Day 001 - 28 Jun 94 - Page 06

     
     1
              If the implication of that proposition is (as it is
     2        plainly intended to be) that poor countries export meat to
              McDonald's in the USA, again the statement is entirely
     3        false and always has been.
 
     4        Next:  "Economic imperialism", in capitals.  Blob:  "Some
              'Third World' countries, where most children are
     5        undernourished, are actually exporting their staple crops
              as animal feed - i.e. to fatten cattle for turning into
     6        burgers in the 'First World'. Millions of acres of the
              best farmland in poor countries are being used for our
     7        benefit - for tea, coffee, tobacco, etc. - while people
              there are starving.  McDonald's is directly involved in
     8        this economic imperialism, which keeps most black people
              poor and hungry  while many whites grow fat".
     9
              Two things, my Lord, about that passage:  First,
    10        McDonald's has never used cattle fattened on any kind of
              feed stuff grown in a Third World under-developed or poor
         country.
 
    12        Second, your Lordship may find a clear implication that
              McDonald's being deliberately involved in this so-called
    13        economic imperialism have done so with a total
              indifference to the interests and well being of black
    14        people.  That implication of a racist attitude at
              McDonald's is, as your Lordship will shortly see,
    15        reflected further on in the leaflet.
 
    16        Then there is a pathetic picture of an old woman with a
              child.  Underneath that:  "A typical image of 'Third
    17        World' poverty - the kind often used by charities to get
               'compassion money'.  This diverts attention from one
    18        cause:  exploitation by multi-nationals like McDonald's".
              Then there is a box with a heading:  "Gross misuse of
    19        resources.  Grain is fed to cattle in South American
              countries to produce the meat in McDonald's hamburgers".
    20        My Lord, again wholly false now -- and always has been.
 
         It continues:  "Cattle consume 10 times the amount of
              grain and soy that humans do:  one calorie of beef demands
    22        ten calories of grain.  Of the 145 million tons of grain
              and soy fed to livestock, only 21 million tons of meat and
    23        by-products are used.  The waste is 124 million tons per
              year at a value of 20 billion US dollars. It has been
    24        calculated that this sum would feed, clothe and house the
              world's  entire population for one year".  My Lord, no
    25        doubt extremely interesting but nothing whatever to do
              with the plaintiffs' action. 
    26 
              Turning the page, under the heading:  "McDisease, 
    27        McProfits, McDeadly, McHunger", a box:  "Fifty acres every
              minute".  Bearing in mind, my Lord, this pamphlet is about
    28        McDonald's and seeing the rest of the context (to which
              I shall come in a moment) your Lordship may feel what is
    29        said in this box is intended to refer to McDonald's:
 
    30        "Every year an area of rainforest the size of Britain is
              cut down or defoliated, and burnt.  Globally, one billion