What next? A McLaureate? McNobel Prize? McOscar? McPhd?
Education Reform, In The News Saturday, February 2nd, 2008
Apparently, we shouldn’t be deriding the fact that McDonalds and other blue-chip companies are starting qualifications of their own.
Mike Baker, the BBC News Education spokesman, calls it “snobbery” to criticise these companies for trying to raise the esteem associated with non-academic, skills-based awards. Snobbery seemed a little inappropriate, however, so we’ve come up with some labels of our own:
* slavery
* sanctimony
* surreal
To think that there are those in the media and Government who wouldn’t even dream of allowing their children to work in a fast-food restaurant, who couldn’t care less that Ronald McDonald and other corporate bullies attempt to stamp out any criticism in the same way they do competition – McLibel anyone!? – and who are somehow under the impression that a world where everyone had a job no matter how dull and repetitive would make everything alright.
The final word must go to Helen Steel and David Morris, the defendants in the McLibel case:
“Having largely beaten McDonald’s… we have now exposed the notoriously oppressive and unfair UK laws. As a result of the… ruling today, the government may be forced to amend or scrap some of the existing UK laws. We hope that this will result in greater public scrutiny and criticism of powerful organisations whose practices have a detrimental effect on society and the environment. The McLibel campaign has already proved that determined and widespread grass roots protests and defiance can undermine those who try to silence their critics, and also render oppressive laws unworkable. The continually growing opposition to McDonald’s and all it stands for is a vindication of all the efforts of those around the world who have been exposing and challenging the corporation’s business practices.”