Maybe Fatter, But More Free

An encouraging article from today’s Washington Post on China’s growing demand for what may be America’s greatest export: McDonald’s. The article reports that Chinese eat more fast food than Americans:

“The survey, which polled more than 14,000 adults in 28 countries, found that 41 percent of respondents in mainland China eat in a fast-food restaurant at least once a week, compared with 35 percent in the United States.”

Democracy Project Advisory Board Member Ambassador Mark Palmer believes that exporting American culture – its music, food, and movies – is the best way to open up authoritarian societies like China.

Inherent in making the choice to choose a hamburger over dim-sum is the choice to dismiss traditional Chinese cuisine (no matter how good it is) for food that Liu Jiahong, 24, says “is convenient…and…tastes good." She said, "I don't care whether it's healthy or not." And it’s just that sort of thinking, rebellious and market-driven, that may propel China into democracy. When young people in China make the choice to throw off the shackles in their culture that inhibit growth and progress, the hope is and history usually proves this thesis correct, that they’ll begin to do the same in other areas of life, such as making the choice to push for changes in how their government operates. Here’s hoping McDonald’s can add another billion Big Mac’s to their signs in 2005.