AB-InBev event with 'craft' beer available

Thank you for your reply.

We're going deeper, which is much of what I look for when posting here.

It seems to me that many of these discussions come down to a difference in values. It appears you and I have different values. It doesn't mean I don't like you. I appreciate talking with those that disagree with my value system, so perhaps we can come to a better understanding of each other.

My sticking point isn't whether what AB is doing is legal or illegal. There are a number of things that are legal, but I choose not to do them anyway. I agree with what you say about pleasing the shareholders. THAT is part of the problem: the way business is run. I am invested in the stock market, and I want to make a profit like anyone else. HOWEVER, I want to do it as ethically as is feasible (I can elaborate on that, if you are interested)

For example, a significant part of my investments (a little less than half) are in socially responsible mutual funds. The more than half that is not invested in a socially responsible fund is largely because there are few index funds in mid -cap, small cap and international funds that are socially responsible. Throughout the last ten years or so more and more SR funds have become available; my goal is to be most--if not all--invested in SR funds. My willingness to admit that I am not fully invested in SR funds--in my judgement--is part of what I mean be being transparent. I recognize that I am part of the system, I admit it. AND, I am doing something to change it. I'm not simply sitting around saying, "That's the way business works, and there's nothing I can do to change it." I believe the way businesses are run can change and are changing (I can elaborate on that as well, if you are interested)

All that said, I steer away from funds that have AB-InBev, and other companies in them that have values different than my own. Many are also doing the same. Change is happening in the business world. The world really is what you make of it.

 

Thanks for your reply. What made you guess that I am 28?

 

By OP, I am assuming you mean me, the Original Poster?

Thank you for your post.

For clarity: It was my judgment that most of the beers I tried were mediocre. I tried about 8 - 10 of the roughly 100 beers at the event. ABI has many more than that in their portfolio, so my sample size compared to what they offer was very small.

"Do you believe those beers even need to be made available to everyone?" That is not my call. I'll let the powers that be make that decision.

"Lines are being blurred and that event sounds like a perfect way to do that." I hear you, and that is certainly one way to look at it. I see it as more complex than that. I'd rather not to speculate on what their motives were for having an event like this, but rather focus more on the outcome, which, from my perspective, I detail in my numerous posts in this thread.

"Did they make it known they own every one of those Breweries, Breweries that try to have their own identifies?" --That is what the Inde/pen/dent/Craft beer label by the Brewers Association is attempting to address: to help educate buyers that the beer in your hand with that label is brewed by smaller, independent breweries. And I believe the idea is that the consumer will hopefully come to understand that those beers without that label are not brewed by an independent craft brewery.

"They aren't adding anything new or better, for the most part." -- I hear you. I choose to focus on the benefits, so I judge they are. You are free to read my prior posts. To put it simply, I believe that the existence and proliferation of better beer encourages the entire market to produce better beer.

Dude, seriously, what they are doing is not all bad. I invite you to look for the good in what AB-InBev is doing. And once you can see that, then you may have a more grounded perspective in which to look at how they are going about what they are doing, and then do what you can to encourage change from there. And, oh, have a beer while doing it.

 

LOl. I am somewhere in between those descriptions. Definitely ideological, definitely--I prefer the term--'progressive'.
I like this: "It's not new just rediscovered." That fits in with my spirituality.

In terms of your previous questions "Do you shop at Walmart? Buy from Amazon? Use your local big bank over a credit union? The commodity is different but the intent is the same, and it's making money. You like Sunday afternoon football? Your sponsoring it there too, it's deeper than just ABI." I hear you that many people--you being one of them--have the belief that business is ALL about making money. And for some businesses, that's true. Just to be clear: I don't think that making money is bad. It's how one goes about it that makes it ... either a little better or a little worse. It's complicated, and involves subtle differences of values, some that we are not even aware of.

That is what I like about these forums. What I read sometimes challenges me to look at things a little differently and I may even make a slight alteration to my particular world view (in my experience that is uncommon, but it does happen, and when it does I am grateful for being able to see more clearly) or at least helps me understand where someone is coming from. And at the very least, and can we share some passion for beer and have a few laughs. There are some posters out here that I often don't agree with (sometimes I do), but their posts often make me laugh. If I'm not able to laugh, even with those I don't agree with, then I know something is not right with my view of the world.