Now and then we post items about groups around the world that get together with armor, lances and flintlocks, to reenact battles the way they were fought back when war was fun. But we seldom shed light on why people participate in this activity, at least until now.

In a Reuters video story about a huge gathering of reenactment groups in Russia, we hear from a guy dressed sort of like Fred Flintstone, explaining they do it for the young people, to show them “something national, to turn them away from McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.”

I see. So, watching shabily-dressed folks beating the poop out of each other with broadswords and battle-axes, while cooking dubious bits of gray “meat” on a spit, is going to empty the fast food places in Russia as teens race to embrace the 13th century?

Well, Pal, maybe. But in the immortal line from Dr. Strangelove, “You’re gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.” Benet Allen reports.

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