McDonald's Hates It When America Wins
Shamelessly pandering to Chinese nationalism, the McDonald's corporation has chosen a slogan for a massive marketing campaign within China: "Wo jiu xihuan Zhongguo ying," which roughly translates as, "I LOVE IT WHEN CHINA WINS." This campaign is objectionable for 3 reasons:
1. There's a difference between national pride and nationalism; this slogan flat-out panders to the worse elements of Chinese nationalism, which is a weird emotion to exploit in order to sell junk food.Why is McDonald's doing this? It's obvious: They want to sell junk food to China by pandering to nationalist feelings. But once this gets out, how will the knowledge that McDonald's "loves it when China wins" affect nationalist feeling here in the United States?
2. Everyone in China understands that goal #1 during the Olympics is to beat the United States in the medal count for the first time ever. That's a perfectly reasonable goal for the Chinese, but an odd goal for an American corporation.
3. Olympic competition between China and Western countries is in reality a competition between two approaches to the organization of athletic excellence. In the U.S., Japan, Europe, and elsewhere, athletes are amateurs who work day jobs, and do their sport out of love for the game. In China, children showing athletic promise are taken from their parents and placed into grueling training camps where they are forged into world-class athletes at the expense of their childhoods, families and, often, their futures. If athletes want to quit, they and their families are threatened with not being able to find work or worse. Read more about it here. By bolding saying that they want China to win, McDonald's is in fact advocating the Chinese system of Communist Party-enforced, work-camp style training over the voluntary for-the-love-of-sport approach in the West.
1:23 PM * PERMALINK * 37 comments
Comments:
Because of this blatant pandering to our communist adversaries, I will no longer be purchasing food from McDonald's, nor will my family. I don't care how many branches they have in foreign countries, they should respect and show allegiance the land of opportunity that allowed them to exist.
Oh calm down. What is this, 1952? McD's is right up the American way: maximising profits any way it can. If you think a vast multinational like McD's is going to think for a nanosecond about human rights then you don't understand jack. This is what America really stands for in the eyes of the world: making money no matter what, or who, cares.
Money Money that all,nothing else matter in selling anythings
McDonald's has been pandering to anti-American ideals even before it became "fashionable". They have been pushing the homosexual agenda at least since the mid 1980s. For them Communism is no different. I haven't been to a McFaggot's since then. So now it's also McUseful Idiot's, or would that be McCommie?
Why are we surprised?
America, Americanism, are both long lost criteria in the corporate world of so called "American" companies.
I, and all of the folks that I can reach, will now include McDonald's in the same catagory as Wal-Mart.
You guys love the Chinese so much, see you later.
At some time we have to stop playing the "corporate game" and recognize that a global economy is a two way street.
By the way two ways means that when we buy goods from another country they buy goods, without limits, from us.
Is that what is happening today?
You have to be kidding yourself if you believe that this is a two way street.
Western athletes are not amateurs who work day jobs and are in it for the love of the sport. They are highly compensated professionals, some of whom still have the audacity to use taxpayer funded Olympic training facilities. This ain't 1932 when no one cared about the Olympics and oddball amateurs still were allowed to compete. Now it is the competition between the best athletes money can buy and the only difference is how much of the training bill Nike foots versus how much the government (US or China) foots. We will never rue the day we let professional athletes compete in the Olympics (the money is too good), but I have not watched a single moment of Olympic competition since 1980. Anonymous is right, this is all about the money and don't think for a second that if a Chinese athlete strikes the public fancy that Reebok won't pay big bucks and we won't see them on NBC constantly. I'm not against money or the making of it. I don't want American athletes idolized. If it didn't pay, they would not be in it and I hope none of them say anything to the contrary.
As the second commenter said "who cares"? Why was this even posting.
The tide is coming, you can get on board and surf the opportunity, or get swallowed by it and be the next out of work cry baby.
Wake up, and grow up America!
***** Western athletes are not amateurs who work day jobs and are in it for the love of the sport. ... Now it is the competition between the best athletes money can buy and the only difference is how much of the training bill Nike foots versus how much the government (US or China) foots..... If it didn't pay, they would not be in it and I hope none of them say anything to the contrary. ****
It's true that a tiny handful of superstars -- think Michael Phelps or the basketball "dream team" -- are making a lot of money through endorsements or professional salaries or both. Many of them are household names, and they're making money from their celebrity. But they're the exception rather than the rule.
The overwhelming majority of U.S. and other western athletes don't receive significant financial contribution from anyone.
