# General Discussion > Opinions >  Is McDonald's evil?

## canadian_kor

Why would you eat that stuff? I live in Canada and we have McDonalds everywhere, but I try to avoid the "restaurants" like the plague.

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## Glenn

Jeez, guys, let the man eat what he wants. He isn't forcing you to eat it.  :Relieved:

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## kirei_na_me

> Jeez, guys, let the man eat what he wants. He isn't forcing you to eat it.



No kidding, Glenn. 

I am not a big fan of McDonald's either, but I do have to admit that some McDonald's fries are good every now and then when I have a junk food craving.

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## -悪魔-

マクドナルドはだめです！！！！

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## dadako

> Stick to the original topic (pricing) or start your own thread on the pros and cons of McD's. Thanks.


no, mc donalds is evil.

the prices in japan are different.

so what? its the same s*** all around the world, just some people are comfortable with being ripped off more than others.

I'm really anti mc donalds and all they stand for, so I'll shut up now before I explode.

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## Frank D. White

I was wondering, here in Maine, every summer they offer a lobster roll for under $5.00 US. Now Maine is a lobster state so I can see having the roll. How about where you live, do they have it? If so , how much do they charge? I have to admit, I've been hooked on their fries
for over 30 years!

Frank

 :Doubt:

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## Glenn

Last time I was in McDonald's there was no lobster roll (or crawfish roll, for that matter), but I don't remeber when that was really. I know that it was a while ago, though.

BTW, are you saying that there is sushi in McDonald's in Maine?

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## Keiichi

I went to eat at McDonalds on Sunday... the fries package got smaller! Like 2/3rd the original size! Ripoff!
Is Hawaii the only place with Spam and Eggs at MickeyDs for breakfast?

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## Glenn

Wow, it looks as though McDonald's has done some regional specilizing. I had no idea; CrAzY!  :Sou ka:

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## kirei_na_me

We don't get any kind of interesting specialty like that. McRib is as interesting as it gets here...  :Poh:

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## Dan B

Apparently マクドナルド is planning to stop offering its super-sized fries and drinks.

I heard something about it on the news, maybe on C-SPAN, so I looked it up on the web and found the following link:

http://www.mcdonalds.com/content/usa..._03022004.html

Regards,

Dan

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## Glenn

Yeah, I had heard that, too. Except I heard that it was a ploy to keep people from eating so much. I say that if they'll pay for it, give it to 'em.

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## bossel

> no, mc donalds is evil.
> 
> the prices in japan are different.


Actually, the different prices are used for comparing purchasing power parity, it's called the *Big Mac Index*.
According to that index the Japanese Yen is under-evaluated by 20% against the Dollar.

Don't see, why McD is evil. If it weren't for the high prices I would devour a McRib once in a while (if they are still on offer, that is, haven't been to McDonald's for ages).

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## Dan B

I tend to agree, Glenn. I'm generally a Libertarian at heart.

We reap what we sow, ね?

Dan

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## Glenn

Haha, I think that you're having too much fun with the Japanese input there, Dan.  :Laughing:

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## Dan B

:Blush: 

I was just thinking the same thing...

I often get a bit carried away. Sorry! LOL!

Dan

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## Jean-Francois

When I was a kid, I loved McDonald. And now I still go to McDonald once or twice a week, but I think it tastes better in Hong Kong for some reason. 

For me, McDonald's breakfast menu is pretty good. Big breakfast deluxe, sausage egg muffin and harsh brown. Give me a lot of energy.

Another reason I like McDonald because I love innovative people. By changing their menu (adding low carbs diet like garden salad with canberry dressing and low carb coke C2), they managed to put back the gold into their arches. A job well done!

And now they are planning to turn the chain into a family entertainment centre by adding video rentals in the restaurant. Blockbuster + McDonald? Pretty convenient! And there goes another happy (and economic) Sunday night for an American family. 

After all, change is the only constant in a business battlefield!

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## lineartube

Personally I prefer a nice Portuguese restaurant, but when I am short of time or money, McDs is the way to go, because it's cheap and since it is fast food, well... its fast. 

One good thing that came out of all of this fast food places is that the typical restaurants had to adapt themselves to the new times and the new competition, so places like McDs helped to stimulate and inovated the market.

And if you don't like fast food, then don't eat it. On these days I'm not sure that people who use words like "Evil" are amusing or just plain scary.

