Another observation on war.

[AChimp]

Once a country gets a McDonald's, it has never fought against another country that has a McDonald's.

Spooky, huh?

[FS]

Didn't Iraq already have McDonald's?

[AChimp]

No, because Iraq was on the list of bad countries for trading. Kuwait does have a few, though.

[GAsux]

They don't taste the same though. I've been to McD's in Kuwait and in Turkey, and a Burger King in Saudi. The McDs are cool because they have stuff we don't have anymore. Like styrofoam. Remember when Big Macs and stuff used to come in styrofoam containers? And remember when MdConlads did that burger that came in two halves? You know, the "hot" half and the "cold" half? They still have those too, whatever they were called.

[AChimp]

Speaking of not tasting the same, I've noticed differences just between Canada and the U.S. I've eaten at a few American McDonald's, particularly in the Mall of America, and the whole burger is bun! There's practically nothing inside... just bun, bun and more bun.

At least here in Canada they squash everything for you. :(

On a side note, in India, they have "Maharajah" pork burgers instead of Big Macs.

The McChicken Sandwich is the one that changes names the most, though, I think. In Norway, it's McKillig or something like that. It's odd how they'll leave stuff like "quarter pounder" the same, but convert other products to the local language.

[theapportioner]

Once a country gets a McDonald's, it has never fought against another country that has a McDonald's.

Sorry to burst yer bubble, but no longer true. Friedman's observation was proven wrong when NATO bombed Yugoslavia.

[sloth]

Golden Arches theory of Conflict Prevention or some jazz, isn't it? I haven't been in a McDonalds since a kid contracted Herpes from a Big Mac with compliments from the Chef at our local branch, but kudos to them for the good work.
Edit: Sorry, too slow typing. Guess McDonalds have no redeeming features then :(

[AChimp]

Yes, but he also stated that globalization won't end geopolitics. Exceptions are bound to happen, eventually.

It's interesting to note, however, that during the whole Kosovo thing, the Yugoslavians actually considered the few McDonald's to be part of their country, rather than a symbol of America. And I'll be damned if I can remember where I read that right now. :/

[Cap'n Crunch]

Speaking of not tasting the same, I've noticed differences just between Canada and the U.S. I've eaten at a few American McDonald's, particularly in the Mall of America, and the whole burger is bun! There's practically nothing inside... just bun, bun and more bun.

That just might be the Mall of America, and the other places you've eaten at. It just varies by how they make them, and if they put meat on them or not. I don't eat at McDonald's anyway, Wendy's is better.

[Zebra 3]

Speaking of not tasting the same, I've noticed differences just between Canada and the U.S. I've eaten at a few American McDonald's, particularly in the Mall of America, and the whole burger is bun! There's practically nothing inside... just bun, bun and more bun...
:) - Now the American and Canadian McOutHouses have something in common - they both serve the same Alberta mad cow.

[kellychaos]

This reminds me of a SciFi novel I read once (I'll have to get back to you on the author/title later.) Anyway, the author foresees the world as becoming sort of a Neo-Wellsish (The Time Machine) society in which captilism grows internationally to the point where allegiance is given to the company rather than the country as the national lines are blurred in pursuit of methods to obtain wealth, ect.

[El Blanco]

Do you mean Jennifer Government by Max Barry?