Which would be more depressing: eating at McDonald’s on Christmas Day, or working at McDonald’s on Christmas Day?
If I were a Marxist, I’d say the latter. If I were a libertarian defender of the Lochner decision, such as the author of this pretty-good and definitely interesting book, I’d say the former.
But you know, I think the former is the more depressing and degrading option no matter what. Even if I knew that every worker was exploited to the max, or even if I knew that every worker was one of those eager-to-work-more-than-the-average-Joe ones that Lochner-defenders want us to respect, I still think eating at McDonald’s on Christmas is lower than low. (And, it would come with that iffy after-taste and sluggish feeling.)
Or how about being the McDonald’s executive who felt the numbers made him duty-bound to push the franchises to remain open this Christmas Day? Let’s assume the story about an internal McDonald’s memo is accurate(I am a wee bit suspicious about it). I could tell you the guy’s name, the name that, if the story catches on, might get tagged as that of the modern-day Scrooge, but essentially he and his action are nameless ones.
Whether he gets publicly vilified or not, being that guy might be the most depressing option of all.
December 18th, 2012 | 11:25 am
Yum! Yum! Yum! Double quarter pounder n fries! Gotta Love it!
Many theologians state quite correctly that the birth; crucifixion; resurrection and other elements of christianity actually didn’t even happen! The pope is running a bigger fraud than Madoff’s $50 billion ripoff.
Ronald McDonald Houses do more charity for the community … than all those bogus hocus pocus — houses of cultists!
http://www.BogusHocusPocus.com
December 18th, 2012 | 11:33 am
Thanks for the article.
So you think Jews should be prohibited from working on Chritmas for Marxist reasons?
For info on people using voluntary Libertarian tools on similar and other issues worldwide, please see the non-partisan Libertarian International Organization @ http://www.Libertarian-International.org ….
December 18th, 2012 | 11:47 am
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December 18th, 2012 | 11:55 am
[...] reportedly urging franchisees to open on Christmas Chicago Tribune Seeking Alpha -First Things (blog) -Businessweek all 51 news [...]
December 18th, 2012 | 12:16 pm
[...] urging franchisees to open on ChristmasChicago TribuneSeeking Alpha -Boise Weekly -First Things (blog)all 53 news [...]
December 18th, 2012 | 12:25 pm
I clicked on your “Rehabilitating Lochner” link and noticed something really funny: They changed the picture on the front cover! The new reprint has a stodgy picture casebook and gavel on the front cover, but the old one had an awesome, hilarious picture of a fantasy boxing match between Justice OWH and Justice Peckham, with a pro-freedom of contract baker cheering in Peckham’s corner. I loved that book cover, but I guess the book has been influential enough that it had become a liability for Bernstein. Here’s the old cover:
http://www.amazon.com/Rehabilitating-Lochner-Defending-Individual-Progressive/dp/0226043533/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0
December 18th, 2012 | 12:26 pm
So I don’t think McDonalds should stay open on Christmas. But I think sundry diners and Waffle House should. Some people really need those places, especially on Christmas.
December 18th, 2012 | 12:48 pm
I love stopping at Waffle House after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
December 18th, 2012 | 1:28 pm
I think it should be illegal for Waffle House to ever close. They should remove the locks on all the doors so owners have to keep the place open 24/7.
Jim Gaffigan’s piece on Waffle House makes me love the place all the more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F6YZ7Eu6tM
December 18th, 2012 | 1:44 pm
I agree, of course, on WAFFLE HOUSE. But no need for the law: They never close! On LOCHNER, it’s always annoyed me that’s it’s portrayed as a war between Peckam and OWH. That makes the case for Peckam too easy. Harlan, I think, had the right general principle, which he may or may not have misapplied in this particular case.
December 18th, 2012 | 1:57 pm
Gaffigan isn’t fair, especially on cleanliness, even if I like the line about there being “so much white trash at Waffle House it makes the IHOP seem international.” I guess one’s attitude depends on whether you’re a 9am or 1am Waffle House person.
Of course, JC, the real irony is that the only law that’s likely to be passed would be the other way around: to keep McDonald’s and Waffle House closed on “the holiday known as Christmas” for which it will also be illegal to publicly celebrate in Christian ways.
While I would like McDonald’s getting hit with such a law, Peter reminds us that the few mom-and-pop places that have Christmas hours that would also get hit are needed by some folks, and interestingly, that Waffle House is somehow enough between being mom-and-pop and McDonald’s that it should stay open.
I’m against any all regulations on this, but still, Waffle House on Christmas Day seems wrong, if not as horrible as McDonald’s. I would not do it as a franchise owner had I the choice.
Christmas Eve…kind of a distinct issue.
And ditto CJ on the earlier Bernstein cover! Was one of my favorite things about the book.
