companies, not American just because of American owners. GM has owned Holden since 1931 - how many do you see on American roads?
70. tobbytoy - October 20th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Jfrater - the bias thing doesn’t matter as much as the misleading nature of the list itself. I think that the title needs to be changed. The descriptive paragraph illustrates what the list is all about but that is only after being misguided by the title.
On Globalization, American Brands and Their Foreign Owners:
It is important to note that globalization includes the ownership of multinational and national corporations alike. It is more important to note that ownership of corporations is largely multinational in nature. Individuals and organizations all over the world can own majority or minority portions of these companies.
Does the fact that these companies are “now owned” by a majority of non-American people or organizations make the brands any less American? No. (That wasn’t, as Jfrater illuminated, even the point of the list.) They are American brands with real American sentiment attached to them. The reason this list is kind of “ooomph-less” (meaning without any real spark of interest) is simple: WHO CARES? Beyond the realization that companies once owned by a majority of Americans or American organization now have a majority non-American interest and those companies just happen to be American icons, the list really holds little interest. The only real reason I make this point is because I love this site and I love the lists contained herein. Also, to further illustrate that the title of the list makes it seem like a more interesting list than it really is. Once you read it you realize its just common-sense information with a mild “gee-wiz” factor.
71. FairFriar - October 20th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
re: all comments that repeat what #18 said
Shouldn’t one at least scan the comments before making one, thus not repeating verbatim what someone else has said? That would seem more intelligent to me.
72. Dejay Clayton - October 20th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
P.J. Are you stupid? They destroyed world trade center buildings on nine one one day.
73. jon - October 20th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Sarah Palin.
74. shaymm - October 20th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Barak Obama….Sarah Palin…hilarious.
75. MT - October 20th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Intesting list. I’ve always thought of large American companies as being Global anyway, so being owned by a foreign company is not surprising. The exception being Church’s Chicken which is very popular in Michigan where I used to live. Now if we can just export the Republicans out of Washington to the foreign counties they really represent, the USA will be better off.
OBAMA/BIDEN IN ‘08!!
76. GS - October 20th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
MILLER BREWING CO - Owned by SAB? South African Brewery
77. Pete - October 20th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Since when was that Holiday Inn an icon? The others I can sort of understand… but an icon? Its a hotel, and a poor one at that.
78. SJF - October 20th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Shell has never been an American brand; Royal Dutch Shell was founded on the basis of Shell Trading Co. and Royal Petroleum Company for the Dutch Indies in 1903. It has its primary listing in London, with its world HQ in The Hague, The Netherlands.
79. GTA - October 20th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I want cookies now!! Damn you Toll House
80. Kreachure - October 20th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I was seriously expecting people who are considered American icons but weren’t actually born in the US, as well as the following, at least:
STATUE OF LIBERTY: Made by the French, a gift to USA.
HOT DOG: Several claims of origin since the 14th Century, Frankfurt (Germany) or Vienna (Austria) but not the USA.
And of course,
AMERICAN IDOL: A spin-off of a British show by a British dude
81. TeeCee - October 20th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
AMOCO(American Oil Company), now owned by BP(British Petroleum). But globalization has made such lists virtually moot. Examples: Saab(Sweden), Vauxhal(Great Britain), and Holden(Australia) owned by General Motors. Jaguar(Great Britain) owned by Ford. Rolls Royce, Mini-Cooper, and Land Rover(Great Britain) owned by BMW. Toyota Camry, Corolla, and Tundra, Hyundai Sonata, Mercedes ML350, Honda Gold Wing, all built in the USA. Volkswagens built in Mexico, and soon in Tennessee.
NASCAR(how American is that?) tried to exclude the only American built car in it’s lineup-the Camry(Chrysler Avenger/Mexico, Ford Focus/Mexico, Chevy Impala/Canada).
And don’t even get me started on electronics! The time of ROLLERBALL is almost upon us…..everybody panic!!!!
82. P.J. - October 20th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Um, Dejay, there were no BOMBS used. No bombings, just planes.
