Last but not least: How Chinese democracy can lead to ruin

On Monday, November 24, the American rock band Guns'n'Roses will release their new album "Chinese Democracy". It is their first in 17 years and has been announced so often that many people no longer expected it to actually see the light of day. Take soft drink manufacturer Dr. Pepper, for example: in March of this year, the company announced that, with the exception of former guitarists Slash and Buckethead, it would give every American a free can of its sweet drink if the men around lead singer Axel Rose managed to release their sixth studio album this year. Now that the date has been set, the gentlemen on the executive floor of the drinks manufacturer must be shaking in their boots. Perhaps they are currently mixing their soft drink with high-proof spirits. Because if they want to keep their word, this means that they theoretically have to distribute 304,482,524 cans on November 24. Marketing manager Tony Jacobs said: "We never thought this day would come. All we can say now is: Dr. Pepper is on us!" The drinks manufacturer now wants to protect itself against excessively high costs with a coupon system via the company's own website. If every American were to exercise their right, Dr. Pepper would be faced with costs of almost 170 million dollars. Perhaps it's little consolation for Dr. Pepper and his followers, but if the first voices on the Internet are to be believed, the album by the old rockers should be pretty good. (ads)