112 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
112 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
McDonalds, McProfits, McLibel
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Conceived 40 years ago, trash food giant McDonalds has achieved a
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notoriety previously reserved for international tobacco, oil,
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mining, pharmaceutical and weapons manufacturers.
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As annual turnover exceeds $28 million, the corporation
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ruthlessly maximises profits despite widespread concern about the
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effects of the company's advertising and the impact of its
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operating practices and food products on the environment, on
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millions of farmed animals, on human health, on the Third World
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and on the burger chain's own staff.
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With this corporate culture it will come as no surprise that Mrs
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Thatcher chose to open McDonald's British Headquarters. Not that
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her former election agent is on charge of the Communications
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Department and that her former press secretary, Sir Bernard
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Ingham, is a non-executive Director.
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McDonald's have claimed that the wide-ranging criticisms of their
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operations contained in a leaflet produced by London Greenpeace
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have defamed them. So they launched a libel action against two
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people involved in this group, Dave Morris and Helen Steel.
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Just before the start of the case, McDonald's issued a leaflet
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calling their critics liars. Helen and Dave took out a counter
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claim for libel against McDonald's and this will run concurrently
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with McDonald's libel action.
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Helen and Dave have been denied a jury trial, at McDonald's
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request. They also have no right to Legal Aid and so are forced
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to conduct their own defense against the corporation's team of
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expert libel lawyers.
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McQuotes
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The following quotes, most from the McLibel trial transcripts,
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indicate the extent of the cynical deception practised at
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McDonalds.
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"I can see [the dumping of waste] to be an environmental
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benefit, otherwise you will end up with lots of vast, empty
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gravel pits all over the country" - Edward Oakley, Chief
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Purchasing Officer and Senior Vice President of McDonalds UK and
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Ireland.
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"Foods that contain nutrients", Edward Oakley when asked what
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"nutritious" meant in the "nutrition guides" he is responsible
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for and which are currently available in McDonald stores.
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"Provides nutrients and can be part of a healthy balanced
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diet" Mr David Green, the corporation's Senior Vice President of
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Marketing when asked the same question. He admitted this could
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also apply to a "a packet of sweets".
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"McDonald's line that their food can be eaten as part of a
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balanced diet is meaningless. You can eat a roll of sellotape
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as part of a balanced diet." Dr. Tim Lobstein, co-director of
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the Food Commission.
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"McDonald's should attempt to deflect the basic negative
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thrust of our critics... How do we do this? By talking
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'moderation and balance'. We can't really address or defend
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nutrition. We can't sell nutrition and people don't come to
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McDonalds for nutrition." Internal Company Memo, March 1986.
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"A diet high in fat, sugar, animal products, salt, and low in
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fibre, vitamins, and minerals, is linked with cancer of the
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breast and bowel and heart disease." McLibel defendants quoting
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the London Greenpeace Fact Sheet on McDonald's.
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"If it is being directed to the public than I would say it is
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a very reasonable statement." Dr. Sydney Arnott, McDonalds
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Expert witness on cancer.
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"When you see the Golden Arches, you're probably on the road
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to the Pearly Gates." Dr. William Castelli, director of a major
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work on heart disease.
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"It is our objective to dominate the communications area...
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because we are competing for a share of the customers mind."
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Alistair Fairgrieve, McDonald's UK Marketing Services Manager.
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"On any given day, McDonald's serves less than one half of one
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per cent of the world's population. That's not enough. We're
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like Oliver Twist, we want more." Michael Quinlan, Chief
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Executive of McDonald's quoted in "The Independent" (27/4/94).
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"One of our tactics is to reach families through children."
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John Hawkes, McDonald's UK Chief Marketing Officer.
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"Children are often the key decision-makers concerning where a
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family goes to eat." Offering toys is "one of the best
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things... to make them loyal supporters." Birthday parties are
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"an important way to generate added sales and profits".
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"Ronald loves McDonald's and McDonald's food. And so do
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children, because they love Ronald. Remember, children exert a
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phenomenal influence when it comes to restaurant selection.
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This means that you should do everything you can to appeal to
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children's love for Ronald and McDonald's." Extracts from the
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corporation's official and confidential "Operations Manual".
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"I brainwashed youngsters into doing wrong. I want to say
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sorry to children everywhere for selling out to concerns who
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make millions by murdering animals." Geoffrey Guiliano, the
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main Ronald McDonald actor in the in 1980's who quit and publicly
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apologised.
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