I have a theory the soft drink industry is lobbying for this behind the scenes. Soft drink sales appear to be declining since 2010 or so. I think the writing

I have a theory the soft drink industry is lobbying for this behind the scenes. Soft drink sales appear to be declining since 2010 or so. I think the writing is on the wall, but companies like coke aren't just selling sugary sludge while calling it a beverage...they are selling American culture and American exceptionalism. Therefore, Coke can't just go bankrupt and disappear globally, because it would be the equivalent of admitting the decline of American exceptionalism and culture. But taxing soft drinks sets the stage for some serious face saving when the market inevitably dries up and bankruptcies start, again not just face saving for the beverages and companies, but face saving for American culture. In other words in the future you will see the Coke executives not admitting they were hocking sugary sludge that caused health problems all over the world which people rejected as they became more educated about the health issues cause by consuming these products, rather the executives while floating down on their golden parachutes get to falsely claim they were regulated out of existence through taxes.