83. Ford - October 20th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Geez… does anyone REALLY think that if and when Obama wins the presidency, he’ll chuck the Constitution out of the window and deliberately run this country straight into the ground on purpose? I hate to stoop to insults, but anyone who seriously thinks that is completely deluded. Same with people who think Sarah Palin would chuck the Constitution away and turn the government into a fascist-type theocracy. [Sorry I know that combo may be weird, but it was the only one I could come up with off the top of my head.]
Anyway - it’s been a while since I’ve seen a Church’s Fried Chicken. Or a 7-11. Back east in Virginia, they’ve closed down a whole lot of 7-11s, and those have either gone independent or got bought by various convenient store chains. I’m just happy Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’ Donuts are still based in the USA *whew*
84. kefushi - October 20th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Budweiser was actually made in the Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia). Or at least thats what my psych professor says.
85. orenj21 - October 20th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
kind of figured the budweiser, because of the name too.
86. Jay - October 20th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Seriously. Is it the group of suits in an office that makes these companies american? Or is it the bottle of beer you just bought for a homeboy.
A real american icon is Bruce Lee.
87. Jay - October 20th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
And P.S. TO ALL MY FRIENDS….LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE…FYI only.
George Bush has been in office for 7 1/2 years. The first six the economy was fine.
A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
4) the DOW JONES hit a record high–14,000 +
5) American’s were buying new cars, taking cruises, vacations overseas, living large!…
But American’s wanted ‘CHANGE’! So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress and yes–we got ‘CHANGE’ all right. In the PAST YEAR:
1) Consumer confidence has plummeted;
2) Gasoline is now over $3.30 (for a while $4) a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5.5% (a 10% increase);
4) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 TRILLION DOLLARS and prices still dropping;
5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
6) As I write, THE DOW is probing another low~~$2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS HAS EVAPORATED FROM THEIR STOCKS, BONDS & MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS!
YES, IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE…AND WE SURE GOT IT! ….
88. Sarah Palin - October 20th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Sarah Palin is currently owned by Vladimir Putin who saw her one day when looking across the Bering Straits with is 1000x binocs. He liked the big boobs and the vacant stare and bought her for $20K rubles and six lbs of caviar.
89. poonus - October 20th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Re. Jay:
I think a lack of financial regulation and a multi-trillion dollar war are to blame for the states’ woes, not a democratic congress
90. tobbytoy - October 20th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
what does $20K rubles mean? 20 thousand dollars rubles?
91. goof_ball - October 20th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
good list
i learned something new today
92. downhighway61 - October 20th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
P.J.
The World Trade Center WAS bombed, just not in 2001. It was in February of 1993.
93. Evan - October 20th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Dey tuk ‘er jabs!!!?? We just need to make some sweeter shit.
94. Renegade - October 20th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
P.J.-lol, that also depends on what you define as a bomb. Technically if it makes an explosion it can be considered a bomb.
bomb-any similar missile or explosive device used as a weapon, to disperse crowds, etc.:
It has gasoline fueling it..when it hit the Trade Centers it did indeed explode from both the collision and chain reaction from the heat and the gasoline. It was also used as a weapon. So in that case the plane was indeed a bomb ^_^;
95. John - October 20th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
quiet monkey, this Bud’s for you… :-p
96. arkz - October 20th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
7-11 is Japanese huh how… but theres always indians[the ones by pakistan and the eastern hemisphere] working there
97. rick plassnis - October 20th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Hey you guys !
BUD is not belgium…
IT’S ONLY MINE !
98. Jubyduk - October 20th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Your favorite convenience store belongs to the Japanese? Go to Circle K instead (Ooops. Canadian. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_K)
Learjet is also in Canadian hands now.
Canadian companies will soon be buying American banks and insurance companies. Apparently the US is having a big sale and Canadian companies love a bargain.
99. Vera Lynn - October 20th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Me thinks either way we are in for a world of trouble. This will get worse before it gets better. Much worse. There is no safe solution. Only hope of which there is none. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
100. segue - October 20th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
94. Renegade…when it hit the Trade Centers it did indeed explode from both the collision and chain reaction from the heat and the gasoline. It was also used as a weapon. So in that case the plane was indeed a bomb
****
It was a bomb on which an old friend of mine was a passenger.
Call those planes what you will, they were weapons. They killed thousands of innocents.
