[MD] Barbarian attack

[khaled Alkotob]

SA writes:

> This culture is dead set on
> having McDonalds some day be in Iraq.  Why?  To have
> Iraq have a good economy.  Yet, this good economy is
> based on capitalism.  With the population of the world
> today everybody cannot live a farmers, hunters and
> gathers lifestyle, yet, if some places of the world
> can, then let's not start to think, "Oh, those poor
> people, wouldn't it be nice if they could have a
> McDonalds."  This is something I am putting out there,
> and it is not tightly woven, but any input by others
> to help me understand or others understand would be
> appreciative.  Let's not be so preservative Platt,
> let's be a little bit more dynamic within this culture
> as to what intellectual ideals we could explore.  What
> Joseph has brought up for questioning in "Is democracy
> intellectual?" is an interesting MOQ angle.

There you go. you are getting to the core of it all.

Jpseph's question is right on the money
Arlo had argued many a times the ills of "over consumerism". Not
capitalism, not free market, but how we get set up to part with our
dollars.

It's not just having a McDonalds there, but it's making them dependent on
us.
( we have talked about this before) When Paul Bremmer was there, one of
the pieces of legislation introduced in the Iraqi legislation was to
forbid farmers from using seeds they have been using for years. Monsanto
et al. were going to provide farmers with hybrid seeds with great yields.
As with any hybrids, the products of those seeds will not reproduce. So
in a few generations they will be solely dependant on a us company to
supply them with seeds that can grow wheat.
Instead of us going there, showing them how to refine their agricultural
techniques and help the make their own hybrid, we become like a crack
dealer. A free sample at first and then once you are hooked, we bleed
you.

Like buying an ink jet printer, it's practically free, until you find out
that the first set of cartridges cost twice what the printer cost.

Now platt's attitude is, buyer be aware.

The difference is that an American farmer more likely knows that you
can't use the seeds from hybrids to grow the next crop, and you have to
buy new seeds again. The Iraqi farmer may not know that. So when the
second season comes around and that soil does not sprout anything, guess
who is making the next road side bomb?????

Before you plan on exporting cars to an area, you better make sure they
have roads, traffic laws, stop signs, stop lights, cops and so on. It
took years for this country to get where it is, so when a new car rolls
off the assembly line, all the infrastructure is already in place. People
( for the most part ) know what a red hexagon with STOP on it means.

They may not.

khaled