When macdonald's opens or spreads in a country, it's very much a sort of symbol of its becoming more integrated. The golden arches theory was that when countries are linked economically, the odds of conflict go down. When people have a bigger stake in keeping things peaceful and stable, this theory went to be true. But i think what thomas freeman was arguing is after decades of cold war and huge geo political entions, a new, more promising era was opening up.
The 1990 opening of a McDonald's in Russia heralded not just burgers and fries but, get this, a new era of peace and prosperity. The Economist’s Patrick Foulis explains how the promises of globalization never entirely materialized.
This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Victoria Dominguez, engineered by Paul Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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