101. BRUTUS - October 20th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
A small group of rich people (old owners) who live in this country and pay no real taxes sell these things to a small group of rich people (new owners) who live in other countries and also don’t pay taxes. WHO CARES? It seems to me to be pointless to be patriotic about rich American owners versus rich non-American owners. The only thing to be concerned about is when any rich owner moves production overseas taking away American jobs. The chance of being moved overseas for any given company would have more to do with the tax code and business laws than where the owners live. So I repeat. WHO CARES?
102. NACHO SNEEZE - October 20th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
PALIN ‘08!
NO-BAMA ‘08!
103. NACHO SNEEZE - October 20th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
@ arks
I was stationed in Korea for a couple of years and they had 7-11’s there too, and they were run by Pakis as well!
104. kiwiboi - October 21st, 2008 at 12:52 am
AMERICAN IDOL: A spin-off of a British show by a British dude
kreachure - indeed; though the concept largely originated in New Zealand : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popstars
105. k1w1taxi - October 21st, 2008 at 1:23 am
Crossroads (69)
Actually most Volvos are Ford Mondeo or Focus under the skin. It is even worse at Saab, their SUV is just a Subaru Tribeca with a nose job. The latest generation car are IIRC based on the Subaru Impreza platform.
As for not seeing any Holdens in America, Check out those 2004 and later GTO’s, pure Monaro. The Pontiac G8; Holden Commodore with a nose job ditto the new pickup (ute).
Cheers
Lee
106. Ninha - October 21st, 2008 at 1:55 am
@Tenebrae and TheSharkGuys:
Just so you know, Budweiser is not a well-known and appreciated beer here in Belgium nor in Europe in general…Belgium actually is the producer of some of the greatest beers in the world (like White Satyr mentioned)such as Leffe, Duvel, Kastel, Hoegarden and so many more (you would be surprised with the number of different great beers such a small country can produce!!)…I guess Budweiser was bought by a Belgian beer company strictly for economic reasons (because the north American market is attractive) not because it represents Belgian beers in anyway!!
107. Roadrunner - October 21st, 2008 at 2:56 am
Budweiser will never be Belgian beer. It’s diluted horsepiss. I’m ashamed that Budweiser is even associated with Belgian beer. There is not much to be proud of as a Belgian, but our beer is. It’s just a financial deal.
108. hello - October 21st, 2008 at 3:15 am
What do you think of Americans?
In fact, you’re all English, Irish, Scotts, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portugese of what ever!
109. hell yeah! - October 21st, 2008 at 3:25 am
it doesnt matter if it was american in origin. the fact is, it isnt american anymore. except for the Chrysler building. it IS still in america so i guess its american.. that’s like saying that america is actually non-existent(which is not true). if we’re gonna talk about origins then why dont we say that it’s african.. if you guys believe in that theory. cause let’s face it, if its worth doing its worth over-doing…
110. Paulb - October 21st, 2008 at 3:29 am
Well “hello”, what do you think of Mexicans?
In fact Mexicans are the products of the Spanish intermarrying with native Americans.
111. hell yeah! - October 21st, 2008 at 3:45 am
still, we’re talking about origins. still spanish.hypothetically, all my ancestors were from X land and migrated to Y land. i was born in Y land so i’m legally “Y”ian.highly unlikely and can be considered impossible but still, possible.. so they are legally mexican, but of either native or of spanish descent. i dont really believe in race but nationality i do. it’s impossible to say these days what your race is but nationality is a totally different topic. i define nationality as the country of your birth or the nation owning your loyalty; if ever you have any.. =). didnt really find the list interesting maybe ’cause i’m not american.
112. Ithuriel - October 21st, 2008 at 5:26 am
actually its true, Budweiser still isn’t sold to inbev, seeing the current financial crisis, it will be hard for inbev to get all the money together they need for the deal to happen.
would i be sad as a belgian if inbev doesn’t get bud? probably not. Budweiser is a bad tasting beer that can’t compete with any inbev brand when it comes to taste.
the only thing the deal is good for is that they get there hands on an entire distribution network in the USA wich they can use to sell many of there own tasty brands.
To be honest budweiser can’t be compared to stella artois.