Here are the U.S. Olympic participants so far:
http://teamusa.org/athlete/usoc_athletes
How many of these do you think are "professional," or receiving endorsement deals of any kind? 5% maybe?
Also: If you're saying the Chinese system of having 100% of Olympic athletes as employees of the state, taken from families and pushed often against their will to compete is better than the Western system, then please say that's what you mean.
If you think the Chinese system is objectionable, then please admit that you agree with my post on that point.
Mike Elgan
If Mc Donald's want the chinesse to win that's fine, there going to have to earn it. I don't eat there food now, so why should I change. There is better tasting fast foods out there and some of the other National Chains even serve healthful foods. It will bite them in there Big Mac's you watch!
The ever persistent American preoccupation with what is truly American and what is not... does that really serve a purpose?
Why not simply object to the violation of human rights (both on the massive scale of communist China and -let's be honest- on the smaller scale by the US) and let capitalism fill in the rest.
Well said Mr. Elgan, well said....
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=68774
Boycott McDonald's
Posted: July 05, 2008
I'll just bet this is something you won't see anywhere else in the media.
It's a column by the editor, publisher and chief executive officer of a news company calling for a consumer boycott of McDonald's because of the fast-food chain's promotion of the radical homosexual agenda including same-sex marriage.
Click the link above to read more.
Just a few clarifications:
a) America is a CONTINENT. Not a country. You might be reffering to the United States of America. QUITE A DIFFERENCE
b) There are VERY few amateur Athletes. Most of them have coroporate soponsorships that pay for their bills. IMHO there is no shame or fault in that. If the Chinese / Cuban / Rusian do well does not call for a review on their methods. That´s being a cry baby.
I think many of the American Olympic athletes that are in it for "the love of the sport" were strongly influenced to "love" their sport at a young age by parents pushing them because they saw potential and wanted to live the dream vicariously. If you truly want to make a statement against China, how about not buying all of the products imported from China instead of boycotting an American company.
Oh, I'm torn.
Pandering to China, regardless of human rights record = bad
civil rights promotion/"homosexual agenda" = good
high fat high calorie, little to no nutrients food = bad
um.... uh, they have apples now = good
ok, well, my pros & cons still leave me wishing I didn't love those darn Filet'o'Fish things so much so I wouldn't support a company which takes food into the realm of nationalism of any kind.
But they're addictive (at least to me, I know Morgan Spurlock hated them) and I love the gays.
I had no idea Micky D's was supporting the "Gay Agenda" (aka biological science, sociological acceptance and civil rights equality)
Now I feel less bad about eating there, since it pisses you off.
Thanks for the info, bigoted xenophobes!
Actually, "America" is two continents - North and South (but that's pedantic, certainly it has the de facto meaning of US).
I know Mike never suggested the boycott - but for those that did, think it through. If a boycott had any affect it would be local (hurting the people that work in your own country). The potential revenue from China is orders of magnitude higher than it is in the US so where would a company trying to make money concentrate?
There are almost no "amateur athletes" (in the original sense of the term) in most first world countries today. I'm not saying they are rich or even well off (some probably are - think Micheal Johnson) but they do receive financial incentives. Consider the multitude of companies that provide support (like Home Depot - don't get on their case now) such as paying a full time salary to a part time employee so they can train. I certainly don't believe that ** The overwhelming majority of U.S. and other western athletes don't receive significant financial contribution from anyone** and I think that anyone who does hasn't really paid attention (again - I don't think very many of them are well off, just that many receive some compensation). Another example is the "rewards" paid to winning athletes by governments see: "Price of Gold".
So - the McDonalds slogan doesn't bother me one bit. How China trains its athletes does - but I really think there are much better targets than that of an international company (not a US company anymore) that chooses to use nationalism to try and make a few bucks.
This thread about whether or not American athletes or "Western" athletes are professional or amateur seems to have gone down a weird path, and several commenters have posted responses to my comment that "athletes are amateurs who work day jobs, and do their sport out of love for the game." The main point of these posts is that American and Western athletes are professionals with sponsors and don't have to work day jobs.
A few thoughts on this:
1. My point was that the Chinese government's approach is starkly and radically different from the approach of other governments' and other societies' approaches, and that McDonald's slogan implies support for the Chinese approach. That approach involves many elements, and "support" (feeding, clothing, training and paying them) is the LEAST objectionable aspect. The most objectionable aspect elements are state sponsored child abuse (see links below), threats against families and athletes and the removal of children from their families for the purpose of national pride in sports.
