A popular right-wing myth is government should do little because it is less capable than private effort. Stow that lie with the Pepsi generation.

Put another way, when is the last time the US government allowed a $1.26 billion default judgment against Uncle Sugar, and then had to shovel stuff to try to excuse inept public-sector mistakes?

Right, it is hard to think of such a thing, but then neither would that happen in private affairs, indeed people are more vigilant when profit and loss apply - any right winger worth a flag lapel pin could tell you that.

It's an uber-rightwing conditioned reflex. Like Pavlov's salivating dogs.

And yet:

No show in Wis. court could cost PepsiCo $1.26B

By EMILY FREDRIX , Associated Press
Last update: October 28, 2009 - 6:45 PM

MILWAUKEE - Two men who claim PepsiCo stole their idea to sell bottled water sued the snack and drink maker in Wisconsin and won a $1.26 billion judgment last month after the company didn't respond.

PepsiCo, which calls the accusations "dubious," says it didn't know about the lawsuit until almost a week after the court granted the award without a trial.

The company wants the court to toss out the ruling, known as a default judgment, or at least give PepsiCo a chance to fight the accusations.

PepsiCo said part of the problem was it was served the lawsuit in North Carolina, where it is incorporated, instead of Purchase, N.Y., where it is based. Later, a secretary who received letters relating to the case failed to act on them.

Spokesman Joe Jacuzzi said PepsiCo wants to fight the claims but acknowledges it failed to respond because of "an internal process issue."

Even a dumb bunny dumbest ever uber-right Bushco appointed US Attorney could have and probably would have avoided that kind of blunder. Even with the better staff surrendering control positions all around her until she was riffed out, those "government sloths" are now back, and throughout the turmoil the office did not make a "Pepsi generation" blunder of even a tenth of the soda pop's magnitude.

Because they're not private-sector stupid. That's why.

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Quote is from Strib's carry of the AP feed, here. Please read the entire story for while it was super dumb what Pepsi did, judges are not so slavishly insensitive and woodenly stupid as to likely allow such a gross injustice to stand [after all, they are not private sector, they work for the government]. It would take a true dog-eat-dog reflexive Ayn Rand thin-the-herd pencil headed nabob to let that one stand as is, but a good judge would be able to fashion a good and fitting sanction, and would impose one.

dumb bunny photo - from here