2nd good thing about acquiring anheuser-bush is that they get gt50 % of corona. one of the more popular brands in latin-america.
113. onwisconsn - October 21st, 2008 at 5:36 am
With all the political topics already on here, I don’t understand why everything must eventually have politics, particularily US politics, brought in to it. I would think that since there is a large international following of this site, topics would be more intellectual than “my candidate’s policies can beat up your cadidate’s.” I can’t wait until after the US elections when the trolls and flamers will (hopefully) quiet down. Every topic does not need politics brought in to it! And I am amazed at how often people bite the hook and reply to an obvious bait to argue. Also, if you are unaware of proper blog conduct, here is a humorous (but accurate) link that will educate you: http://www.thefunnystuff.net/viewmovie.php?id=722
jfrater, I would love to see you warning individuals and/or deleting comments if they can’t stay on topic. I look forward to this site every day, but it really ruins a list when a non-political list’s commentary turns political.
114. Mom424 - October 21st, 2008 at 6:26 am
Good list Jamie. I am a little disturbed at the tone of some comments. International investments work both ways. I know that American’s own most Canadian companies, and their presence is felt all over the world. (Except 7-11, they have never prospered in Ontario or anywhere else in Canada where I’ve lived).
I have a grudging respect for the companies that follow the sharia code. (Although I’m not so sure I could live without Bacon
) Credit is a scourge on our society. Greed and easy credit damn near brought down the largest economy on earth.
115. Rasco - October 21st, 2008 at 6:42 am
“YES, IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE…AND WE SURE GOT IT! ….”
@ Jay: You don’t really think the financial crisis started in 2006, do you? Let me help you, it goes back to 2001.
Economy was bad and the government lowered the interest so people could loan (en spend) more, and they did. People bought houses with a mortgage on it. Banks thought:”no problem, if he can’t pay back, we’ll just sell his house…” The economy didn’t really improve though and people lost their jobs, got in trouble paying for those loans and the bank took their homes and put it for sale. But what happened? A lot of homes were being sold for that reason so you had a lot of homes for sale and fewer demand because of a bad economy. So prices of houses fell and the banks could only get a small sum of what they had given back and they got into trouble.
Oh, and who was in charge back then? Indeed…
Still so fond of Republicans? Now please stop talking about things you don’t know anything about…
116. Roadrunner - October 21st, 2008 at 7:01 am
To: Ithuriel
You make a good point.
117. bigski - October 21st, 2008 at 9:15 am
Why do some people keep hating on budweiser i would be willing to bet it outsells any beer in Europe or anywhere else.In America we like it in Europe you dont. WE GET IT OK. This is called CULTURE theres no need to call it horsepiss or anything else.I,ve drank plenty of different beer from Europe,Mexico and other places and some i like some i dont but i dont consider them horsepiss. Give it a break.
118. segue - October 21st, 2008 at 9:28 am
108. hello
What do you think of Americans?
In fact, you’re all English, Irish, Scotts, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portugese of what ever!
****
Well, hello, aren’t you just the smart one?
My father’s family has been in America since so far before the Revolutionary War that all records of where they might have originally come from have been lose. After all this time, I’d consider it a moot point anyway, wouldn’t you?
In point of fact, if one goes back far enough, *everyone* originally comes from Africa. So, what’s your point?
119. justme - October 21st, 2008 at 9:49 am
yeey for belgium
120. Cedestra - October 21st, 2008 at 10:37 am
How did this list get so retarded so quickly? Sorry, Jamie, it seemed like a nice list!
121. erik - October 21st, 2008 at 11:01 am
‘Don’t they make our M-16s/M-4s in Belgium now, too?’
No idea, but what aboutt the Winchester rifle for an American icon, owned and produced by FN (Belgian)
Uch apparantly about 70% of arms in us army and police are FN produce.
Lol, we produce beer, weapons, chocolate and invented Fries, everything a Red-neck Craves :/
122. westpilton - October 21st, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Budweiser is more popular in Ireland than Guiness. Off topic, but an interesting fact.
