Day 284 - 22 Oct 96 - Page 39
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2 MR. MORRIS: Yes. It is a question of it is a bad thing, that
3 multi-nationals should have power, whatever they use that
4 power for, whether it causes hunger or ecological
5 devastation.
6
7 MR. JUSTICE BELL: We have to stick with McDonald's. The other
8 multi-nationals are relevant if they are having a combined
9 operation to which McDonald's are contributing, I see that,
10 but it is all about defamation of McDonald's, if anyone.
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12 MR. MORRIS: Right. The point about -- all I am saying is the
13 points about economic imperialism is not just the damage it
14 is causing, whatever that is, it is also the fact that
15 people are basic basically doing what they do not
16 necessarily want to do, and that is the same, for example,
17 in the workplace, that if the management have power, such
18 --
19
20 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is small beer compared with actually
21 causing starvation, is it not?
22
23 MR. MORRIS: Yes, but I am just trying to make the point that
24 authoritarian management is in itself a bad thing. Just as
25 economic imperialism, whether or not it is causing some
26 damage or hunger or starvation, is itself a bad thing, it
27 denies to people their autonomy and civil rights.
28
29 It does not actually say that McDonald's cause starvation
30 anywhere in that first page, in that economic page. It
31 says what is the connection between McDonald's and
32 starvation, and then explains how the economy works and
33 McDonald's role in it. It says McDonald's is directly
34 involves in this economic imperialism which keeps most
35 black people poor and hungry.
36
37 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you dispute that it means that they are
38 responsible for starvation in the Third World? Is there
39 really any issue about that?
40
41 MR. MORRIS: I think starvation is a particularly.... I mean,
42 I think that it does not say that McDonald's causes
43 starvation. That is not what the meaning is. That
44 McDonald's role in hunger and poverty and in imbalance of
45 resources and trade, that kind of stuff, is dealt with as a
46 whole, as a contributory factor, but I do not think the
47 meaning could be McDonald's causes starvation. The one
48 place where it says the word "cause" is about poverty.
49
50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Use another word, if need be, is responsible
51 for directly or indirectly. Put as many riders in. It is
52 still responsible for starvation. Is there any dispute
53 that that is what it means? I mean, their starvation in
54 bold, I do not doubt that another leaflet could have been
55 written making various points in general terms. Whether
56 McDonald's would have sued on it, I do not know, but what
57 we have got is what we have got in this leaflet.
58
59 MR. MORRIS: Yes, it is asking for the connection between
60 McDonald's and starvation and outlining what the connection
