An american icon torn down?

Over here in Belgium as well as in the US, the takeover of Anheuser-Busch is headlining news. It sure is an important bussiness matter as well as a significant event for beer-lovers. American beers will now find their way into Europe (and Russia, south-america ...) much easier. European beers will be more available to the US.

But have we, Belgians, taken down an American Icon?

Interviewed Americans in Belgium didn't seem to think so, they love the beer, not the fact that it's American. I might add that us Belgians have had some very bad experiences with attempting to uproot a beer from its native region, fear not; it's most unlikey we'll ever try that again, bush will stay in the US.

Even then, is there an American icon gone now that it isn't primarely under American ownership?
Is a browing machine gun any less American now that the Herstal group "owns" Browning? Doesn't the name Winchester not still inspire images from the wild west, frontier men and lever-action rifles? The multi-national owners may have reduced winchester to an ammunition plant, but is it any less American so? The FBI ordered ammunition from them for (up to) 54 million dollars on ammo day none the less! They don't have any problems with the fact that a group of bussiness me originating from a peanut sized country across the ocean pulls a lot of that manufacturers strings.

FN and Browning were close friends a long time ago. The man Moses himself entrusted a Belgian, (a French Belgian at that!) with the unfinished design of what is now one of the most monumental handguns on the market ... was there as much of an uproar then? Or maybe, did people realize that that Saive guy just might be fit for the job?
For what it's worth: the high-power is still a world class weapon and recreative plinker alike, loved by many across the world ... why not the same fate for Bush lite?

Soon, I'll be able to enjoy a nice yankee brew in pubs near my home, and the fine Beers of Belgium and Brazil will start to seep into American bars ... all those products of their respective brewers will become available to more people than ever before ... is that a bad thing? What is there to dislike about that? Job loss? You don't think the Bush familly was keeping people employed for the hell of it, do you? How many people could the new owners possibly give the boot before the gears stop turning?

For what it's worth, soon your drinking habits may be as queer as mine, and you too will be enjoying a naturally fermented cherry beer while reading through your blogroll.