Canadians have been putting up with this sort of foreign ownership of things previously held up as national icons for years (Tim Hortons, The Bay, Eatons, Labatts [another InBev victim], Molson, Sleemans, Seagram, CN Rail, Bauer, Cooper, CCM, The Montreal Canadiens.) It’s nice to see we aren’t alone.
123. Jay - October 21st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
belgium doesn’t exist! http://zapatopi.net/belgium/
124. SandyMulligan - October 21st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Harley Motorcycle sales are down 16% this year…How long do you think it will be before this company will be sold to the Asians as well.
The electric components are made in Asia, some model wheels are cast in Asia.
Just watch this one go down as well. It will be sad… but it will happen.
125. gordo - October 21st, 2008 at 5:19 pm
get used to it if Barrock get elected more of these big companies will sell to the highest bidder to avoid his major tax bill that will go through with no problem ,wake up America
126. Meg - October 21st, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Budweiser: The Great American Lager
Riiiight. XD
127. sunsound - October 21st, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I researched all of these American ‘Icons’ and guess what? ALL but one were either invented or the item/product was 1st made by Republicans!
What’s that
128. sunsound - October 21st, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I researched all of these American ‘Icons’ and guess what? ALL but one were either invented or the item/product was 1st made by Republicans!
What’s that got to do with this forum? Well..it turned ‘political’ very quickly, and I thought I’d throw my 2 cents in.
It all reminds me of the old ‘Ant & the Grasshopper’ story.
Republicans seem to always start a business or invent/produce something on a shoestring….then Democrats complain that they (Republicans) make too much money.
I’m a Libertarian, but I give credit to the Republicans for being ‘Free-Thinkers’ vs the Democrats either stealing ideas or totally depending on the Gov’t to help them start their business or develop their product.
There’s a good adage in this little story: A Democrat has one cow. He wants 2. He goes to the Gov’t for help.
A Republican also has only one cow. He begins earning and saving and finally he’s able to buy another cow. The Democrat then complains that the ‘Rich’ Republican has 2 cows and needs to slaughter it and share it with the ‘less fortunate’ I don’t get it. He earned what he has. Shouldn’t he be able to keep it?
Vote Obama if you want to live in a Socialist-Marxist nation
129. sunsound - October 21st, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Obama keeps shouting ‘CHANGE’. Then he picks a Washington insider as his running mate. McCain picks an ‘unknown’ and she’s about as far away as a Washington insider that you could get!
Who’s REALLY for change citing that example?
130. jbjr - October 22nd, 2008 at 12:03 am
Change the title to:
“Another Top 10 list turns political”.
Again.
Ho hum.
131. kiwiboi - October 22nd, 2008 at 3:29 am
Another Top 10 list turns political
Don’t sweat it…I’m sure it will be business-as-usual again in another 13 or so days
132. P.J. - October 22nd, 2008 at 4:49 am
LIbertarian = Republican Lite™
133. 3s - October 22nd, 2008 at 7:26 am
kick ass…Belgium tops the list,
but don’t worry,
we know a thing or two about beers…
134. Ithuriel - October 22nd, 2008 at 8:27 am
@bigski well i didn’t say bud was horsepiss, i have drunk budweiser several times, and bud ice (wich is better) to.
And everyone i know has tried it allready, trust me it will never outsell the likes of stella, maes, jupiler, carlsberg, fosters, corona and many others
135. SpinkRadish - October 22nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
There’s no snob like a beer snob! If you like the way it tastes, drink it! Mine is better than yours debate is puerile.
136. bigski - October 22nd, 2008 at 9:36 am
Half of those beers i never heard of how you figure they outsell THE KING OF BEERS ? Anyway who cares i like my Bud you like what you like.I`ll write down those beer`s names and go get me some and check it out.Incidently most major beers in the U.S. were started up by Germans.Thank God they got most of us drinking beer instead of wine.
137. kad - October 22nd, 2008 at 10:30 am
Morons– the statue of Liberty was a gift to the US from France, of course it was made there. Whats your point?
138. pippin - October 22nd, 2008 at 1:41 pm
I have hated Budweiser since i read that they were selling to Belgium in the news. they should change their name from the great american lager to the great american tratior.
You should make a list of things that americans have made better.