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## senseiman

I dislike McDonald's for many reasons, but the biggest one is that despite all their hype the food they offer is about the worst value for your money available.

In Canada you can buy one of their set meals for about 4-6 dollars (or you could last time I was in Canada, might have gone up since then). For that you get one of their absolutely awful sandwiches or burgers, a little package of fries (which, by fast food standards are admittedly better than most) and a soda. But if you go to any half decent regular restaurant or pub you can get a big, fresh juicy burger and a big serving of REAL french fries (as opposed to the fast food variety) for about 6-10 dollars, which isn't that much more than a McDonald's meal. For that, you get about twice as much actual food (prepared by real cooks instead of acne covered 15 year old 'trainees'), you get the food served at your table and (in most establishments) you can enjoy an atmosphere much nicer than the flourescent lights and plastic furniture at McDonald's. The costs of tips and drinks might push the total a little higher, but its still a much better deal. For my budget, it is WAAAAAYYY preferable to eat out at a decent restaurant 4 times a month than to eat bottom-quality McDonald's garbage 6 times a month.

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## Duo

All fast-food places are no good. Firstly, because their food isn't very healthy, and secondly, they have so many flavor additives, that they can fool your tounge in many ways. Those damn flavorist scientists!! Anyways, I rather eat a pitta or duner( almost turkish equivalent) rather than going to a fast food place, and the price is about the same.

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## dadako

> Don't see, why McD is evil. If it weren't for the high prices I would devour a McRib once in a while (if they are still on offer, that is, haven't been to McDonald's for ages).


you might want to have a look at this:

* McDonald's promote their food as 'nutritious', but the reality is that it is junk food - high in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fibre and vitamins. A diet of this type is linked with a greater risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases. Their food also contains many chemical additives, some of which may cause ill-health, and hyperactivity in children. Don't forget too that meat is the cause of the majority of food poisoning incidents.

* Workers in the fast food industry are paid low wages. McDonald's do not pay overtime rates even when employees work very long hours. Pressure to keep profits high and wage costs low results in understaffing, so staff have to work harder and faster. As a consequence, accidents (particularly burns) are common. The majority of employees are people who have few job options and so are forced to accept this exploitation, and they're compelled to 'smile' too! Not surprisingly staff turnover at McDonald's is high, making it virtually impossible to unionise and fight for a better deal, which suits McDonald's who have always been opposed to Unions.

* Vast areas of land in poor countries are used for cash crops or for cattle ranching, or to grow grain to feed animals to be eaten in the West. This is at the expense of local food needs. McDonald's continually promote meat products, encouraging people to eat meat more often, which wastes more and more food resources. 7 million tons of grain fed to livestock produces only 1 million tons of meat and by-products. On a plant-based diet and with land shared fairly, almost every region could be self-sufficient in food.

* Forests throughout the world - vital for all life - are being destroyed at an appalling rate by multinational companies. McDonald's have at last been forced to admit to using beef reared on ex-rainforest land, preventing its regeneration. Also, the use of farmland by multinationals and their suppliers forces local people to move on to other areas and cut down further trees.

* McDonald's are the world's largest user of beef. Methane emitted by cattle reared for the beef industry is a major contributor to the 'global warming' crisis. Modern intensive agriculture is based on the heavy use of chemicals which are damaging to the environment.

* Every year McDonald's use thousands of tons of unnecessary packaging, most of which ends up littering our streets or polluting the land buried in landfill sites.

* Children are lured in (dragging their parents behind them) with the promise of toys and other gimmicks.

* Instead of everyone sharing the world's resources for the benefit of all, multinationals like McDonald's just want to use these resources to make profits for themselves.

* Thanks to Globalization McDonalds has thousands upon thousands of establishments worldwide. 6 out of the 7 continents have McDonalds.

* They use a lot of packaging that is cooled down using chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which can actually damage the Ozone layer .

and here's the famous court case:
http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/index.html

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## Ewok85

> you might want to have a look at this:
> 
> 1 McDonald's promote their food as 'nutritious', but the reality is that it is junk food - high in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fibre and vitamins. 
> 
> 2 Workers in the fast food industry are paid low wages. McDonald's do not pay overtime rates even when employees work very long hours.
> 
> 3 Vast areas of land in poor countries are used for cash crops or for cattle ranching, or to grow grain to feed animals to be eaten in the West.
> 
> 4 McDonald's are the world's largest user of beef. Methane emitted by cattle reared for the beef industry is a major contributor to the 'global warming' crisis. Modern intensive agriculture is based on the heavy use of chemicals which are damaging to the environment.
> ...


