I am not a fan of FWW’s hysterical anti-capitalist rhetoric (see this and this), and I am also familiar with the situation in McCloud, a small community with little to offer besides splendid nature and lovely water.

So, I am sad to see this “triumphalism” on Nestle’s withdrawal. Although I criticized the terms that Nestle offered the people of McCloud (about five to ten percent of the price they should have offered), I think that they could have made a deal. Instead, Nestle’s ham-handed “negotiating” created an alliance between those who dislike capitalists and those who dislike being ripped off. Bad news for Nestle but worse news for McCloud.*

So what’s McCloud going to do with its fantastic water? How are the citizens going to use their asset to improve their lives? Although they can surely enjoy the cleanest, freshest showers around, they are going to have a hard time getting more money for their water then Nestle was capable of paying.

My bet is still on “McCloud” branded bottled water, but I’ll wait to see what they do.

Bottom Line: It’s one thing to negotiate for your interests, it’s entirely another to throw your interests (and those of your neighbors!) out the window in the name of ideological purity.