Fast Food Nation: Ch 4 Questions

What legal issues have been involved with fast food franchises?

The fact that franchisees don't always follow the rules established by the franchisor has led to legal issues. This leads to a legal battle for power in which the franchisor almost always wins. Such battles constantly revolve around the franchisees anger at the fast food restaurant's encroachment. Other problems include: inflated prices charged by suppliers, bankruptcies and terminations that seem unfair. McDonald's, however has created a safety net for itself for avoiding such battles. Instead of demanding large royalties from the franchisees McDonald's leases the land in which the restaurant resides to the franchisor. This enables it to evict franchisors who violate the terms of the lease and avoid lawsuits since it has legal documentation of the rules the franchisees were supposed to follow.

 In what particular legal action has the Subway fast food franchise been involved? (100-102)

Subway has been involved in many unusual legal actions. For example, instead of recruiting franchisees the way most fast food restaurants do, Subways relies on "development agents". Because these "agents" are technically considered independent contractors their salary is dependent on how many Subways open within their region. As compensation for their work they receive a portion of the money that is paid by the franchisees, plus annual royalties. However, when the agents fail to meet their monthly quotas they are forced to pay the company for their shortfall. This keeps them under constant pressure to open new restaurants, regardless of how close they are to each other. Subway also takes practice in making many of the new franchisees, (most of who are immigrants) work 50 to 60 hours a week in order to earn a decent living. 

Fast Food Nation: Ch 3 Question

Fast food workers have not unionized because of the history that is established for this effort. While some efforts have been successful most have failed and thus many workers don’t even bother to try anymore. Usually when a manager suspects efforts to unionize he immediately informs a person who is higher up in the corporate ladder, actions are taken immediately. A squad of managers and corporate executives are sent in and informal sessions are held where questions are asked to the workers. If the executives do not receive the information they were hoping for, then harsher policies are put in place sometimes even resulting in the administration of lie detector tests. Above all workers don’t unionize because they know that such actions will result in the immediate termination of their position. 

Fast Food Nation: Ch 1 questions

How is the 'American world view' embodied in the fast food industry?

The fast food industry embodies some of the best and worst aspects of the American world view. Today America has become synonymous with a need for speedy service, cheap food and unhealthy eating habits. The fast food chains that populate what seems like every corner of the country are the embodiment of said generalizations. And while many Americans are in fact not at all like the stereotypes that plague the minds of many foreigners the truth is that the majority of the population does fulfill these characteristics. Today many Americans no longer care about the food that enters their body. The cycle of going to a fast food restaurant and getting an unhealthy meal for a cheap price in only minutes has become so systematic that many forget that what they’re doing is affecting their life. Still, the fast food industry does also embody the things that make this country great. The fact that small businesses that started and expanded through the hard work of people who worked their way up the social ladder became such great successes and are now internationally recognized is what the American dream is all about.

What elements of Southern California "culture" contributed to and encouraged the development of fast food restaurants?

The accessibility and lower prices of automobiles are the single element that contributed the most to the development of fast food restaurants. The new lifestyle that emerged in southern California as cars became affordable is one that made the success of fast food restaurants a possibility. The introduction of the automobile brought with it a large scale migration that for the fast food restaurants meant new customers. This allowed for drive-in restaurants to thrive. With the success of many restaurants came the need to compete with one-another for customers and subsequently the need to distinguish one from the other. This in turn led to the introduction of methods such as the McDonald brothers’ speedee service system which revolutionized the direction into which fast food restaurants were headed and allowed for the big franchises we know today to emerge. 

Fast Food Nation: Ch 2 Question

I think that the targeting of children outside of school by the fast food industry is a fair move. The fact that they use toys and clowns to do so I think is actually smart move on their part, I mean after all they are a business. The responsibility then falls on the parents to teach their children whether they are being lured into something that is bad for them. On the other hand, I believe that the use of schools to advertise is a shady move on the fast food industry's side. The fact that children can no longer walk a hallway without  trying to be convinced to buy a Big Mac or drink Coca-cola is something that I think needs to change. I think the main difference between an ethical use of advertisement and an unethical one is whether the advertisement can be chosen to be observed as opposed to being forced down your throat. The fact that children can't decide whether they want to watch the advertisement or not is where the debate of whether this move is ethical or not is decided. The fact that parents can't influence their children's decision is also a fault of the advertisement's because many kids, especially young ones, do not know what is good for them and what is not.

