I am of the opinion that if you want to watch a country change, the following recipe is ideal: provide Internet access to the masses, build a factory, a mall, a McDonald's and wait. Today I read an article about how fashion retailers are beginning to tap into the Muslim market, and I found it terribly amusing. Teeth have to be pulled in order for UN inspectors to penetrate parts of the Muslim world, but Nordstrom's et al are plowing through there with seemingly little effort. I view globalization as being a Pandora's Box that seems perfectly harmless at first glance, but once it is opened, it is unstoppable. Foreign and domestic policies are soon up for sale because capitalism is a fickle mistress that does not like to be restrained. It is the perfect weapon, just ask China. Deng Xiao Ping killed Mao's dream when he loosened up policies for the sake of expanding China's economy, and now current leader Hu Jintao is promoting a "cloaked capitalism."
I guess the conclusion that I am drawing is that if the Bush administration truly wants to democratize the world, instead of sending in the Marines, maybe he should just send in some trendy stores.
1 comment:
As an old fart, I knew when Mickey D's opened up in Moscow, the USSR was on a downhill slope. And when they opened in China, I could see our capitalistic fingers slipping around Budda's neck. McDonalds, Coke and Pepsi are our best military weapon...and don't cost lives (unless you consider the nutrition side of things, of course).
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