So how are sales? In January, Beers visited Egypt to start sussing out Arab opinion-makers, who, it turns out, wanted to talk about American policy. Beers and her team preferred to talk about opportunity, democracy and freedom - hold the details. "No matter how hard you try to make them understand, they don't," said one Egyptian newspaper editor in response.
(via Plastic)
I agree: It betrays a confusion between economic liberalism and political liberalism. The Chinese also see no contradictions between having a free market and crushing demonstrations with tanks. It's like that other old saw "countries that trade, don't fight". Of course they do.
I.e. the Australian wheat trade with Iraq.
It's all so silly. You can already _get_ a Big Mac in Saudi Arabia. You can already _get_ a Pepsi in Pakistan. That's why it's called "globalisation". I can't believe the number of americans on discussion forums who keep making comments like "We need to turn the arabs into capitalists, build McDonalds over there so they can see the wonder of american freedom."