Civilization has reached that magical stage where a coffee mug can overthrow a corporate executive before lunch.

This week in South Korea, the head of Starbucks Korea was fired over a promotional campaign featuring insulated drink tumblers and the catastrophic misuse of the word “tank.” Somewhere in Seattle, a room full of marketing executives is now hiding under ergonomic desks whispering, “Dear God, check every adjective.”

The campaign, innocently — or catastrophically, depending on your blood pressure — was called “Tank Day.” 

Which, in most nations, sounds like either a clearance sale at Home Depot or a forgotten Steven Seagal movie. 

But in South Korea, it collided headfirst with the memory of the 1980 Gwangju massacre, when military tanks were used to crush pro-democracy protests.

Then came another phrase: “Thump it on the desk.”