Source 4

This article can be used in our argument because it contains information about what Homeland Security has assured are its goals with the new immigration policies. Andrew Rosenthal (author of the article) goes on to say that although the new policy is supposed to focus only on immigrants with criminal records there is no assurance  that this will be done. “How will they find these people” Rosenthal questions when referring to the flawed policy.  My team and I can use some of the same assertions Rosenthal makes while focusing on how the Alabama immigration law is violating immigrants’ civil rights.

http://loyalopposition.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/will-they-stay-or-will-they-go/?scp=2&sq=will%20they%20stay%20or%20will%20they%20go&st=cse

Food Inc.

Central Argument:

Today the food system has become corrupted because of the greed that exist to produce food fast and in large amounts. The food that is produced is harmful because of the way it is engineered and the short-cuts that are taken to make sure enough of it is available. The food companies often abuse the animals (who are raised only to be slaughtered), as well as the farmers that have no option but to go along with the system.

Assertion:

• ·         Now there are a handful of companies controlling our food system.

• ·         If you could grow a chicken in 49 days, why would you want one that takes 3 months? (Companies’ point of view)

• ·         Today we are engineering our food. (This is mostly due to the mass production of corn)

• ·         We put faith in the government to protect us, but we are not being protected in the most basic level.

• ·         When the food companies have a problem they don’t use the solution that could fix it, they look for high-tech substitutions that will allow the system to survive.  

Opinion:

I think this topic is a tricky one. It is obvious that the food system is flawed; however the answer to the question of how to fix it is one that is not as straightforward. It would be easy to say that the currents conditions the system it is under should be reversed at once, but the effects of such actions are ones that cannot be predicted. The way I see it is that there should be a gradual return to a safer, more efficient system that does not enforce policies such as the ones that are popular today. I think this would allow for a better system to take place without compromising the production of food and therefore allow for food-shortages to take place.  It would be great if such measures were beginning to be enforced; however truth is that the system will not change unless we want it to. While the food companies are the ones that control the food system, we as consumers have the ultimate power. If we want things to change we have to take charge and make those changes happen because at the rate things are going these changes will never take place.

Source #2 Critics See “Chilling Effect” in Alabama Immigration Law

Summary:

Alabama’s immigration law has made it its goal to make every aspect of an immigrant’s life difficult. The school clause of the law however, has become clouded, especially with the mixed signals that the creators of the law are sending. While they claim that immigrants will not be denied a free education, their attempts are still part of a larger scheme to topple the 29-year-old ruling guarantying free public education to anyone, regardless of their immigration status. Critics argue that the law is driving immigrants from schools. Still, the true effects of the law are harder to measure than they seem.

Central Argument:

“The champions of Alabama’s far-reaching immigration law have said that it is intended to drive illegal immigrants from the state by making every aspect of their life difficult. But they have taken a very different tone when it comes to the part of the law concerning schools.” 

The Article’s central claim is that although supporters of the law, have openly talked about the true goals of the law, they have been rather shady when it comes to the effect it will have on children in schools.  While they claim that a free education will not be denied to anyone, they still expect parents to disclose their immigration status as well as their child’s. In the long run, they want to make education a privilege for those with papers and an unachievable dream for those without.

Assertions:

“It is, however, a first step in a larger and long-considered strategy to topple a 29-year-old Supreme Court ruling that all children in the United States, regardless of their immigration status, are guaranteed a public education.”

This assertion strengthens the author’s claim because it supports his claim that although the creators of the law are trying to say that education will continue to be accessible to everyone, in reality, their secret agenda involves destroying this right. 

“Whether the critics are correct in arguing that the law has created a “chilling effect,” inducing families to pull their children out of school, is harder to measure than it may seem.”

This assertion strengthens the author’s claim because it shows just how muddled the law has become. It neither agrees with the critics, nor does it criticize their assertion. It simply argues that the true effects of the law will be harder to measure than previously thought.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/us/alabama-immigration-laws-critics-question-target.html?pagewanted=all