Nobody Ever Pays Me In Gum

August 18, 2010 4:53 PM

Today, Mexico announced new, tighter tariffs on American goods, including restrictions on U.S. chewing gum. Some say it's because of Teamsters, but the hatred of American chewing gum may harken back to a 19th century military coup. Exiled after numerous attempts to rule Mexico as a military dictator, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (yes, that General Santa Anna) spent part of his time in exile in -- of all places -- Staten Island. Santa Anna planned to fund his new army with a secret asset: he intended to sell chicle to the Americans. Although the General thought it had more uses, inventor Thomas Adams found the stuff fun to chew on. A few years later, Adams flavored his gum, inventing Black Jack Gum, the oldest continually-made chewing gum in the United States. Sadly, due to recent tariffs, General Santa Anna's army-building Black Jack chewing gum will now cost 20% more to export to Mexico.
posted by AzraelBrown (16 comments total)

Methinks this new tariff will net Carlos Slim Helu some money. Does anyone of an inside of Mexican olgigarchy know if the tariffs are directly related to their areas of business?
posted by wcfields at 5:06 PM on August 18, 2010

This is great news for my chicle (Bubbalicious and Bubble Yum) venture in Tijuana.
posted by birdherder at 5:07 PM on August 18, 2010

So the head of the Teamsters is another Jimmy Hoffa?
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 5:20 PM on August 18, 2010

I think NAFTA is a sad scam.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 5:28 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (yes, that General Santa Anna) spent part of his time in exile in -- of all places -- Staten Island.

Garibaldi lived there, too. Then again, so did my Uncle Geno. I visited him back in 1978. I remember sleeping over at the house of a neighbor kid named Sal. He showed me a book about Kiss he had. The bookmobile came by and I borrowed a book about the World Series and never returned it. My shrink lives there, too.

It's quite an isle, really.
posted by jonmc at 5:29 PM on August 18, 2010

I think NAFTA is a sad scam.

All of international law is only as valid as the entity capable of enforcing it.
posted by Navelgazer at 5:36 PM on August 18, 2010

All of international law is only as valid as the entity capable of enforcing it.
posted by Electrius at 5:38 PM on August 18, 2010

No, it is because the US won't live up to its obligations under NAFTA.
posted by nestor_makhno at 5:59 PM on August 18, 2010 [2 favorites]

I wish all recent-news-based posts succeeded as well as this one has in framing the news in a truly interesting MeFi style. Thanks for a good read.
posted by gilrain at 6:04 PM on August 18, 2010

No, it is because the US won't live up to its obligations under NAFTA.

This. But not just the US; most countries subsidize certain exporting industries and non-tariff barriers are applied in order to exploit any loophole possible by pretty much everyone.
posted by Kirk Grim at 6:19 PM on August 18, 2010

hatred of American chewing gum may harken back to a 19th century military coup

Clearly they have longer memories and grudges than we do.

Anyway, Santa Anna gave the phrase Comeback Kid new meaning, the way he kept falling in and out of favor. Can't blame it all on the US
posted by IndigoJones at 6:22 PM on August 18, 2010

Funny, I just heard about this on an old Stuff You Should Know podcast: Does Gum Stay in Your Stomach for Seven Years? (mp3 link)

(Spoiler Alert: the answer is no)
posted by farishta at 6:34 PM on August 18, 2010

In Mars Attacks the chewing gum was pure NO2.
posted by ovvl at 6:39 PM on August 18, 2010

So I guess they'll have to come up and here and kick ass.
posted by jquinby at 6:41 PM on August 18, 2010

Well! After all the help the CIA has given them!
posted by Twang at 7:16 PM on August 18, 2010

So the head of the Teamsters is another Jimmy Hoffa?

James P. Hoffa^ has run the Teamsters since 1999. He won after losing a corrupt election and the Feds ordering a new one.

He's a good guy. Not that his dad wasn't, but he was probably what he could be given the environment.
posted by dhartung at 8:15 PM on August 18, 2010