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Exodus of 'iconic' American companies is taking psychic toll on Russians
93% Upvoted
level 1
I mean...yeah, functionally the russian society is about to get very close to the soviet union.
Stock Market -> closed
foreign brands -> gone
travel -> restricted
1.0k
level 2
· 3 days ago
Amsterdam
Back in the Soviet days Russians had a huge America fetish, Russians had a black market where goods like nylon stockings were sold for dollars, there was a huge black market for dollars too. After the Soviet Union resolved they developed a fetish for Mercedes and other German cars and replaced their fake adidas track suits with original ones.
Although there's a lot of anti west sentiment in Russia they sure do like western consumer goods and dollars.
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level 2
· 3 days ago
Vojvodina
75% of Russians say the Soviet times were better than today. They're not sad, they are happy to get back the good times. You should envy them.
215
level 2
And all of that without many satelite states to parasite on.
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level 2
level 2
Travel is pretty much impossible, imagine trying to book and pay for a holiday without access to your money in Russian banks? Even worse for the Russians overseas that can't access their funds because their visa cards no longer work.
1
level 2
Rounding up people in their places of work, paraded down the street - never to be seen again.
1
level 2
· 3 days ago
Romania
Exactly, that crazy son of gun Puțin is actually doing it! He's turning Russia back into the Soviet Union, with only the bad parts though...
1
level 2
And I guess that’s exactly what Putin wanted all along, to reanimate the USSR.
1
level 1
Technically correct but “psychological” would be more easily understood. Everyday usage of psychic is more related to extraordinary phenomena.
411
level 2
· 3 days ago
Germany
Quite annoying to have your clairvoyance relying on McDonald's.Back to the old ways of Magic by visiting Baba Yaga in her Hut in the Forest.So inconvenient, does not even have WiFi to instacheck your predictions.
179
level 2
· 3 days ago
Denmark
level 2
· 3 days ago
United States of America
Yeah, use psychological unless you want Ghee Buttersnaps to get involved
1
level 2
I though maybe the Americans had been trying that staring at goats thing again.
1
level 2
· 3 days ago
Earth
Thanks. Just from the title i thought that Russian telekinesis users were really bummed about mcdonalds.
1
level 1
400k people in Mariupol isolated without food water or power is taking a psychic toll on me.
351
level 2
· 3 days ago · edited 3 days ago
Russians don't know about it. I asked my mother about Mariupol and she said that it's already been taken! Propaganda here is raging, the overwhelming majority of Russians believe that there are no civilian casualties in Ukraine. Even when I show my relatives photos of infamous maternity hospital bombardment they just refuse to believe and go with "they are Azov battalion and needed to be exterminated". It's like living in a mental hospital, the whole country has gone crazy.
143
level 2
level 1
In addition to all points in the article, having those companies in the country, likely gave them the feeling, that they belong to the civilized world.
I remember, that after the end of the Communist area, upon a visit in Budapest, a friend of mine living there proudly pointed out that "you see, we even have Shell gas stations and McDonalds now". Irrational as it is, this gave her the feeling of starting to belong to Europe and the civilized world.
In Russia, this goes now in the opposit direction, so yes, this will have a psychological impact, hopefully enough for a wake up call.
356
level 2
· 3 days ago
Europe
yes, McDonalds was a big thing for my dad when we're children. Late 90s East-Germany.
149
level 2
· 3 days ago
Ukraine
It is highly doubtful it will. Thinking people are fleeing the country, rest are brainwashed or divided to the level where they have no agency.
I have no remorse, though, as my hometown of Chernihiv is currently under heavy bombing and I can not reach out to my family.
Please, keep up with the sanctions. They will not change russian minds, but they will stop russian war machine.
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level 2
level 2
· 3 days ago
Kyiv (Ukraine)
Not enough. Russians are upset and confused, they don't understand why they are being hurt when it's "the government" doing all the bad stuff, whole they are "small people who can change nothing".