2. Most Olympic athletes currently training for the Olympics are largely self-funded and have jobs and that none or close to none of the Chinese athletes are *allowed* to have jobs beyond their job of training for the Olympics. One poster mentioned that part of the "financial support" for our athletes comes from Home Depot, which famously helps support Olympic athletes that work at Home Depot. Olympic athletes work at lots of companies, not just Home Depot.
3. If you want to criticize the American or Western "system," then go after the inequality of support. Michael Phelps probably trains in a golden swimming pool filled with champagne, while 95% of the other athletes are barely surviving. I saw on the U.S. Olympic Trials last night one leading runner was so poor two years ago that he ate only rice and pancake mix for months.
4. This belief that Olympic athletes have corporate sponsors is something of a mirage. The big-name athletes that the media obsesses over may have financial backing, but most do not. The majority that are ignored by the media are the same ones that are ignored by our "system" of supporting athletes.
5. Any support that does exist by sponsors or others kicks in only after an athlete has reached a level of national excellence, which they must attain on their own. All those years as children training, driving to tournaments or contests and getting lessons or whatever are borne entirely by parents and the athletes themselves. In China, the state support begins at a very, very young age (see links below). That "support" involves moving to a state training facility where they are full-time, professional athletes. Very different.
6. The other difference is that the Chinese system is completely run and controlled by the government. In the U.S., for example, the U.S. Olympic Committee is totally independent of the government -- a fact Jimmy Carter discovered when he decided to boycott the 1980 games in Moscow. The USOC said "no way." It took the Carter administration months of negotiations, threats and cajoling to get them to agree.
If you want to see and read more -- and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT -- about the Chinese system for winning that McDonald's loves so much, please follow these links:
USA Today
Stern Magazine
UNICEF
BBC
TIME Magazine
Goldsea
Telegraph
Mike
Ronald is such a double-agent turncoat bastard! Or... maybe the goal is to trick the Chinese athletes into eating McDonald's, so they'll be sure to get fat and lose!
As for David, who finds homosexual agendas in fast food - you're either a) retarded or b) totally gay and in denial at your little scout ranch.
OK, I get how a US company's marketing plan of cheering for some/any other countries athletes, might ruffle some feathers, but China is hardly our adversary.
We have a lot of money invested in China's emerging markets and American investors are reaping the benefits of Chinas recent growth.
Is there a cultural and economic rivalry? Sure. But this is not the cold war.
I noticed the closet homosexual/self hating gay crowd has chimed in by labeling homosexuality as un-American. Hu?
America is supposed to be about freedom first and foremost. If you can't tolerate someone's personal choice in partners sexual or otherwise, you are opposed to personal freedom and it is you that is anti American.
I vote that we all boycott McD's, not because they pander to local athletes in other countries, or support their employees personal freedom, but because their food sucks and they are trying to give us all heart attacks.
Join me.
***** Is there a cultural and economic rivalry? Sure. But this is not the cold war. *****
The issue of this post isn't rivalry, but the pandering to Chinese nationalism by an American company, and also apparent support by that company for very objectionable practices (namely, Chinese government-sponsored child abuse, family dissolution and the authoritarian control of athletes' lives).
It doesn't matter whether China is a rival to the United States or not. What matters is that when you buy a Big Mac, you're supporting a company that claims to "love it when China wins." They were hoping we'd never find out, but I'm here to inform you of that fact. : )
I agree with you about two things.
First, not only is the "homosexual agenda" not un-American, it appears to be profoundly pro-American. To the best of my knowledge, the "homosexual agenda" is calling for equality, the right to serve in the military and also the legalization of gay marriage. For some reason, gays want to get married, have kids, live in the suburbs and go to PTA meetings. You can't get more American than that.
I'm totally unfamiliar with McDonald's role in all this, and am not really interested enough to go find out. But the posters who say they'll boycott McDonald's because of the company's support for the gay agenda is a little bizarre.
The second thing I agree with you about is that the worst thing about McDonald's is their food. It's perfect garbage. (I personally haven't set foot into a McDonald's since the early 1990's.)
This is really the biggest way McDonald's has worked against American athletic excellence: They've been working on making American kids fat, sick and weak for decades.
Mike Elgan
I hope you'll forgive me if I don't roll over in shock over this. China does bad things? Oh my gosh, who knew?
It's an advertising campaign. What you are doing is merely stirring up alleged patriotism by picking a fight with a straw man. I hope you find satisfaction in that.
