One more reason to buy a Sodastream
I got a Sodastream as a present a couple of years ago.
It was a great gift. Everybody who knows me knows I drink a lot of plain club soda. This gadget allows you to make your own (and not just plain club soda either; all kinds of flavors and types of soda—which of course I never drink).
Whether it’s cheaper than buying soda in bottles or not is a lengthy argument (I think it is cheaper, unless you get the lowest budget soda at the store, which is usually flat and bad), but it’s certainly way more convenient. All you have to do is get a refill when it runs out, which are available at many venues. Best of all, no more hauling bottles home, or the empties to recycling. Your groceries become so much lighter. And when you run out of your favorite carbonated beverage after hours—why, just make another bottle.
But on top of all those reasons to buy a Sodastream, now there’s another. I hadn’t known this before, but the company is an Israeli one, and, predictably, all the self-righteous leftist friends of the PLO would like you to boycott it. In an unintentional but predictable irony, this seems to be in part because the Israeli firm hires Palestinians to work in its plant—and of course, as the capitalist pig fat cats they are, therefore exploits the poor workers. The following is an excerpt from an NPR piece on the situation:
In a company- produced video, SodaStream’s Daniel Birnbaum describes his firm as a boon to the residents of the occupied West Bank.
DANIEL BIRNBAUM, CEO, SODASTREAM: We give them an opportunity ”“ not only to have a job and health insurance ”“ but also social benefits and a very high pay scale, which they could never achieve in the West Bank.
ABRAMSON [of NPR]: But the Palestinian Authority says factories, like SodaStream’s, help support what they see as Israel’s illegal occupation of West Bank land. Israeli groups that oppose settlement activity agree.
Rona Moran, with the Coalition of Women for Peace, based in Tel Aviv, says SodaStream and other settlement businesses weaken the Palestinian economy.
RONA MARTIN, COALITION OF WOMEN FOR PEACE: And all of the work in this factory is actually benefitting from exploiting Palestinian workers as cheap labor and Palestinian land for the establishment of the factory, and enjoys benefits and funding from the Israeli government.
So folks, your work is clear. Buy Sodastream! You’ll be purchasing a good product, supporting an Israeli business, and at the same time helping that Israeli company actually help some Palestinians help themselves for a change. Win/win/win.
Oh—and, if you purchase it through my Amazon portal or a click-through here, you’ll also be giving neo-neocon a little boost.
[Hat tip: BenK at Ace’s.]
we used to have the ole seltzer man..
ie charged seltzer for the week
mixing ur own is old!!!!!
There’s a word for people like Rona Martin. It rhymes with…no, I’m being too blunt.
I tried the Sodastream but my wife complained the carbonation wasn’t strong enough for her. I did follow the directions, I used cold water, etc, but my wife was right, the carbonation just wasn’t that strong.
Even if it had worked, it wouldn’t have been as convenient as the solution I have now: a 5 gallon metal tank supplying a faucet which lasts about 2 weeks between refills.
Gee…
We just bought ours…
Three days ago.
Nice to know.
Philip Ngai: I like strong carbonation, and I find it plenty strong enough. I give it one extra push.
Ha! I was just sayin’:
http://thewrymouth.tumblr.com/post/42409139172/npr-touts-leftist-groups-protest-of-israeli-company
— good in ya!
cool; didn’t know who owned them. Yes; not dealing with all the 2 liter bottles is huge.
I picked on up before Christmas. I’ve had some doubts about the upfront costs and now feel better that I supported an Israeli business. The cost issue is working itself out as I find my drinking of soda water increasing. I’ve a habit for soda with a drop or two of Angostura bitters.
Buying prepackaged either meant buying 2 liter then having flat soda after the first day or spending even more and having more trash buying smaller portions. Now, I only have to keep in mind the carbonator exchange and not have to deal with empty containers.
I first heard of Sodastream on a website called The former chef. The host cooked up some of her own syrup concoctions. How cool is that, your own blend of spices? Should you feel inspired.
How good were the Sodastream Super Bowl commercials. Especially the one banned by NBC for being to mean to Coke and Pepsi. Who doesn’t love exploding bottles?
Name anything connected to Israel or Jews and I can tell you why, according to the Left, it is a bad thing.
It’s almost as if there is another motive at work!