139. Rasco - October 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
@pippin:
That’s about the stupidest reason to hate something I have ever heard… If you had said it tasts like horsepiss, that would have been a reasonable explanation.
Can’t stand something American being sold to a foreign firm? Well, guess then you know why the rest of the world hates America
Moron…
(btw: in case you didn’t get it: American firms buy at least as many foreign firms as vice versa)
140. Peejee - October 22nd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Hi, I´`m from Belgium too and ashamed of a few of the comments of my countrymen above. Of course I prefer Belgian beers, such as in latin america they prefer corona, such as in the US they prefer budweiser - what s the problem !?
This discussion has gone totally off-topic ! Great list though.
141. bigski - October 22nd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Well said Peejee.Time to stop beating a dead horse folks!
142. guy - October 23rd, 2008 at 9:10 am
Hopefully the guys who now own Budweiser do not change the beer because like Peejee said, most americans perfer it over darker beer (i included).
143. Brickhouse - October 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 am
Some of them surprised me - but then I found they were originally American and were bought out. So I feel more at ease now…
144. Katie - October 23rd, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Another good one–Kraft Cheese comes from Fort Erie, Ontario in Canada. It was created by a Mr. Krafft, but he dropped one of the f’s because he could not afford to paint it on his sign. The rights to the company were sold to the US years ago, and Fort Erie made a poor decision to not capitalize on this famous product.
145. Beerdon - October 23rd, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Some corrections to some beer related posts above.
as several have posted AB is currently American owned.
Miller is owned by South African Brewers (SAB)
Coors is owned my Molson, from Canada.
Rolling Rock is owned by Anheuser, soon to be Inbev
Anheuser also owns 50% of Groupo Modelo (the Corona people)
146. goldwing1555 - October 23rd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
America is not america anymore it has been sold to
147. segue - October 23rd, 2008 at 7:54 pm
146. goldwing1555: America is not america anymore it has been sold to
****
…well? To whom? Don’t leave us hanging like this, man! Out with it!
148. Sarah Palin - October 24th, 2008 at 3:04 am
Barak Obama ‘08!!
149. skippy - October 24th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Budweiser is still an American company, it has not been sold yet, an agreement has been reached for the sale, however shareholders have not voted on it yet. I believe the vote will be held on Nov. 14th 2008, so until than it is still an American company!!!
150. Grubbanax - October 24th, 2008 at 7:11 am
John McCain - he’s from Panama!
So how can he become President??
151. bucslim - October 24th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Grubbanax - The same way a guy from Kenya can become President.
152. We the people - October 24th, 2008 at 7:26 am
A more interesting list would be foriegn icon’s owned by American companies. Imagine the disdain of Canadian’s when Wendy’s bought Tim Horton’s.
153. (o)(o) - October 24th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Yep… Looks like a lot of American CEO’s don’t really give a **** about American pride! Money makes the world go around after all. Budweiser, king of beers? Haha! Real beer makes Americans shit their pants, I tell you.
154. quietmonkey - October 24th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Regarding Anheuser Busch ownership, this is from the latest Beer Business Daily:
A-B stock plummetted in early morning trading Friday, hitting 55.2 a share at presstime, which is less than ten bucks over its 52 week low. True, the market in general is in free fall, but BUD should be a safe haven given the 70 a share cash offer.
Reuters’ Martinne Geller fronts a story casting doubt on InBev’s ability to close the deal by year’s end. The story cites analysts who say possible changes to the deal could include InBev offering a stock component in return for A-B shares, instead of the current cash offer, or even going so far as to try to persuade A-B to agree to a lower price-tag. “If you combine the amount of money they’re raising and the uncertainties in the credit markets … I think common sense will tell you there’s reason to be somewhat concerned….Could this thing get delayed? Could it get restructured? These are all possibilities,” Edward Jones analyst Jack Russo told Reuters. Ouch.
Reuters continues that “analysts agree that InBev’s offer now values the U.S. maker of Budweiser and Michelob too highly, especially if consumers worldwide are less likely to open a cold one.” The article cites the example of radio operator Clear Channel, which had to revisit its deal after its bankers balked once lending costs increased. Martinne also points to Altria Group delaying a purchase until 2009.