Why do you say "America" when you mean the U.S.? America is Central, North and South, and comprised of 23 countries and if you include the West Indies (part of the Americas) you have another 13, totaling 36. Please don't be ignorant, and stop bashing 35 innocent countries when you want to bash the U.S.
And, David, you are one horrible, horrible person and should just go away somewhere far. Your obsession with homosexuals belies a latent desire that has turned sociopathic. Try an island, preferably on Mars so only you and yourself can live in acceptance, you moron.
I can speak to this from a position of personal knowledge and experience. Before retiring as a McDonald's Franchisee, I was involved with the company's advertising arm...OPNAD. In a couple of words....This Stinks! If the Corp wants to be a global company with a global identity...fine, then stop wrapping itself in the American flag when it suits their purpose.
I would encourage everyone to seriously communicate their displeasure directly to the McD home office in Oak Brook, IL, let them know you are boycotting their restaurants, and spread the word.
*I KNOW* what their business model is in China and they have no problem throwing anyone and everyone under the bus to keep the Party happy.
***** China does bad things? Oh my gosh, who knew? *****
Everybody knew. McDonald's supports some of these bad things? Nobody knew.
***** It's an advertising campaign. What you are doing is merely stirring up alleged patriotism by picking a fight with a straw man. *****
I'm not stirring up patriotism. I'm bashing an evil junk food empire.
***** I hope you find satisfaction in that. *****
Yes, I do.
Mike Elgan
***** Why do you say "America" when you mean the U.S.? *****
"America" is a perfectly acceptable abbreviation for "United States of America."
While, "North America," "South America" and "Central America" cannot be abbreviated, the "United States of America" can, should and is shortened to "America" with perfect clarity. It's not unfair to anyone.
Adding bolster to this position is the fact that the people in America cannot be described with any other label other than "Americans," (comparable to "French" or "Egyptian") and this label is meaningful only to people of the United States of America. A Mexican or Brazilian can't call themselves "American" without confusion, but can call themselves "North American" or "South American," respectively.
This distinction is about language, not nationalism.
Mike Elgan
I am constantly surprised by the ignorance, stupidity and carelessness of american people.
claiming to be the greatest nation of the world, they make fun about everyone else, but they can't stand it if someone is mocking them.
get real. get a life. and please get a president instead of a fascist joker.
please stop babbling about human rights in china.
Guantanamo and waterboarding should be be worth a discussion
You guys are looking this waaay too deeply into this. As someone who has traveled a good amount of the world, you have to realize what McDonald's usual slogan is in Chinese:
"wo jiu shi xihuan" (我就是喜歡), which is the Chinese version of "I'm lovin' it", is the usual slogan. They're just editing it to match the Olympic competitive air. Thus, "wo jiu shi xihuan zhongguo ying" (我就是喜歡中國贏).
There's plenty of things to complain about when it comes to China, but don't pick out fucking retarded things like this. Goddamn you people piss me off.
***** please stop babbling about human rights in china.... Guantanamo and waterboarding should be be worth a discussion *****
Guantanamo and waterboarding are definitely worth a discussion. Fortunately, they are discussed in thousands of newspapers and hundreds of thousands of web sites every day.
China's human rights abuses are barely discussed or even discovered, because there's just too much money to be made in China, so all the non-Chinese media tip-toe around the issues or ignore them altogether.
I have tried really hard in this blog to not talk about China. But the vast gulf between what the Chinese government does and the amount of coverage is just wrong.
Anyway, I'll keep trying to not cover China. I'm doing my best.
Mike Elgan
Just to illustrate my point above (albeit unscientifically), look at the disparity of hits between the following two Google searches:
guantanamo abuse -- 2,850,000 hits
china "sports school" abuse -- 4,230 hits
In the one case, the U.S. is struggling internally about handling alleged terrorists within its own constitution, and gets massive coverage. Fair enough.
In the other case, we have a single-party dominated society that systematically abuses children for national prestige, and it gets close to zero coverage.
The latter is, obviously, an extremely relevant story given that the Olympic Games are just one month away.
