As IF Times

link Deal Approved In Muslims’ Suit Against McDonald’s « CBS Detroit.

A franchise is a very valuable thing.  Creating and maintaining a franchise is very powerful.  McDonald’s is inarguably the icon of the franchising model.  The core idea of franchising is to sell a specific expertise and to offer that specialty at every single location that carries the corporate name.  Tied in firmly with franchising is the notion of branding.  Franchising and branding is a serious business.  Everyone knows what a Coke is. Everyone knows what Nike stands for.  Everyone has an idea of what a Hooters restaurant is.

In the rush to gain more market share by expanding offerings, iconic franchises risk losing or at least diluting the valuable branding that in many cases, has been created over decades and generations.  Few would go to Fouad’s Falafel House for a cheeseburger, nor would they expect to get poutine at Hon’s Wonton Garden.  In the case of many so called fast food franchises like McDonald’s and Wendys, they have tried pandering to wider audiences with offerings of ‘healthy’ salads and other lighter fare.  Who wants a walnut salad at Mcdonald’s?  Why would they even consider selling Halal food?  Getting slapped with a legal judgement by unhappy customers should be a warning to operations like Mcdonalds that all customers aren’t worth chasing.

Some other food chains at least remain true to their roots.  Burger King offers the bacon cheddar stuffed burger and Denny’s even offers a bacon milkshake…topped with whipped cream of course.   Now that’s some honest American eats.  The boutique In-N-Out burger franchise out west likes to advertise that their menu has barely changed since 1948: burgers, fries, shakes.  No weenie salads or organic seaweed nonsense.   You gotta stand for something!  Nobody goes into a roadside diner expecting to get brook trout almondine with a mango salsa.

This is a philosophy that would serve well outside of the food business.  In the political process, they should also pay attention.  Recent news headlines show that the once darling of the conservative set, New Jersey’s Chris Christie, is now hosting fundraisers for the Clinton camp. !!!  Is he bacon or is he walnuts?  Marco Rubio, once considered to be a possible standard bearer for the GOP is backing a very liberal immigration policy.   That franchise looks as doomed as a Chinese taco stand.

Even more annoying is the fact that reaching out always goes one way, that is to pander more to the weenie crowd.  We would never see a veggie restaurant offer spareribs to entice meat eaters for their patronage.  We would never see hair salons offer a cigar section.   We would never see a Prius offered with a V-8.  Will we ever see a cheeseburger at Wolff’s Deli?  You would never see a liberal reaching out to get the conservative vote.

Where’s the beef?  The take away is that you can’t be all things to all people.  Unless there’s a core value that is consistently represented, the core constituency cannot be retained and the new ones will likely be fickle anyway.  When everyone offers the same thing, it’s all essentially hash.  Nobody has ever uttered the desire to go to a good hash place.

link Voters ban judges from using international law | NewsOK.com.

On the surface of it, this seems like a no big deal measure.  Until you look at the groups that oppose it.  The craze to be inclusive has ironically transmogrified into the craze to become exclusive and divisive.  The debate about multiculturalism and plurality of beliefs has been hijacked by those who employ relativism as a tool to paint those opposed as intolerant.  

As such, there is very little two sided debate on this very provocative issue.  Very few public figures will dare to put forth the notion that some belief systems are in fact quite flawed and not deserving of equal consideration in mainstream society, at least in western society. 

If I really want to have dinner at my friend Marty’s  house, would it be divisive of Marty not to allow me to have my dog sit at the table as is my custom at home?  The operative phrase here is ‘really want’.  Presumably, when you undertake to uproot yourself from wherever you happen to live in the world and plant yourself in a new host country, you implicitly agree that for whatever reason, that it must be a better life choice.  Unless you were frog marched here, learning to adapt to the local customs and mores would be logical.

In the case of my pal Marty, if he had strong desire to eat at my house, I should think that he would expect to sit next to Rover and say ” pass the Alpo”.  

Nations should consider implementing policies like most airlines do now.  Do a thorough frisk and then allow very little baggage.  If you are going to reinvent your life somewhere else, then enjoy the benefits, but which neccessarily includes observing local laws and customs.   At the acceptance speech of newly minted Florida Senator Marco Rubio last night, he made a comment that should resound with anyone who wishes to make a life in the U.S., but which also applies to a shrinking handful of western countries.

The message is that in most countries of the world, the fate of a person is decided even before they are born.  Only in the U.S. can you rise above whatever circumstances you came from to attain pretty much whatever you want to achieve.  That should be the beacon for all who come.  Leave the old baggage behind.

For a thoughtful discussion on integration and immigration, see here: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/250338/change-don-t-celebrate-cultures-thomas-sowell