Fiji's military junta has been declared unconstitutional by the country's second highest court; in response, it has abolished the judiciary, banned unauthorized public gatherings, delayed elections until 2014, and clamped down on the media.
The slogan on Fiji Water's website -- "And remember this, we saved you a trip to Fiji" -- seems like a dark joke to those who are aware of the conditions there. Fiji Water is now America's leading imported water. The company has spent millions pushing the its environmental credibility and charity work.
But nowhere in Fiji Water's glossy marketing materials will you find reference to the typhoid outbreaks that plague Fijians because of the island's faulty water supplies, the corporate entities that Fiji Water has set up in tax havens like the Cayman Islands and Luxembourg, or the fact that its signature bottle is made from Chinese plastic in a diesel-fueled plant and hauled thousands of miles. And, of course, you won't find mention of the military junta for which Fiji Water is a major source of global recognition and legitimacy.