Mike Elgan
Mike, Just because a phrase is commonly used doesn't make it correct. "America" is not an acceptable abbreviation for the United States of America. That would be U.S.A. We're talking about the Olympics here! Nations and their place in a major world event! The U.S.A. and it's people and country should be called the "U.S." or United States, or the full version U.S.A or United States of America. The people of France are called French and those from Canada are called Canadians. They are not called Europeans or Americans because these are continent references. The Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics abbreviated themselves to U.S.S.R. not Eurasia. If you went on largest size being the holder of the name, then Russians would be Eurasians, and Canada would be Americans, the largest countries in those continental areas. It is self-important thinking for U.S. to consider themselves "most", and therefore take the name of the continents of America. This is not a correct usage, though popular to the U.S., and slights other countries of American continents.
***** I am constantly surprised by the ignorance, stupidity and carelessness of american people.... claiming to be the greatest nation of the world, they make fun about everyone else, but they can't stand it if someone is mocking them. *****
I'm not sure what sweeping generalities about 300 million spectacularly diverse people has to do with McDonald's pandering to Chinese nationalism. Do you have a point, or just vague hate?
Mike Elgan
***** Mike, Just because a phrase is commonly used doesn't make it correct. *****
I don't mean to get all onomasiological on you, but in fact that's exactly what makes a phrase (or word) correct.
Unless you live in France, there is no Supreme Court of language that overrules common usage. The closest thing we have to an authority on word usage is our range of dictionaries. And all the dictionary editors do is monitor usage.
Still, that's the best we've got, so look up "America" in the dictionary and check out the #1 meaning of the word. And while you're there, please look up "American" and check out the top definition of that word, too.
Please understand that I'm not being an annoying nationalist here. I'm being an annoying linguistic descriptivist.
Mike Elgan
I contacted McDonalds about this (as it really struck a raw patriotic nerve with me) about how un-American this seems to be and this is their reply;
Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald's regarding the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
McDonald's is proud of our long-time sponsorship of the Olympic Games. We believe in the spirit of the Games and their unique ability to engage the world in a way that is constructive, positive and inspirational. Our focus has been and will continue to be on supporting the athletes, their teams, and the power of the Olympic Games to reinforce excellence, unity and achievement among people the world over.
Concerning political issues, these need to be resolved by governments and international bodies such as the United Nations where they can most effectively drive discussions, diplomacy and help speed solutions.
With regard to Tibet, our focus continues to remain on the Games and the athletes. We hope that a peaceful resolution can be reached for all parties concerned.
Again, thank you for sharing your feedback with McDonald's.
XXXXX
McDonald's Customer Response Center
Funny...I never even mentioned Tibet.
1. It's a frigging slogan. Get over it.
2. Tibet is part of China. Just like how Quebec is part of Canada. And Hawaii is part of the US.
3. if it had a good human-rights record, it's not an authoritative communist party ruling China then. the only way for human rights to be taken seriously is if ALL Chinese people are given a voice and free speech. Which means democracy must come into play.
PS. I HATE IT when people think USA and Canada are the same. It's BLOODY not.
***** Tibet is part of China. Just like how Quebec is part of Canada. *****
Really? Quebec declared its independence from Canada during the 20th Century, only to be invaded (again) by the Canadian government? Quebec has a government in exile? Nearly all Québécois are totally opposed to being part of Canada, and consider Canadian rule an occupation and imposed by military force? There's a worldwide "Free Quebec" movement? The Canadian government has imported millions of Canadians into Quebec as part of a deliberate policy to Canadafy Quebec? Nearly all regional political positions in Quebec are held by English-speaking Canadians appointed by Ottawa against the will of the Québécois?
I did not know that.
Mike Elgan
Hi Mike, thank you for hitting the nail on the head about the word "America" and "American". As someone who has lived overseas and speaks several languages I can tell you that people from the U.S. are always referred to as "Americans" and we are asked by people overseas "Are you from America?" Our country is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that has the word "America" in her name. Nobody anywhere on this planet ever refers to Mexicans, Brazilians, Ecuadorians...etc as "Americans." I have heard them referred to by people in Spain, Sweden, Germany and Japan as "South Americans" or "Latin Americans" even though they are not really "Latin" and were never citizens of the Roman Empire. The word "America" by itself will always be associated with the United States. And that is not a bad thing nor is it a good thing. It is simply the way it is. I have been all over Canada and have seen many a Canadian bristle when asked (by me too) if they were "American." Canadians know they are "North Americans" and that they are not "Americans".
About China? Mike keep up the good work about exposing China. I like reading your column so I read it, even though I don't always agree with you. But to those who don't like your column, go start your own blog and stop reading Mr. Elgan's and stop posting hateful comments. If you have a point to make, make it in a professional and polite manner, explain your point of view, and you can do that without loosing dignity. It is really that simple, isn't?
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