# Could Mcdonalds invade a Country, If so, what size. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 24, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351 "2002-04-24T14:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/41 "2002-04-29T05:49:54Z")
wouldnt it be easier to find a empty island or country and start fresh ? or just find a couple of cities or regions and have a war of independence ? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/42 "2002-04-29T13:07:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nightshadea \* > \*\*wouldnt it be easier to find a empty island or country and start fresh ? > > or just find a couple of cities or regions and have a war of independence ? \*\* Where’s the evil fun in that?!?!? 😕😉 ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/43 "2002-04-29T14:25:42Z")
[ul]… **JUMBO for an extra 39 cents** … 😃 [sup]And that also goes for the fries[/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/44 "2002-04-29T17:48:37Z")
Well, now I’m not so sure that France would offer military aid to any country unlucky enough to be the target of a McInvasion. This week’s _Economist_ includes the following > [@](#): > > McDonald’s is opening 30-40 new outlets a year in France, where it now has some 900 restaurants—more per head than most of its European neighbours, including Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands….McDonald’s now claims to be the leading restaurant chain in France. Its French sales and profits were both up by over 9% in 2001—a year when the company saw global net profits fall by 17% Obviously McDonald’s military strategy is more long-range and cunning than I had originally thought. First they intend to co-opt any country that would dare stand against it and then, when there’s no one left to oppose their cruel plans, the hammer falls. Welcome to McJamaica, mon. You wan’ fries wid dat? ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/45 "2002-06-17T15:54:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Just Some Guy \* > \*\*What about the stock price? If McDonalds or Microsoft or any other large corporation announced tomorrow that they were abandoning their core business in order to take over a country then the first thing that would happen would be their investors would lose all confidence in them. So whatever you think they could take now it would likely be a lot less after they declare war. \*\* Please tell me you’re not naieve enough to believe the ultimate goal of Microsoft is NOT world domination? “One World. One Web. One Program” - Microsoft Ad Steven ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/46 "2002-06-17T16:30:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NewUser1 \* > \*\*My brother (who works at Fazolis) just informed me that the Mcdonalds corporation has just bought out the Fazolis Corporation. It has Begun. \*\* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOO[breath] OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAMNIT! That resturant rocked! ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/47 "2002-06-17T22:09:01Z")
I very much believe they could, it would just take some time for them to switch their capital into wartime materials and make sure the general public of America does not realize what is happening. They could invest in old soviet weapons through the black market, third person of course, then slowly build up a group which could take over a small nation, perhaps luxemburgh (sp?) due to the closeness of the old soviet republic. However I do not see how this would really help McDonalds, the taking over of an already capitalistic nation would do them no good (they’re already selling products there and an invasion would only bring down their own income due to boycotts) and any non-capitalistic or developing nations are already being systimatically broken down and prepared for capitalism/commercialism, where McDonalds can make a pretty penny without any controvercial invasion. ---
**Author:** ![Zach\_Lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ed655f/32.png) [@Zach\_Lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zach_Lee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/48 "2002-06-17T23:16:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > \*\* > > I’m just picturing a 17 year-old with a flamethrower, his tears of glory cutting lines in the ashes and blood darkening his face, spraying waves of inferno into enemy bunkers and screaming “_YOU WANT **FRIES** WITH THAT, MOTHERFUCKER?!?!_” \*\* Oh, man, Bry. Now I gotta clean chocolate shake offa my screen. Seriously. ROTFLMAO. ---
**Author:** ![Zach\_Lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ed655f/32.png) [@Zach\_Lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zach_Lee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/49 "2002-06-17T23:21:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Just Some Guy \* > \*\*What about the stock price? If McDonalds or Microsoft or any other large corporation announced tomorrow that they were abandoning their core business in order to take over a country then the first thing that would happen would be their investors would lose all confidence in them. So whatever you think they could take now it would likely be a lot less after they declare war. \*\* Actually, I was kinda under the impression that Wall Street LOVES these kind of no-holds-barred, aggressive takeover maneuvers. If they get the advertising guys working, the stock should soar, giving them more market cap room to finance the attempt. ---
**Author:** ![JS\_Princeton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/57b2e6/32.png) [@JS\_Princeton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JS_Princeton)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/50 "2002-06-18T01:29:17Z")
Why wouldn’t McDonalds be more cunning in their takeover? W. Walker was able to take over Nicaragua with far less money than your average Mickey Dees franchise makes in a year. He had a vision and about 30 years of fumbling around before he made it, but, he MADE it. I think McDonalds could pull it off on some pretty large countries if the mood of certain political mucky-mucks in the country was right. Of course, they probably wouldn’t say very much about it… if they were really cunning, no one would necessarily know… Come to think of it, maybe it ALREADY HAS HAPPENED? Where’d I put my aluminum foil hat? ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/51 "2002-06-18T02:54:06Z")
I think everyone is missing a good bet here. Argentina is among the worlds largest producers of beef and their military expenditures, while respectable (4.3 billion - thanks for the link **chukhung** ) are not insurmountable. If McDonalds is willing to take a loss for a couple of years and make use of their assets, I think they have a shot. Alternatively, as has been suggested, with patience an internal coup can be much cheaper. With the right PR, the people might even love them. I think Andrew Lloyd Webber may already be working on it… “Want fries for free Argentina?..” ---
**Author:** ![Com2Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Com2Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Com2Kid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/52 "2002-06-18T03:33:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clayton\_e \* > \*\*They could invest in old soviet weapons through the black market, \*\* Umm, you DO realize that the Russian government has a website set up to take orders on their old military equipment don’t you? Black market? Hell why, Visa or Discover? :eek: (ok so you can’t order tanks with a credit card, but you can indeed buy working Russian tanks over the net from a company that was hired by the Russian Government to sell them.) You can also order fighter jets and such over the net as well. I love this place. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351/53 "2002-06-18T04:34:03Z")
Wow, after months of negelct, my thread made it into threadspotting _gush_. Anyway, the **original** point of this thread was no so much whether it was feasible for Mcdonald to do it, but to get a sort of rough idea as to the cashflow needed to wage **all-out conventional warfare**. As in, none of this petty coup and insurgency stuff. I was just hoping for an indication as to whether a megacorp had enough financial backing to sustain a modern, 3rd world civil war? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-mcdonalds-invade-a-country-if-so-what-size/105351.md?page=2)