December 18th, 2012 | 2:09 pm
WH is typically staffed by “career employees” who keep the place fairly clean and know what they’re doing. If you don’t like the crowd at WH, then you must hate diversity in general.
December 18th, 2012 | 5:19 pm
[...] Which would be more depressing: eating at McDonald’s on Christmas Day, or working at McDonald’s on Christmas Day? If I were a Marxist, I’d say the latter. If I were a Source: Postmodern Conservative [...]
December 18th, 2012 | 6:11 pm
I actually like McDonalds food, and respect what they do in terms of Charities.
Marx is dead and what he may or may not have endorsed, i.e. lent his name to for the sake of commodity fetishism…is a rather hillarious question. Of course the modern Marx is either the property of the University of Chicago Press or else an accusatory relic of McCarthyism.
Still selling McDonalds as opposed to Catholicism as if it was some sort of zero sum game for “goodwill” gets economics all sorts of wrong. It is of course primarily intellectual property or intangible property that can be shared and make us all better off. Now real property sort of is a zero sum game…only good copyright, good trademark, and good patent really expand the pie and put us on a higher indifference curve.
A debate between the merits of Waffle House and McDonalds certainly reminds us how far we have come in beating Malthus down, not that he isn’t out there telling us that all our charities will just cause a population explosion and eventual painful starvation (In the Long RUN!…Muah, ha! ha!)
So progress had to happen before Lochner was ever a political question, and as Anglicans, Catholics, Aitheist or Libertarians I think we can all see that and be grateful. Some Libertarians dislike the Santa Claus theory of the universe, but Santa Claus himself is good trademark, or good will, hypothetically Scrooge is bad will. But a true Unitarian might say they are both good in a broad enough view of the political economy, after all Mandeville is not totally disproved.
Speaking of the fact that Mandeville is not totally disproved, and recongizing that Christmas isn’t exactly the time to sue, or hang people, or fight over a fiscal cliff (bah humbug!) one might think it is the fault of the lawyers and political scientists if a manager at McDonalds can’t pursue his selfishness or duties of loyalty to his corporate over-lords without in some way bringing about something “Good”!
The hell, if I am not sure that such a manager is not “higher”, than all the lawyers, lobbyist, congressmen, economists and political scientists in america. You also seem to be suggesting an out for yourself. Your system can only be as “high” as the “bad” tastes of your consumers!
An interesting delima, supposedly it is better to be exploited to the max producing a high quality product, than to be eager to work producing the imitation gruel. I am not sure it ends up working that way. McDonalds has improved its menu. Working at McDonalds can’t be good, unless eating at McDonalds is also good. That is you can’t fully get satisfaction from working at McDonalds on Christmas day unless your customers also feel the bounty and goodwill of the produce of your labor.
I mean what is really lower, eating at McDonalds on Christmas day or reading(eating/dwelling) about how John Boehner and Obama saved us from the fiscal cliff on Christmas day?
December 18th, 2012 | 9:53 pm
On Thanksgiving Day in 1972, I was stranded in Boston and unable to make it home. It was horrible. Virtually nothing was open and there was nowhere to go to eat, to celebrate, or even just to read.
A buddy of mine and I got so desperate that we flagged down one of the few taxis still on the streets, which otherwise were absolutely deserted, and asked him to take us somewhere, anywhere, to eat. There were two choices: Howard Johnson’s or Mondo’s cafe, which was the hangout of all the cabbies. We chose the former and were at least well fed in each other’s company.
I know you’re a big Beatles fan, Carl, so maybe the whole issue can be settled by putting on Eleanor Rigby and listening to it carefully. It’s as good an answer as any other.
December 18th, 2012 | 10:47 pm
Joseph, your mention of the “emergency situations” indicates that the real lowness would be choosing to eat at McDonald’s on Christmas Day.
Anyhow, let’s use this thread to remind us of our Christian and fraternal duty: if you know someone who will be without opportunity to join a Christmas Day gathering, see if you can coax them into joining you and yours, at least for a bit. Call them now to see if they have plans, and at least deliver or send them a good DVD or some token of affection if they are die-hard resolved to ride it out alone. A late Christmas card is better than none, right?
December 19th, 2012 | 3:02 am
In my family we do not hold Christmas on Christmas Day, for that was a working day for my Grandfather through most of his life, but on Christmas Eve. So very often we are on the road back home, or stranded in town and unable to stare a leftover in the face. McDonalds, Denny’s, Great Wall Chinese or the occasional desperate hot dog from Quick Trip is what sustains us through the doldrums of the day.
JD
December 19th, 2012 | 8:16 am
So as JD reminds us, there is the historic role of the Chinese restaurant on Christmas–celebrated, of course, on THE CHRISTMAS STORY.
December 23rd, 2012 | 11:25 pm
Why was Grant McDonald allowed to post here? Isnt there a filter for integrity’s sake?
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