1/14/17 Can The Globalization Of US Companies Be Stopped?

    A friend of mine was in Europe over the Christmas break and he came back angry that all was not as it should be.  He was bothered because there was a McDonald's everywhere, it seemed.  His argument that they shouldn't be there, the people don't want them there fell on deaf ears, because apparently, they are there and succeeding.  I have no dog in the fight, I really don't care if French people can eat a Big Mac or not, but to argue with me that the people don't want our business there is silly at best.  If they were not wanted, they would open, and go bankrupt quickly.  If there is a clientele, then you can't just bellyache and determine that the locals don't want everything American.
    I don't think corporations are evil, but if there is a vacuum and they can fit in and make some money, company A, B, or C will eventually set up shop there.  In your head, you might want to go to Glasgow and enjoy whatever you saw forty years ago, maybe those people have been waiting for the mighty McRib to show up within biking distance.  Nobody is going to force those people to eat there, like nobody forces us to shop at Wal-Mart when they come to a new town.  There is a convenience to having a store like Wal-Mart close by.  I don't love the products, I know most of the merchandise is disposable crap, but sometimes you need crappy stuff, like when we go to the coast and we need some instant shade, or some portable chairs.
    For the locals, it must be nice to be able to get up and have a quick breakfast McDonald's style, on the way to the Eiffel Tower, or wherever the French people go during the day.  Why does everything American have to be seen as crappy by everyone else?  I say fuck that, I might not be a #1 fan of McDonald's, when I can eat Whataburger, but I know from experience, I can very efficiently eat a double quarter pounder and drive without getting any of it on me, and that is sometimes the most important thing to the meal.
    Friday morning, Wife is here due to a school holiday, and I am already planning on going to have some breakfast with her, preferably at a place with some pancakes, if at all possible.  I don't think of the big chains for this scenario, but I am still glad they are open for so many other people on the go.  I do like to slow down, if I am going to eat breakfast, I prefer to eat it where we can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and talk for a little while.  I don't worry about what is at every corner as far as restaurants, I am glad I have choices, I think that is what matters more to the people, even in places I can't pronounce.