Plus their propaganda won't let them come to the realisation either. According to russian propaganda, there is no war in Ukraine, just a de-nazification operation. A very funny way to spell genocide.
54
level 2
In Budapest now, many people here approve what Russia is doing. I have older family members who think I'm crazy because I'm against it. They think the country (Budapest) was better off with communism and would be happy to go back.
22
level 2
· 3 days ago
Germany
Europe really needs to find a way to make it clear that the sanctions are not aimed at the Russian people but at the regime waging the war. And I realise, that a considerable amount of people is supportive of Putin, but we really need to make the distinction clear between the warmongers and the normal people to not drive them into the arms of an dictator spreading fear and trying to build up this image of us against the evil rest of the world.
-1
level 2
Because you see that in TV shows, movies.. Your favorite singer is taking selfies with iPhones; you must have one. Or wearing some brand. Drinking coffee in Starbucks and eating fast food in MCD, KFC. Or driving Mercedes, etc etc.. it is consumerism.. They managed to convince the world that they needed this stuff. Ultra HD 4k 55" TVs, new Playstation, new iPhone. When in reality not so much.. But yes, you feel that you belong to that society. Why do so many people buy expensive Apple products..
I think this will hurt a lot of international companies; they will pressure for the removal of sanctions. MCD Russia makes 9% of whole world revenue of MCD. Insane..
1
level 1
· 3 days ago
Odessa (Ukraine)
BTW Russians banning all of the western social media. The next day they will ban Instagram.
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level 2
· 3 days ago
༼ つ ◕3◕ ༽つ
level 2
level 2
· 3 days ago
Scotland
level 2
level 1
· 3 days ago
England/Taiwan
Compared to what Ukrainians are going through? Yeah, cry me a fucking river, lol.
68
level 2
Nobody’s asking to pity them. The point is that Russians can stop Putin and the war.
3
level 1
· 3 days ago · edited 3 days ago
United States of America
Does China or Russia have their own "iconic" homegrown fast food companies?
26
level 2
No big chain like McDs from what I've seen in Russia, but quite a lot of somewhat standardised restaurants all around. For example Georgian cuisine is very popular in Russia and you will find a lot of Georgian restaurants, or bigger chsin-like restaurants offering georgian but also oriental, siberian, etc. food in some sort of fusion style. Something like olive garden if I am to guess (never been to O.G. hence guessing).
My experince of China was limited but somewhat similar. A lot of small food joints, more than in Russia, but also a lot of chain-like places but more towards a restaurant than a fast food over-the-counter places.
In Russia there was marvelous thing which I believe they called a soup kitchen or something lile that. It's essentially a public cantine, where you pick things and pay at the end of the till. It is generally a traditional food (porridge with a bit of butter, dumplings, potato stock and gravy, meatrolls etc.), it was delicious and cheep as chips. As a traveling tourist, that was a blessing. And you could get these in all cities across the country. Some were a bit more workers cantine like while some looked more like a self-serving restaurant. It is not a place you go out to. It was a place where you eat and go.
43
level 2
· 3 days ago
The Netherlands
I wouldn't try the Chinese one I guess after seeing these gutter/oil videos, but no, not one comes to mind.
Did find a relative large one called Teremok with 300 esteblishments, the title of the video say: "Is the McDonald's of Russia", well that's convenient (video from 2017 btw)
13
level 2
Yeah I think China does have some iconic ones that I’ve seen a in a few places when I visited Beijing. The problem is that it’s probably more stratified and not very available outside the capital.
1
level 2
· 3 days ago
United Kingdom
level 1
level 1
· 3 days ago
Silesia (Poland)
as long as they can play csgo and world of tanks, they wont mind
38
level 2
World of Tanks realism update: Tanks suck and you will die inside them.
