The Cadbury Takeover - A Disgrace!

Kraft - a company founded in 1903.
Cadbury - a company found in 1874.

A difference of...um....wait... (1903 - 1874 =.....)

A difference of 29 years! Not even my whole lifetime, and about half my mum's! Now, sure big companies can take over little companies all the time, but with a company like Cadbury that holds such prestige and popularity in Britain, it's irrelevant if it is a global company or not, it gives something for Britain to be proud of. Perhaps we never noticed as apparent as before, but there is no way I'd like to eat American-company-chocolate-that-used-to-be-British-Chocolate. The taste and chocolate might be the same, but it's the basic principle of it. Don't get me wrong, I love Kraft chocolates, Toblerone, and above all Oreo. But I like those chocolates, because they're tasty, and they're something different. They're a mark of successful import, of the progression of trade between countries. But today marks the the truth of our world: mass industrialisation and globalisation, specifically Americanisation. There is no denial. America is one of the most influential countries in the world, especially in our social behaviour. A lot of the things we live in and do everyday revolve around American influences. For example, take sulphur dioxide, a chemical. Sure it's irrelevant here, but it's an example. Technically/apparently, the correct spelling is 'sulfur'. Why, and am I bovvered? Next example, a lot of British rock, indie and alternative music is influenced by America. Go back a few years, and it's easy to compare bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles to artists like the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Doors. You can tell the difference, not in terms of voice, but in terms of musical style. Today, if I listen to music, I can hardly tell if bands are American or British because they're so similar in sound! Heck, I didn't even know if the Killers were British or American!

But the rant I'm having is not over the fact that a lot of our life is Americanised, it's the fact that Cadbury has allowed this British prestige of a company to be taken over by Americans. Look, I don't have any quams with Americans, but I want British things to stay British, and American things to stay American. You wouldn't see a British man saying ''wazzzupp dudddde...'' (ignoring that fact that most teenagers now tend to greet each other as such) and you wouldn't see an American man saying ''Alright, mate?''. It's unusual.

Back to Cadbury, this deal has almost burned off what is left of true British industry. We felt the same when Woolworths was gone, and this is a similar situation. A company with such reputation and with such popularity among the British people is now tarnished as our chocolate is now under the collar of a larger American company, based on the fact that they have more money. The Cadbury brand isn't just a company, it's a family with a long history with the heritage passed down through generations, and now it has become a victim of mass industrialisation and globalisation. The BBC interviewed a number of people who worked or works in Cadbury, now in fear of losing their job. Davic Dusan, aged 84, who worked in Cadbury for 35 years had this to say:

"It's a disgrace. Unbelievable. It's British heritage and history, and the Cadbury family - there's nothing to touch them.

"They are not a factory, they are a family. I am sad, and my family is sad."

So many more workers, with so many more comments and opinions, and all with the worry of redundancy.

But what do the big people have to say? Cadbury chairman, Roger Carr told the BBC that ''job cuts are an inevitability' and that really doesn't help in this economic climate. Our esteemed Prime Minister commented that ''the government is determined to ensure Cadbury jobs are safe.'' I hope that the government really does achieve its aim.

The thought crosses my mind constantly; what would John Cadbury (family patriach and founder of Cadbury's) say? Would he allow such a thing to happen? Unfortunately, we may never know, and hopefully, he has left the company (heritage) in good hands and for now, we can only hope to a good profit-making future.

But the heritage of such a long history is non-refundable, not even with £11.5 billion.