I dont have any gripes with McDonalds, noone is making you go out and eat it.
1. There is nothing wrong with eating mcd in a normal diet. Of course going off and eating only mcd is going to mess you up, how about you go and only eat fruit for a while! And when will people understand that fats are not what make you fat, nor are they completly bad for you.

2. No problems from my friends who work at McDonalds, I'm looking at working there because im unable to get work elsewhere. 19, uni student, 4 years experience in the IT field, willing to do anything and nothing, so I'll work at maccas, i personally dont care. Work is work.

3. Here in australia the beef used is raised here, thus mcd is providing for 100's of farmers. Also japanese mcdonalds uses aussiebeef.

4. I dont get the point here... how about we just stop raising cows and eating beef and become vegetarians!

5. again... Doesn't that make it a very very sucessful business?

6. CFC's harm the environment if released into the atmosphere. The use of CFC are for refridgeration and aerosol cans is prohibited. If they are not releasing cfcs (which would be the case or else they wouldnt be using them, period) then i dont see the problem here either. Would you prefer they use a method that uses more resources and energy?

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## Lina Inverse

> Why would you eat that stuff? I live in Canada and we have McDonalds everywhere, but I try to avoid the "restaurants" like the plague.


You're doing good there, you save the costs for the paramedic this way!
Why anyone would want to eat this toxic waste and even pay for it is completely beyond me  :Sick: 
They should rather be named *McDevil*  :Laughing:   :Laughing:

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## bossel

> you might want to have a look at this:


Ewok has replied very well, I think.

Part of this is probably true, but would that make McD evil? Don't think so. It's a business like any other.

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## Keiichi

Yes, I agree It's the people that are stupid and ignorant who don't watch their health. McDonald's is merely just watching their money flow in from those kind of people, yet, at the same time, trying to decrease those advertisements of McDonalds being the cause of obesity.

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## Glenn

> * Vast areas of land in poor countries are used for cash crops or for cattle ranching, or to grow grain to feed animals to be eaten in the West. This is at the expense of local food needs. McDonald's continually promote meat products, encouraging people to eat meat more often, which wastes more and more food resources. 7 million tons of grain fed to livestock produces only 1 million tons of meat and by-products. On a plant-based diet and with land shared fairly, almost every region could be self-sufficient in food.
> 
> * Forests throughout the world - vital for all life - are being destroyed at an appalling rate by multinational companies. McDonald's have at last been forced to admit to using beef reared on ex-rainforest land, preventing its regeneration. Also, the use of farmland by multinationals and their suppliers forces local people to move on to other areas and cut down further trees.
> 
> * McDonald's are the world's largest user of beef. Methane emitted by cattle reared for the beef industry is a major contributor to the 'global warming' crisis. Modern intensive agriculture is based on the heavy use of chemicals which are damaging to the environment.


Come on, everyone knows that McDonald's doesn't serve meat! I don't know what the hell it is, though. 

Anyway, I'm guessing that you're veagan, and have taken ethics courses. Am I close?

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## Ewok85

Whether or not you eat it is up to you, and you alone. I dont mind having it from time to time (without the coke, toooo much sugar sorry, no softdrinks at all) as its quick and easy.

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## mad pierrot

"_It's perfectly OK to eat beef, but the cow you're eating shouldn't have._ "

it was something like that.......  :Poh:

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## misa.j

> you might want to have a look at this:
> 
> 
> * Every year McDonald's use thousands of tons of unnecessary packaging, most of which ends up littering our streets or polluting the land buried in landfill sites.
> 
> * Children are lured in (dragging their parents behind them) with the promise of toys and other gimmicks.


I can't stand how much packaging they use either, and I find it on the street so often. 

At a daycare I used to work, the parents had been asked to bring lunches for the children for a week due to a kitchen construction; unfortunately, some of the kids ate breakfast & lunch from McDonald's for a week!!! One of the parents told us that her child wouldn't come to the daycare unless they stop at McDonald's every morning... 

Last time when I had McDonald's was almost 3 yrs ago just because I had a terrible hang over, I wanted to eat something quick and greasy.