49
level 2
· 3 days ago
The Netherlands
They can and can not on multiple platforms or purchase an x-box etc:
Only Valve is missing out:
One notable absence here is Steam and its owner, Valve Corporation. The enduring online storefront for PC games is still available in Russian, but that's a language setting rather than a region setting on the website. Valve hasn't outwardly addressed the conflict at all, though anecdotal reports suggest that using the platform right now in Russia has been complicated by payment providers suspending services there — a lineup which now includes PayPal as well.
March 3, so maybe it changed.
16
level 1
level 1
· 3 days ago
The Netherlands
And they say, 'Yes, after the companies flee and we start producing things of our own, we will be consuming Caca-Cola.'"
That, essentially, means crap cola.
That's a funny line.
22
level 2
Putin threatened to nationalize McDonald's and keep them running. The last time I was at a state run restaurant was in Cuba, and I got food poisoning.
10
level 2
Coca-cola is already crap to begin with
They would be wiser to not replace it but oh well trash needs to consumme trash and it is not limited to russians
0
level 1
One of the occupiers, calling home, thinking nothing of killing people, is really moved and shocked to hear and says, in shock: "No pepsi?"
5
level 1
· 3 days ago
Traffic-American
It's a bit half-baked for me that all these entities are just pulling out of the country, but it's obviously for a good reason (to avoid dealing with sanctioned entities) not just PR. I can't say I support targeting the Russian peoples' welfare when countries are still buying oil from Gazprom though.
5
level 2
· 3 days ago · edited 3 days ago
Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)
yeah. they could complain about people suffering in their hospitals due to lack of western medicine and i'd still support harder sanctions.
4
level 1
level 2
· 3 days ago
Odessa (Ukraine)
Russians are weird. Thousands of people will go to IKEA to buy the last piece of furniture but not in the streets to stop this war.
25
level 1
I foresee average business oriented Russians spinning clones of every iconic western brand. And yes - it will be cheap Chinese knock off, but it will be present. It’s not particularly hard to make a McDonalds clone, especially if McDonalds cannot sue you. All heil the upcoming ComraDonalds 🤣
Still people in cities will know they only have copies.
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level 2
level 2
level 1
Oh its not the death of the people they share a close historical, linguistical and literal familial bond with? But the departure of Mcdonalds and Coke?
3
level 1
· 3 days ago
United States of America
Eh, this seems dubious. Some parts of the media are getting carried away with "Russia has already lost!!" It's starting to sound like Vizzini ("You've given everything away!") from the Princess Bride.
And, yes, I want them to lose badly, but "I miss McDonalds" isn't a sign of victory.
3
level 2
level 1
· 3 days ago
Romania
Can someone explain to me why they are still paying the employees? Though it's a decent move on their part, it would be more impactful if all these companies would start firing them -> high unemployment -> more pressure on Putler
2
level 1
Now the Russians have to get their heart diseases at the local fast food shops.
2
level 1
level 1
· 3 days ago
Austria
3d6 psychic damage.
But seriously, I doubt that. Especially when it comes to stuff like McD, they'll quickly get over it. Its gonna improve the health of many, actually.
8
level 1
level 2
· 3 days ago
Lazio
Oh c'mon there's like 17 of them in the entirety of the country, they're doing a valiant service in making the american/british tourists feel welcomed, we can tolerate them.
9
level 2
level 2
· 3 days ago
Hesse
level 1
level 1
Actually taking many shitty American fastfood chains out of Italy would be cool for me
6
level 2
level 2
[deleted]
· 3 days agolevel 2
this. Only nbc can be so delusional... American fast food chains are crap.
0
level 1
Good. Wake up you fucking russheeple, dismantle your terrorist state and apologize for doing it 22 years too late.
3
level 1
· 3 days ago
Europe
at this point its just free advertizing for this junk companys ... seriously, its no loss at all when dont have MC Donalds or Coca Cola.
3
level 2
· 3 days ago
Romania
It's not free. It cost them a market of 150m people. For now at least. If McDonalds is still paying their employees, that means they expect to reopen in the very near future when the outrage dies down. I expect other companies are doing the same.
