I was in Baumholder, Germany, with my family, for some time during the late ’70s. A McDonald’s was opened in a neighboring city (Bad Kreuznach, as I remember). It was not the first in Germany, but it certainly was the first within easy driving distance of Baumholder. It rapidly became a weekly visit for us as a welcome taste of home. But the surprising thing to me was the positive response from the local residents. They voted with their money. It always seemed to be crowded and there always seemed to be a lot of laughter and joviality in the restaurant. I thought at the time that this is one of the things America does well. Tasty, cost effective nutrition as a commodity. Walk in, plunk down your money, and walk out with 1500 to 2000 calories (a daily minimum requirement for an average person) that has a reasonable balance of protein, carbs, and fats. I believe that a lot of the resistance to America’s fast food industry by “food nazi’s” is basic resentment that communist and socialist societies cannot seem to emulate the ease with which Americans produce food. (I realize my predjudices are showing in the phrase, “food nazi”, but if you disagree, help me come up with a better term).