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## dadako

> Would you prefer they use a method that uses more resources and energy?


no, I would prefer that goverments stopped "successful businesses" from ******* up our planet for greed. McDonalds is a Prime example.

I'm not vegi... how could anyone be? there's lots of tasty meat in this world, I recon I'd starve in japan if I were.

greed is evil, as it makes it harder for the rest of us to live. Unfortunatly we are still shoveling money into thier pockets to pay for the addictive combination of salt and sugar laced burgers, which are also making most nations into countries of walking heart attacks. Which costs the health service a lot of money, which we pay in tax.

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## Glenn

> I'm not vegi... how could anyone be? there's lots of tasty meat in this world, I recon I'd starve in japan if I were.


So I was wrong. I was wondering because of the point that you made about using all of the grazing land to plant crops and feed people, and how it would be more efficient than raising cattle for slaughter. I have actually heard that argument before as a reason to be veagan.

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## senseiman

The point about the vast amounts of grazing land needed to support these cattle is a valid one. In addition to the simple inefficiency of it as a food source when compared to grain it has numerous serious environmental consequences. For one thing huge tracts of dense forest are being slashed and burned to create these pastures, which has an effect on the atmosphere's carbon cycle and contributes to global climate change. Then, after the land has been converted animals come along and eat all the remaining plant cover. So when it rains, all the best soil gets washed away bit by bit so that within a few years the land is completely useless, more or less just a dessert where nothing can grow. So the farmers have to move on and cut down another bit of forest and the cycle continues. This is a big problem in some parts of the world.

Obviously you can't single out McDonald's as being to blame for all of this, though it does play a role in it. Some of the meat used in McDonald's burgers comes from South America, where dessertification and deforestation are serious problems.

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## jieshi

here in Australia they've started handing out leaflets with every meal and putting adds on tv saying how all these things in supersize me are wrong its actually quite fuuny what maccas are saying

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## dadako

mc donalds advertising is usually very good and sometimes clever.

Music videos and advertising still remain the best forms of media creativity and innovation - money for false information or dis-information is what advertising thrives on, its very transparent if you filter out thier bullshit.

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## Adam_K

I cant understand how people can be anti-McDonald's. As ewok said, no one is forcing you to eat it.

I dont buy music i dont like.... because i dont like it lol... problem solved.
Same with mushrooms, I dont like mushrooms but im not anti-mushrooms.

Neways... just dont eat it O_o 

bon apetite ;)

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## cross-platform

> I cant understand how people can be anti-McDonald's. As ewok said, no one is forcing you to eat it.
> 
> I dont buy music i dont like.... because i dont like it lol... problem solved.
> Same with mushrooms, I dont like mushrooms but im not anti-mushrooms.
> 
> Neways... just dont eat it O_o 
> 
> bon apetite ;)


It is just easy to pick on McDonalds because it is a multinational corporation, and have used some pretty shady business tactics. But I am with you, if you don't like it, don't eat it. I don't eat it myself, because every time I do get it, it is usually horrible. I will eat Burger King with no problem, they usually seem to be ok.

I really hate when people try to blame McDonalds for their weight problems. To the best of my knowledge, McDonalds has never really claimed that a Big Mac is good for you, but people feel the need to file lawsuits anyway, saying McDonalds is making them or their kids fat. 

That being said, I would like to check out the movie "Super Size Me.

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## dadako

> I cant understand how people can be anti-McDonald's. As ewok said, no one is forcing you to eat it.
> 
> I dont buy music i dont like.... because i dont like it lol... problem solved.
> Same with mushrooms, I dont like mushrooms but im not anti-mushrooms.
> 
> Neways... just dont eat it O_o 
> 
> bon apetite ;)


I don't buy cars but one could still drive into you
I don't buy guns but someone could still shoot you with one
I don't like macdonalds but they are still ruining the planet which we all live on.

huge money grabbing corporations should be limited by law to conserve resources and help people, not treat ecology like a bin bag and trick people into eating crap

Its hard to see what maconalds are doing wrong on the surface, and thats as far as most people care to get. Yet dig a little deeper and you'll find that buying thier shit or not, they are still messing it up for all of us.

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## bossel

> huge money grabbing corporations should be limited by law to conserve resources and help people, not treat ecology like a bin bag and trick people into eating crap
> 
> Its hard to see what maconalds are doing wrong on the surface, and thats as far as most people care to get. Yet dig a little deeper and you'll find that buying thier shit or not, they are still messing it up for all of us.


