Mac Donald's i Hong Kong part 2

Continuing the last blog that I published, was about Mac Donald's in Hong Kong. I found it interesting that Mac Donald's coming into Hong Kong changed the work ethnic there. According to the article, before Mac Donald's came to Hong Kong, the norm there was to crowd in front of a food stall to order food, but after Mac Donald's entry, the people have developed a sense of forming lines to order food. I also thought that it was weird that fast food places in Hong Kong do not have straw and napkin dispensers, instead they have employees distribute napkins to ensure tht customers do not take a stack home.

Mc Donald in Hong Kong

We were reading an article in sociology about the chain of Mc Donald's restaurants that are located in Hong Kong. According to the article, Mc Donald's in HOng Kng is most busy during breakfast and lunch time, and their most sold food is just plain Hamburger. I thought it was interesting how the older generation thought of Mc Donald's as a new age for Hong Kong. The older generation saw the popularity of Mc Donald's as Hong Kong coming into the new age and developing very rapidly, whereas the newer generation sees Mac Donald's as a place to have a social gathring.

Globalization at its greatest

I think it is so interesting that there are so many people living in Minneapolis that have come from foreign countries. For example, there are people from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Somalia, Sudna, Nigeria, Guyana, and Kenya working in the nursing that I work at. I was surprised to find so many different nationalities living in Minneapolis.- that is globalization at its greatest.

Healthcare disparity

We are studying about the health care disparities around the world in Sociology. I was interested in knowing that there was so much disparity between the avg health care that people received here in the US versus around the world in developing countries. I was also shocked to learn that there are 45 million people here in US that do not have health insurance. I think that health care in the US is too much driven by legal issues. (too many health care professionals are afraid of being sued by there patients, and they take out insurance that drives prices for patients. I also think that doctors are running unnecessary tests for patients that is driving up the cost of health care.

Dangerous Chinese Toys

These days, we are getting a lot of news about children's toys that are made in China, and have lead in their paints, and are sold as nontoxic, but are actually poisonous. Thus, children are sent to the hospital. This is the backlash of globalization. As more and more manufacturing is outsourced, it is difficult to control the manufacturing conditions, an safety testing of products that are made. I think that safety testing of products is the responsibility of the American companies before selling them here. At the same time, Chinese manufactures also have the responsibility of making safe products and do testing themselves before selling them to the US. Lastly, I think that Chinese govt. should be controlling the safety of the products made.

State of Emergency in Pakistan

Although this does not directly have to do with globalization, I think that it is wrong for Musharraf to declare a state of emergency in Pakistan. I believe that Pakistan should be democratic, and should not be ruled by a military ruler like Pervez Musharraf. Also, I think that US should provide negative sanctions to Pakistan like not providing weapons or aid to the country until Pakistan switches to democratic rule. I think that it is wrong for the US to make an exception to Pakistan and at the same time going against Iran or North Korea on its ruling. (Especially b/c Pakistan is already a nuclear state that has military rule)

IMF not fair

I feel that the International Monetary fund is not a fair organization. The IMF is a world money lender that lends countries money as short term loans for restructuring their economies. However, I feel that the IMF is doing more harm than good. This is because unlike the UN, the IMF is based on a point system, where the more the money a particular country puts into the bank, the more the money it can withdraw. Although this sounds financially good, it means that many of the poorer countries like African countries that need the money for their development cannot receive it because the governments are too poor to invest money in the bank. I feel that the IMF should be run like the UN where each country gets to vote on financial decision. Things are changing now as China, India, Russia and Brazil are developing very quickly, there share of the monetary system will increase, and thus they like the developed countries will be able to make important financial decision.