Free Market Carnivore's Blog

We were ecstatic to hear about McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner defending McDonald’s right to put toys in their Happy Meals for kids.  The nanny lawyer-pseudo-scientists at groups like Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) are not about science but about finding ways to force people to take what the nannies want them to have.  It’s not even about training people to want what CSPI wants them to want.  That doesn’t work well enough or happen fast enough to suit them in a free society.  So when they can’t get people broken to lead, they move to take away people’s choices so they have to accept what the pseudo-scientists think they should have.  Freedom of choice is for a free society and that’s not the world CSPI wants Americans to have.  They are so much more intelligent than us mere citizens/consumers.

 CSPI has found yet another string to pluck on that nauseating violin the social engineers play over and over – it’s for the children or the children’s good.  That violin is from the same closet of instruments that the left has used to turn many of our kids into bratty, overbearing, egotistical and naïve little people who believe they are always right, never get anything wrong and deserve a pedestal at every stage of life.  Every instrument the adults play is supposed to create ego-boosting self-esteem symphonies beneath every kids’ activity.

 CSPI is horrified that kids won’t figure out fast enough that “evil” businesses sometimes put prizes in with their products to make you happy you bought the product.  I’m sure the CSPI people only put their kids in sports where no adults keep score, so their kids self-esteem is not bruised by losing.  I’m willing to bet they are diligent in pumping up their kids’ egos at sports, looks, art, music, etc., never wanting to disturb their little ones’ psyche by confronting them with choices or failure or not getting what they want.  Wonder what their delicate little psyches would think of their parents’ nasty habit of suing people in court to punish people trying to running their businesses they way they want, taking money from parents/businessmen/stockholders to hire lawyers to defend themselves from CSPI (taking money out of their kids mouths?) or – horrors – trying to provide what their customers want, instead of what some busybody activist has decided for us?

 Those nice people at CSPI threatened McDonald’s with a lawsuit if McDonald’s doesn’t come to the table to negotiate.  Sweethearts, aren’t they?  Margo Wooton of CSPI opined that, “Kids don’t understand the persuasive intent of marketing…to get them to eat a certain way.”  (Fox News, 7/12/10).  That’s right, Ms. Wooton.  Marketers are trying to persuade.  You overbearing tyrants at CSPI are trying to cow McDonald’s with the threat of a nasty, expensive lawsuit.  And you have the unmitigated gall to lecture us about what’s proper?  Talk about overactive self-esteem!

I like the way Fox News handled the wrap-up on one segment.  CSPI is claiming the parents made “bad” choices but it is the parents who are paying, Jenna Lee said.  But a mom they interviewed was right on.  Who’s in charge here, she asked?  Everyone should do their job.  My job is to oversee the nutrition and the exercise for my child.  McDonald’s job is to sell Happy Meals.

 This mom understands choice and responsibility.  Her kids should turn out great.

 As for McDonald’s, other companies who have succumbed to ridiculous pressure from loudmouth activists using threats instead of facts or ignoring customer wants should ponder McDonald’s example.