The McDonald’s Doctrine Is What Really Protects US From WW3

Nuggets over nuclear arms, the unexpected formula to world peace

For most people in the western world, the war in Ukraine has been a huge shock and wake-up call for just how fragile the world as we know it is.

The realization of just how close we are to a few powerful men in a select few countries using the nuclear arsenals at their fingertips that could flatten the earth in a matter of minutes has been quite a frightening one for me.

You are probably just realizing that this is supposed to be a money blog, and wondering why I am talking about the potential of world war 3.

That’s because, in my recent revelation that life may very well be shorter than I wanted it to be, I wondered if my capitalist focussed vision may not be so important anymore.

But then it struck me.

Capitalism, and its inevitable push towards more and more globalization, is most likely the sole reason that we haven't seen a world or nuclear war since the end of world war 2.

I started doing some research into this and found out about a little something dubbed “The McDonald’s Doctrine”, which explains why the golden arches may be holding the globe together — one Mcnugget at a time.

The Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention

In the book “The Lexus and The Olive Tree”, Thomas Friedman opined that there had not been a war between two countries that had McDonald’s operating between their borders.

It was later confirmed gleamingly by McDonald’s head office to be true.

The theory goes, that by being economically connected, there is far too much at stake to have an all-out war.

I hear you, it didn’t stop the Russians from invading Ukraine, but there is a whole heap of sense in what is being stated.

Countries that need each other, don’t fight with each other.

Countries that have fought with each other in the past, have either tried to expand in the search of greater economic spoils or to defend their status of being the top dog.

In my opinion, the McDonald's doctrine is the only reason we haven’t had a 3rd world war, but it’s not down to the big mac.

It’s due to the ever-expanding globalization that has happened since the end of world war 2, as more and more nations adopted the capitalist model by trading goods instead of bombs with each other.

You Don’t Shit In Your Own Backyard

Globalization has made everyone's backyard bigger and closer to each other.

Not in a literal way that crazy dictators like Putin would like. We don’t want to encroach on sovereign boundaries, that's what crazy people do.

But we are all so connected now, which has not only made the world a better place to live, it also made it a safer place to live.

Better in a sense that places like China have been lifted out of poverty into the soon to be biggest economic powerhouse in the world using the resources sent from nations abroad. Without those resources, would it have been possible?

Better in a sense that poverty-stricken countries will soon have the internet at their fingertips due to American entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and his great initiative through Starlink. This alone should help lift the living standards of many nations.

The very important side effect to this is, we are now all living in each other's backyards due to these types of advancements.

The simple point is, when everyone needs each other, we are less likely to fight.

Unlike the 1940’s, actions made by one nation towards another, even with the aim of economic gain can become a severely damaging action to the aggressor.

We are seeing that with sanctions used against Russia by most of the world for their actions in Ukraine. This, with time, will become a serious thorn in the side of Putin.

When the people hurt more than the potential gain of the evil action, your support dries up quickly.

If it goes on long enough, it could end the war.

Fascism Dies When The People Stop Believing

Autocracy and extreme nationalistic pride or fascism are the main drivers of war. This is far harder to achieve when the very war itself hurts the hip pocket of the general population.

No matter how powerful a dictator is, they are nothing without the support of their populous.

Dictators use the promise of a greater nation to convince the population, whilst trying to justify their evil actions. You can see this happening with the Z movement in Russia now.

But I think it is getting harder and harder to believe that Russia is on an upward trajectory.

The disappointment felt in the lines of everyday Russians who couldn’t hide their disappointment to see Mcdonalds close in their country could be the start of the wind of change needed for public pressure on Putin.

You only have to take a quick look at living standards across the world since the last world war and the conclusion that capitalism and globalization have been a success, even with their flaws.

Regarding China again, one of its masterstroke moves on the way to becoming a world economic leader was understanding the benefits of capitalism, even within communism.

The benefits were so great and enticing, that they literally re-wrote the rules of communism to create their own version — ‘Communism with Chinese characteristics”.

Just like the last time, it rose to power in Europe, fascism will die.

It does not serve the people as well as the alternative — a global society where we all prosper, together.

Senseless killing and re-writing of boundaries are completely unnecessary, especially when we have a proven blueprint for success that includes all.

We do not need more nuclear arms in the hope of being strong defensively, something that is known as mutually assured destruction (MAD, yep it’s exactly that).

Maybe it’s just a good old serve of freedom fries that have been and could be, the answer to the world’s problems.

God bless capitalism.

This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.