If you’ve been craving a Quarter Pounder lately, you’re not alone — but according to the folks at The People’s Union USA, that cheeseburger is now a political statement. This grassroots group, which sounds suspiciously like a college activist club that never grew up, is urging Americans to boycott McDonald’s for an entire week. Why? Because apparently Ronald McDonald is now public enemy number one.
Their Instagram post read like a freshman manifesto: “This is about more than burgers and fries, this is about power.” Translation? They’re mad McDonald’s won’t play ball with the progressive labor-industrial complex, so now it’s time to take it out on your lunch.
John Schwarz, the group’s leader and self-styled champion of the working class (despite his own checkered past — more on that in a minute), accuses the fast food giant of everything from tax dodging to worker abuse to committing the cardinal sin of “performative diversity.” You’d think they were talking about a Bond villain, not the place that gave us the Shamrock Shake.
Let’s decode the outrage. McDonald’s scaled back some of its DEI programming earlier this year and quietly removed rainbow logos from its branding. That’s apparently grounds for cancellation now. Consumer Freedom Project nailed it when they said, “The DEI Gestapo is targeting McDonald’s for a boycott b/c they dropped their rainbow flags and ‘diversity’ programs.” And honestly, after a year of corporate pandering, that move feels downright refreshing.
But of course, the boycott machine isn’t running on ideology alone — there’s cash involved too. A GoFundMe has already raised over $125,000 for this crusade against the Golden Arches, and a handful of celebrities have joined in the finger-wagging: Stephen King, John Leguizamo, and Bette Midler. Because nothing says “I stand with the working class” like a millionaire Hollywood actor scolding people for ordering a Big Mac.
Let’s not forget, McDonald’s is already licking its wounds from an E. coli scare last year that sent its PR department into a tailspin, and sales are still down. Now they’re facing accusations of price gouging from Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bob Casey, and Ron Wyden — a trio that seems to think every successful company is part of a grand conspiracy to oppress the proletariat.
McDonald’s has pushed back, saying pricing is handled by individual franchisees who are doing their best to stay afloat — not exactly the evil cabal Schwarz would have you believe.
And about Schwarz? He’s also been the subject of scrutiny for a 2007 Alford plea related to voyeurism charges. He claims he’s innocent — which, of course, he has every right to do — but it’s always a little awkward when the man shouting about corporate morality is dodging his own questionable past.
Bottom line? If you want a burger, go get one. Don’t let the outrage industry tell you what you’re allowed to eat. The people shouting about “power” are usually just trying to take yours.
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