The Hegemonic Hamburger

Resistance to American-led globalization is, well, global, but the French, as usual, are a special case. Theirs is the only 21st-century nation, besides the United States, with universalist pretensions. Naturally, then, they feel especially aggrieved by the sight of the Golden Arches and the invasive presence of the Big Mac.

"[France’s] political and cultural identity combines all the elements threatened by globalization," explains Meunier, a visiting fellow at Princeton University’s Center of International Studies. Those elements include "a universalist culture, a language with international aspirations, a ‘superior’ cuisine, a sensitive view of national sovereignty, a strong, centralized state, a need for a world role, a sense of duty toward the poorer nations, and a deeply rooted anti-Americanism."

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