The development of an
increasingly integrated global economy
marked especially by
free trade, free flow of capital,
and the tapping of
cheaper foreign labor markets.

Where's the Democracy in the Golden Arches?

The Big Mac



McWorld does not support Democracy

The onrush of economic and ecological forces that demand integration and sameness and that captivated the world with fast music, fast computers, and fast food--with MTV, Macintosh, and McDonald's, pressing nations into one commercially homogenous global network: one “McWorld” tied together by technology, ecology, communications, and commerce. The planet is falling piece by piece apart and yet coming together at the very same moment, thanks to globalization.

The forces of McWorld operate with universalizing markets, making national borders disintegrate and neither do they provide democratic means for citizens to govern themselves.



Today, the global spread of McWorld is rapidly bringing the consumer society of the West to the rest of the planet. The globalization of the consumer economy is closely linked with the general economic boom and growth in the movement of goods, services, and money across international borders, which accelerated during the 1990s. Over the decade, the value of world trade in goods increased by nearly 50 percent, reaching $6.25 trillion. Exports of commercial services such as banking, consulting, and tourism expanded even faster. And foreign direct investment surged dramatically, reaching a peak of $1.4 trillion in 2000.

The Spread of "McWorld"

• McDonald’s operates 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries and serves 46 million customers each day. Its total revenue was $15.4 billion in 2002. On opening day in Kuwait City, the line for the McDonald’s drive-through was over 10 kilometers long.
• Siemens, the German manufacturer of mobile phones, computers, medical supplies, lighting, and transportation systems, employs 426,000 people and is represented in 190 countries. In 2002, Siemens’ net sales amounted to $96.4 billion, of which 79 percent were international.
• Levi Strauss sells clothing in more than 100 countries, and its trademark is registered in 160 countries. It employs 12,400 people worldwide. It reported total sales of $4.1 billion in 2002, and a net income of $151 million in 2001.
• Coca-Cola sells more than 300 drink brands in over 200 countries. More than 70 percent of the corporation’s income originates outside of the United States, and its net revenues reached $19.6 billion in 2002. Coca-Cola employs 60,000 people in Africa alone.

Since the entertainment and food & beverage industry is so lucrative, everyone wants a piece of that giant money pie. This also means that competition would be fiercer than ever and more and more consumers demand better and faster products. The use of advertisement would come in handy. Since it is impossible to “reinvent” a Big Mac, McDonalds would have to find other ways and means to stay competitive in the market. The use of the media and technology has enabled McDonald’s to produce their burgers at the fastest speed and the spread of McDonald’s global presence would also be increasingly prominent. With such a strong global presence, this means that it will result in everyone in the world eating the same Big Mac and having the same cup of Coca-cola.

In the video, it draws out the similarities of eating fast food or rather, junk food at McDonald’s and “modern democracy”. People assume that with a set of menu plastered on the walls behind the counters, you are given a “freedom of choice”. However, truth be told, “you basically choose between eating compressed grease or drinking liquid sugar.” Similarly in democratic politics, for example in America, you are given a choice to choose between a Republican and a Democrat and that is it. You only have two choices to vote from and the choices are actually limited, the decision is very much a coin toss between the two.

Furthermore, through the use of the media, a Big Mac is presented in a way that it is extremely juicy, huge and wholesome but what you see is not always what you get. At least not for a regular SGD$5 Big Mac. The first thought on your mind would most probably be, “Why does my Big Mac that looks half as big, half as tasty, but tastes twice as greasy as I'd expected.” Using a similar case of American democratic politics “the flashy ads that they show you are equal to the promises democratic politicians make every year” and that “they'll cut down unemployment, promise to rescue [Americans] from terrorism (although they obviously have no problem starting new wars for no apparent reason), to "end racism" by enlightening [Americans] of why multiculturalism is a such a great idea, and generally fill [them] with all kinds of [empty] promises for the future.” This shows that the media, like the campaigns of politicians are often filled with “empty promises” and fail to deliver, while contradicts with principles of a democratic state, serving to maintain peace within a country, let alone the whole world.

In the economical sphere, McDonald’s which has franchises all over the world, 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries, to be exact, and serves 46 million customers each day which equates to the economic might of the company. The video has underscored the reasong for the popularity of such fast food chains is due to the people’s take on eating-in nowadays. Since fast food is “cheap and comfortable, but… also because most people who go to these places are both lazy and stupid. [Most Americans] can't cook their own food, so they order home a bunch of Chinese noodles and congratulate themselves for being multicultural and modern”, which is a ridiculous thought to conceive since by living in Chinatown does not mean that you embrace Chinese culture and will not be a perpetrator of racism. The video also goes on to explain that “within democracies, the people at McDonald's consume themselves to death, while clever businessmen in the background laugh at people's stupidity and count the money: "Oh yes, vote for freedom, we'll take care of your modern burdens.” This clearly shows the brutality that is the reality of a capitalist economy as businessman seek to gain from another consumer by creating a demand for their product, in this case, McDonald’s and then, selling it to the unknowing and rather foolish consumer in order to satisfy their own “greed and lust for power”.



In a democratic state like America, while they promote “freedom of speech”, “freedom of human rights”, or basically, “freedom”, “if anyone points out it's an insane lifestyle that's killing our society, nature, and culture (what's left of it) from within, you have suddenly trespassed the boundaries of what's OK to do or say”, which is the reality of the so-called democratic society that is America. There are limits of “freedom” in which certain statements would be regarded as “intolerant” or “full of hate” and in stricter countries such as Singapore, you would be sent off to jail for making such comments in public which may pose a threat to security.



In conclusion, a McWorld privileges money over people, replacing one-person, one-vote with one-dollar, one-vote. The principle that the McDonald brothers recognized in their little San Bernadino store: efficiency, technology, and the division of labour. Cheaper. Faster. More. Working hand in hand with technological change, and increased efficiency, has reduced the cost of food in terms of both the money it takes to buy it and the time it takes to prepare and consume it. Time and money are the two main constraints upon economic behavior. Fast food is both fast (time) and cheap (money)—and has only become faster and cheaper over the years. No wonder there has been a shift in favor of such products as their relative prices have fallen. McDonald’s is so popular in formerly Communist countries, despite prices that are high relative to weekly income. Under communism, they could be pretty sure of poor food and worse service in most cases, but sometimes they were pleasantly surprised. McDonald’s is the other way around. The food is consistently decent. You provide most of the service yourself, so you are not dependent on the whims of a surly waiter. This makes fast food the obvious, most cost-efficient and sensible choice as people embrace acceptable food at affordable prices. However, the welcome of fast food (or ultimately the capitalist system) has also posed problems to democracy as it fails to provide a diverse and “free” McWorld in the process.



So the next time you eat a Big Mac, it's not just bread, meat patty, lettuce that you're eating, it's three slices of advertisement, two slices of sameness and one portion of non-democracy that you're eating.

Labels: Democracy, McWorld, Politics

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