It seems like we have no idea whether soda is bad for you, since people who consume soda live long lives. As far as I know, their throats are also fine. It's not even necessarily a fact that sugar harms teeth as long as someone is brushing each day.
Soda is not in contact with your teeth for long enough to cause any damage, the acidity in basically all fruit would be just as bad by any meaningful measure of harm.
Carbohydrate snacks like crisps etc are much worse.
People eat fruit fairly quickly. But, many people sip soda for hours a day which is a vary different situation. Not only do they get acid but the constant low levels of sugar promote significant bacterial growth.
Also, unlike fruit soda has water and sugar, but no nutrients what so ever.
So, in your wold view death is the only measure of harm? Because, most people also assume pain such as that caused by a cavity's is also bad. And, historically people had far fewer cavity's before refined sugar became part of everyone's diet. Modern dentistry can mitigate that significantly, but it's not a panacea.
edit: The studies linked are interesting, but I think this quote stands on it's own.
Harnack L, Stang J, Story M. Soft drink consumption among US children and adolescents: Nutritional consequences. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1999;99:436-444.
Brimacombe C. The effect of extensive consumption of soda pop on the permanent dentition: A case report. Northwest Dentistry 2001;80:23-25.
Now, it's not all that harmful and if your starving the calories are useful but starvation is not a healthy diet.