File spoon-archives/marxism-intro.archive/marxism-intro_2004/marxism-intro.0410, message 151


From: idasan-AT-pseud.pseud
Subject: Re: M-INTRO: Mcdonaldization
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 20:26:41 -0600


On the contrary, we can blame McDonalds.  You absolutely defend one side of 
the Mcdonalds controversy and do it very well.  But I would like to present 
the other argument - one that I personally believe in.  Everyone knows that 
McDonalds has usually offered food high in fat and low in valuable 
nutrition - everyone knows it, even Mcdonalds.  That's why they have started 
to introduce new, more nutritional foods such as the parfait and their 
myriad of salads.  If they weren't culpable for making Americans fat - why 
would they have introduced all these new healthier menu items?  Furthermore, 
simply by the mere act of no longer "offering" the super size option is 
proof positive that the company itself feels it was formerly (socially) 
irresponsible to do so.

There is a line that many businesses cross- that of the hometown favorite to 
becoming a part of the national culture.  If a company has the good fortune, 
as McDonalds has, of becoming so successful that its name pops up in the 
news, in hiphop songs, and even in documentaries - wouldn't everyone agree 
that social responsibility absolutely must come along with it?  At this 
point, McDonalds is a brand name.... people trust it and love it.  Given 
that it is a part of what we've become as a nation is precisely the reason 
why the company needs to (and has) looked at this responsibility as sacred. 
They have the obligation to make their food as healthy as possible and cut 
fat wherever they can.

I wonder if you have the same attitude about the tobacco industry - don't 
blame them for making cigarettes?  Don't ge me wrong, I don't entirely 
equate the two - McDonalds doesn't intentionally put a full-blown addictive 
substance in thier food (although some would make the argument that do). 
But the point still applies - if a company becomes a part of mainstream 
culture, they have a social responsibility to make their product as safe as 
possible. 




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