The global economy can do a lot of things to a man…but if you threaten to mess with his job AND his beer, that may just be the last straw. By many of the reactions - from TV and barstool talking heads to the 31,000 member Facebook Group protesting the deal - the InBev (INBVF.PK) purchase of Anheuser-Busch (BUD) is an unacceptable encroachment on American life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The reaction is not only emotional, it also stems from an underlying fear that the projected $1.5 billion in annual “synergies” saved by the acquisition is a euphemism for job cuts.

It is sad to lose the sense of pride and tradition that US ownership of Budweiser - a beer that’s as American as apple pie - brings. But there are some aspects of the deal that make the pint glass half full rather than half empty.