The proposal to place a McDonald’s in the Hub has had the unfortunate side-effect of providing a cause for all of the anti-capitalist left-wing types who were just waiting for an excuse to rant, rave and rail against “evil corporations.”

The idea of the “evil corporation” is a modern myth. It’s the left-wing equivalent of the “one-world government movement” and the “Black Helicopters”.

Regrettably, the anti-corporate fad has swept ISU, leaving reality and reason far behind. And since the private sector is “evil,” where would the anti-capitalists have us turn? To the public sector, of course, better known as the government.

But what great evils are corporations guilty of anyway? Supporting practices like child labor in other countries? Some of them, perhaps, but is government any better? Think of all the crummy dictatorships our government has propped up. So why is corporate sponsorship bad, but government sponsorship good?

Let’s look at a few examples. The ’96 Olympics were harshly criticized for being too commercial. But someone had to pay for them.

Either the private sector does so with advertising money they would spend anyway, or our government can find a way to pry a little more money away from us.

Another good example is the Internet. I’m certain that these anti-corporation types are disturbed by the advertising that is becoming more and more common on the Net. But again, the bills have to be paid somehow.

We could let a government bureaucracy run the Net and pay for it, eliminating the need for ads. Then it could become like PBS. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

The bottom line is that the private sector is not evil, and the public sector is not perfect and pure. Sponsorship from one isn’t any more morally proper than from the other.

The anti-capitalist movement is nothing but a fad; hopefully one that will soon fade, leaving ISU a much saner place.

Matt Kuhns

Freshman

Graphic Design