Well, isn't it more like we all are messing things up? It's pretty easy to blame others. But most of us are using too much water, driving too often with our cars, wasting energy by not turning the TV off when we don't watch, a.s.o.

The additional damage done by McDonald's is probably rather small. Mind you, if you don't eat at McD's you still have to eat. & what you eat has to be produced by somebody.

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## Adam_K

> I don't buy cars but one could still drive into you
> I don't buy guns but someone could still shoot you with one
> I don't like macdonalds but they are still ruining the planet which we all live on.
> 
> huge money grabbing corporations should be limited by law to conserve resources and help people, not treat ecology like a bin bag and trick people into eating crap
> 
> Its hard to see what maconalds are doing wrong on the surface, and thats as far as most people care to get. Yet dig a little deeper and you'll find that buying thier shit or not, they are still messing it up for all of us.



Well it seems you have e problem with the company rather than the items they produce. If you could be a bit more specific about why mcdonalds are doing wrong that would be great. I bet there are clothes that you wear as we speak that are even more "filthy" than a cheeseburger.  :Okashii: 

And as bossel said, we do alot of things we shouldnt do too, but thats not an issue for us. Why? I honestly dont know, maybe because we are too egoistic.

Thats only my opinion though.

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## Glenn

Check out this post from earlier in the thread.

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## Arch

I dont have anything against McDonalds, but i certainly dont by from it. Here in the UK i have heard tottaly horror stories. McDonalds doesnt have an sliding reputation for nothing. Its getting a roasting from all corners. But its up to an indivudual , you know if your eating crap or not. I mean you know its not good to be eating burgers all the time. Its your own decison

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## PaulTB

> Is McDonald's evil?


Yes.

This unsubstantiated oversimplification has been brought to you by the letter Y and the number 1.

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## Shinpachi

I'm not sure where you got the overtime factoid, but here in the US (or at least my home state of Oregon) overtime wages are required by law. It's a US based company as far as I know, and you can't expect them to care about the environment when the majority of fatcats don't (especially in DC). And I've never seen their food advertised as "nutricious", but then I tend to turn off the TV when one of their commercials comes on, cuz i'm not lovin it, i'm hatin it, stupid commercials.

Wendys > McDonalds anyday, I don't see how anyone can like McDonalds fries, you're practically forced to use ketchup on those tiny flavorless pieces of potato paste. Their breakfast menu is halfway decent if your cholestoral happens to be low, but Jack in the Box has way tastier breakfast items that you can get 24/7 here. McDonalds is really on the lowest end of fast food joints in my opinion, right down there with TacoTime.

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## Jean-Francois

From November 2002 to March 2003, McDonalds Corp was suffered from weak sales due to a sluggish U.S. economy under the shadow of terrorist attacks, which sent its stock prices to ten years lows. The company had closed 175 stores and eliminated 600 jobs worldwide. 

In 2004, McDonald got back on its feet as a result from some massive restructuring programs. Total revenues of 2003 added up to US$17,140 millions, delicious enough to attract some fat people to sue McDonald to get a piece of the pie.

The stock markets never like unknowns. It can be a pending lawsuit or a terrorist attack. For instance, indexes indicate that markets react positively around and subsequent to federal elections, regardless of which of the two main parties wins the election, suggesting that markets react positively to the resolution of uncertainty and vice versa.

Today the United States is still under terrorist threat, which is, a strategy used by Osama bin Laden to hinder the U.S. economy from a complete recovery. 

Its good to see the golden arches still standing and shinning!

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## King of Tokyo

Meh, It's probably evil but what do I care ? It tastes good so I don't mind  :Laughing:

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## edao



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## Eldritch

Generally speaking it's "unhealthy" in the sense that it is extremely dense in calories, sodium, sugar, and fat. That makes it very difficult to work into a balanced diet. I'm using the term diet as it is meant to be used, meaning simply what you eat, rather than the meal plans that most people call diets.
If it had an equivalent amount of protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals we would probably call it a superfood along the lines of pemmican.
Reactions to McDonalds are much the same as experienced when many people try any other food they are not accustomed to. Assuming you mean physical reactions such as diarrhea.
Some people have concerns over the source, treatment, and preservatives of the ingredients used but the fact of the matter is that corners need to be cut to get such a low price. Sure you can make much better burgers or fries, but they generally also end up costing double or more.

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