- McLibel -

Re: Lets Put Mcdonalds Out of Business?

In Reply to: Lets Put Mcdonalds Out of Business? posted by Marty Luning on June 20, 1997 at 11:07:22:

: I find it hard to understand why person/s with nothing better to do with their time, have to prove a point to the extreme and in the end have nothing to show for it. Pity. Wouldn't be more productive for these person/s to concentrate on the "real" issues that affect our world? What about overpopulation, green house gases/destruction of the Ozone layer (lets blame Mcdonalds for that as well) the extinction of various species of animals (Mcdonalds at fault again) I am sick and tired of whingers and moaners trying to blame somebody for the worlds problems. Lets ALL get our fingers out of our rear behinds and work together, lets work "together" for the benefit of everyone. Wouldn't the 20 million dollars spent on witnesses and legal costs be better spent on the starving and hungry people in this world? This couple was just inviting trouble by doing what they did, they knew Mcdonalds wasn't going to sit back and let them distribute leaflets defaming them. They dragged the case out to their own advantage. They longer it took , the more it was giong to cost Mcdonalds in terms of legal costs. They thought they were going to give in, Wrong! It will take a lot more than that ! Just think of what would happen if Mcdonalds suddenly went out of business tomorrow.. where would all those young people just starting out in life go? More on the dole queue, with no career prospects. Mcdonalds for many young people, was their first job and gave them much needed experience to face the fast paced world we live in.
: Everyone winges about what they get paid, if it wasn't Mcdonalds it would be some other company. Most western companies have an award wage rule. I am sure Mcdonalds complies fully with all relevant industrial rules.

THis is a spurious argument about "all those young people just starting out in life". But one that is often advanced in an attitude that seems to say: it doesn't matter about principle, morality (let alone questions of "what kind of life do we want for our society") but jobs, jobs, jobs are all that counts.
What about the longer view, the more civic-minded view, which asks questions like the above: what are these multi-nationals doing to the web of human culture/society? do they have a deleterious effect? what kind? how do we combat this? how do we safe-guard other institutions from multinationals' marauding, amoral activity: institutions like "good food, shared with family or friends with no advertising hype/bullshit, turning shit into food with a golden glow"?

God how I loathe and mistrust economic rationalists!

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