“I do think (the deal) will go through, but I am cautious that it won’t,” said Morningstar analyst Ann Gilpin to Reuters. “If banks are not lending, they’re not lending. And if InBev can’t get the loan, it can’t do the deal.”
Still, every analyst is stopping short of predicting that the deal will fall through, and all say it “probably” will close.
Not done yet people
155. bigski - October 24th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Not only does it make us shit our pants it makes us puke to.Whats the point ?
156. segue - October 24th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
155. bigski: Not only does it make us shit our pants it makes us puke to.
****
To what? To where? To whom?
I hate sentences that just stop and leave one dangling.
157. guy - October 24th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
(o)(o)- “Haha! Real beer makes Americans shit their pants, I tell you.”
Ok that is probably the dumbest thing i have ever heard. Americans love beer, we just drink a differant kind of beer. we still have plenty of darker beers but budweiser is cheap, tastes alright and will still get you drunk.
158. Denzell - October 24th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Phils. is one of the 18 countries with 7-11.
159. bigski - October 24th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
segue– I was replying to (o)(o) at post 153 for hating on my Bud beer ! Excuse me I mean my KING OF BEER!
160. Lilith Hel - October 25th, 2008 at 1:56 am
church’s chicken surprises me. it’s more of an icon of the south than the entire nation. i’m also surprised at how so many people saw this as an opportunity to get into a fight about politics.
161. WOODLAND1954 - October 25th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
OK. I’M OLD!! BUT AFTER WATCHING THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, I’VE CONCLUDED —I WOULD RATHER VOTE FOR THE VICE-PRESIDENT NOMINEES RATHER THAN OBAMA,OR MCCAIN. OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT WHAT TAXES ARE CUT OR ADDED TO. THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE VOTE ON THAT. THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED WHEN CLINTON WAS VOTED IN AND PRINCE GEORGE. GEORGE W. ALSO SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE NOT CUT TO THE ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WHEN HE GOT IN, BUT WITHIN TWO WEEKS, HE WAS TEARING APART ITS FUNDING. SO WHO CAN TELL WHAT WILL HAPPEN. YOU CAN NOT JUDGE THESE MEN BY WHAT THEY SAY THEY WILL DO. YOU CAN ONLY GO BY WITH WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THEIR PAST, POLITICAL OR OTHERWISE. GO AND VOTE.
162. WOODLAND1954 - October 25th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
SORRY. MY LAST COMMENT(WORDY) WAS FOR JEFFSTIRUPTROUBLE & RANDALL.
163. Cedestra - October 25th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Woodland1954: I’m trusting you on the old excuse and would like to point out that typing your whole statement in caps is impolite on the internet. Please see the Commenting FAQ.
164. longstreet - October 26th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Der Ausverkauf hat erst angefangen.
Die US Wirtschaft ist am Boden und leichte Beute für Geldhaie, und diese befinden sich nicht mehr in den USA.
165. Grubbanax - October 26th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
BUCSLIM -
Obama was born in America, McCain wasn’t.
..oh doesn’t matter I just found this:
(b) Any person born in the Republic of Panama on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this Act, whose father or mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States employed by the Government of the United States or by the Panama Railroad Company, or its successor in title, is declared to be a citizen of the United States.
166. Matt Jones - October 27th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
What you seem to forget is that Budweiser (the american variety) was a breakaway brewery from the Czech Budweise when part of the family moved to america and, the american Bud, has seen fit to sue the original Budweise for use of their name
167. Mike K - October 27th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
At least the Cheeseburger is American! Well, it claims to be anyway. The first one was made on the corner of what is now Speer Blvd and Zuni Street just west of what is now Downtown Denver in 1935.
168. bigski - October 27th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
At least we got something left here thats American that nobodys bought yet.Cheesburgers & a cold Bud with some French Fries. Sublime !
169. bigski - October 28th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I love it when I have the last word !
170. segue - October 28th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Sorry, bigski. You don’t.
