McDonald's documentary

I just finished watching McLibel, a documentary about the two British activists who sued McDonald's and won. One of the bonus features is an interview with a guy named Geoffrey Giuliano, who was a Ronald McDonald actor until he had a change of heart and decided he couldn't continue doing it. He said that in his training, he was told to tell kids who asked where hamburgers come from that they grow in a hamburger patch next to the french fries.

They grow in a hamburger patch next to the french fries...

Unbelieveable. Much in the same way, we have been lied to about 9/11. Part of the marketing campaign of 9/11, if you will, is the mythology of Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, and the 19 hijackers. It has been extremely effective - most people seem to believe it. Or at least, they don't question it (that's really the important thing). So, when kids ask, "How did 9/11 happen?" we can say to them, "Well, a bad man named Osama bin Laden lived in a cave with his 19 hijackers, and they all decided to do very bad things to the United States." It's really on the same sort of level as the McDonald's hamburger patch. You could make a nice children's picture book out of the official 9/11 story. It would be utter crap, but kids would believe it. Except, in this case, the adults believe it, too!

Grown adults believe some bullshit story about a man in a cave directing his henchmen to hijack planes.

Is it any surprise that McDonald's employs people with military backgrounds? One of the answers to a question in the Quiz part of the bonus features revealed that the previous job of McDonald's Senior Vice-President was "psychological warfare in the US military." Lying to children is a major part of McDonald's business. McDonald's needs to employ people who will help perpetuate an uncritical acceptance of their products through massive global advertising campaigns. Isn't it also possible for the government and the military to perpetuate uncritical acceptance of an event, through mass media propaganda? Think of it...a whole new generation of kids being raised on the "9/11 marketing campaign."

Osama bin Laden...
the 19 hijackers...
al Qaeda...
they hate freedom...
everything has changed...

the hamburger patch...