171. Bud-Shizer - October 29th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Budweiser sells so well because it is accessible and cheap, not because it tastes great. But I’m sure it did at one point. As with most products, when popularity grows and demand goes up the quality goes down as the quantity rises due to investing more in marketing, advertising, exporting, etc rather than investing money and time into what made it a great product to begin with. The posh foreign beer is expensive and you can’t just pick it up at any corner store down the street. When was the last time you saw a hobo with a 40oz of Jacobins Framboise in their hand? I’m not a hobo but, I’m also not rich so when I can I buy the good stuff and when I’m strapped I’ll pick up some bud.
172. RJ Vaughn - October 31st, 2008 at 12:26 am
budweiser is one of my favorite beers so phooy on u ppl, number 2 odd 7 eleven has more stores than mc donalds since there are no 7 elevens anywhere near me and i can go to 3 mcdonalds within 1 mile of me, never heard of church’s chicken i live on the kentucky border so kfc probably ran em all out, cincinnati that is where i live
173. segue - October 31st, 2008 at 7:05 am
172. RJ Vaughn: Is where you live also your excuse for poor spelling and grammar?
174. Bud-Shizer - October 31st, 2008 at 6:26 pm
segue: Please refrain from bashing on people for things you yourself are guilty of (typos and grammatical errors).
“…My father’s family has been in America since so far before the Revolutionary War that all records of where they might have originally come from have been lose….”
175. segue - October 31st, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Oh my God!
Here’s an extra “t” I found lying next to my laptop.
Happy?
176. Vetzak - November 5th, 2008 at 7:47 am
no wonder, fuckin’ Americans.
So fake in everything.
177. American - November 5th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Hey Vetzak. I bet you 1. Eat at McDonalds/Burger King 2. Listen to our music and 3. partake in a lot of other American things. If you don’t like America, stop obsessing over us. Go beat off like you usually do instead. When’s the last time you had Americans on your countries websites starting trouble anyway? That’s right, you don’t.
178. Rudy Holland - November 5th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
hey SEPPO, I mean, “american”.. YUK! I haven’t eaten McDonalds and that junk for 20 years. Why would you assume someone does that? Do you think that’s all there is?? There is a myriad of other choices.. I sure there are in America. All the cuisines of the world!!
Some of your music is ok: SWANS, DEERHOOF, Dead Kennedys, Akron/Family, Diamanda Galas et al.
I watch some of your films and art but that’s about it.
You don’t manufacture anything anymore and I hate your food and ‘culture’ for the most part (except for the Native Americans that were colonised of course)..
179. James K - November 7th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
how about Zebco? They left Tulsa and about 1000 jobs behind when they moved to Mexico. They make fishing rods and reels. nike, new balance, del, microsoft, levis, you name it and they are no longer produced in the US. Americans are saying if you make it in China , sell it in China. Put a tarrif so high they will bring their ass’s home and then our gov’ subsidize American entrepreneurs, made in the US To make the products to replace those that are no longer allowed to be sold in the US. It is just that simple. Replace free trade with fair trade.
180. segue - November 7th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
179. James K: I was raised with the maxim “Buy American” ringing in my ears. I’ve tried to follow this bit of wisdom, as far as possible, all of my life. It’s getting harder and harder.
Take a car, just about any American car, and part of it will be manufactured in the U.S., but parts of it will have been manufactured in Mexico, or Japan, or China, or India…or all of the above. So, what’s the option? Replace all of the non U.S. parts?
We have to be realistic about trade. If you create tariffs on imports which make their use prohibitive, the people you really punish are the middle and lower class consumers.
Certainly bringing the jobs home is the best answer, but it has to be done in a way which does not make it impossible for 9/10’s of the nation to buy clothing and shoes and appliances and cars.
181. don toledo - November 14th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
7-11 was originally an Ice House in Texas where you could purchase ice and then cold beer.
182. Finn - November 21st, 2008 at 7:30 am
Just so you know: Inbev does not want to buy AB because of Budweiser but for the distribution network.
183. CalisFinest - November 29th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I cant believe our awesome landmark belongs to the UAE!!! How sad……… i wont tell my friends i am ashamed of it… i wish it was the Trump bldg that belonged to themm rather than the CHrysler……
God Bless America and Bless our soldiers abroad!
184. dutchie - December 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 am
The americans stole shell from us! ( Well not exactly stealing)
And Its tru Belgium people make the best beer..mmm..beer.