13
level 1
· 3 days ago · edited 3 days ago
Polonophile
This article is based on the opinions of two professors, not Russian public opinion. It reads like wishful thinking: "Surely all of our sanctions are having a 'psychic toll' because we really want them to hurt!"
The truth is, pizza, coffee, and fizzy drinks are not hard to make. I'm sure the Russian oligarchs will quickly fill the gaps in the market left by these Western brand names.
Unfortunately these sanctions won't work, just like they have never worked to overthrow or change the behavior of any dictatorship, ever. All we can do at this point is try to starve the beast by bringing down the price of fossil fuels. But our leaders will never accept that necessity.
2
level 2
· 3 days ago
The Netherlands
You make one mistake here.... the oligarchs have no interest in setting up fizzy drink businesses. they have build their wealth on stuff they get for free, russia's natural resources.
And it's not that easy to reproduce coca cola.. hundreds of people have tried to do so in the FREE West yet nobody succeeded (Pepsi , the only one who came close and became an A brand themselves)
1
level 1
Soviet? No. Soviet had a couple of communist allies. Russia under Putin will be back to Stone Age.😩
2
level 1
· 3 days ago
Italy
Is there seriously people who would miss McDonalds? I went there a few times as a kid due to peer pressure, but I would never go there again out of my own volition. The food sure is tasty, but it's terribly unhealthy and nowhere near cheap enough to prefer going there over another chain.
2
level 2
· 3 days ago
Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)
i like it at times. more of a snack for me though like a cheeseburger on the hand while shopping or a mc sundae with caramel on a sunny day
4
level 2
· 3 days ago
The Netherlands
You Italians have the best cuisine in the world, and have been able to reject Pizza hut, Starbucks etc. most of the rest of us are not that lucky
2
level 2
level 2
· 3 days ago
Berlin
nope, Fastfood chains and they like barely had a presence in Russia just a few years ago, see my comment in this thread, i gathered up some Stats.
2
level 1
Please do this for whole Europe, we dont need shitdonalds here, let muricans choke on soggy fries and sugar infested coke
0
level 2
· 3 days ago
Canada\Belarus
I mean they aren't forcing Europeans to eat or use their services, they wouldn't be there if Europeans didn't use them... you can always vote with your wallet...
11
level 1
level 2
· 3 days ago · edited 3 days ago
level 1
All those years Russian customers spent training to send their orders mentally to the mind-reading counter staff... wasted.
You can understand the frustration. Time to start dowsing for mushrooms.
1
level 1
level 1
Russians didnt and wont give a fuck. When world used laptops, color tv and wireless phones russians and their slaves were plowing fields using horses in 1989.
No matter how much u deprive russia - they wont care, change, do something about it.
-2
level 2
· 3 days ago
The Netherlands
The point of the article is that younger russians do care, as they have tasted the better life. The old folks are beaten down and numb, it's sad for them
4
level 1
level 1
level 1
“Psychic” toll….? Are they reading minds? Did they lose the ability to channel spirits?
0
level 2
· 3 days ago
United States of America
This guy in a comment below clearly believes that American companies have some kind of mind enslaving powers
5
level 1
a lot of the soviet era fans were children at that time, their parents shielded them from the harshness of those times, only people that were in trouble homes would not have good memories of childhood.
1
level 1
· 3 days ago
United States of America
level 1
level 1
level 1
I saw videos on YouTube by a chill young Russian Youtuber. He webt around Moscow to ask people what they thought about sanctions. Most people didn't really give a fuck. Certainly no one took a psychological toll haha. I'm rooting for Ukraine ofc, but there's no reason to be untruthful. Channel's name is 1420 on YouTube fyi.
1
level 1
level 1
· 3 days ago
Berlin
Title is seems Cap. obviously exaggerate since we're in a full fledged Propaganda War.
Article talks about how Russians, if they so desire Cola, have to drink from a fake brand, so instead of drinking Coca Cola they will be drinking Crap Cola. Wow, the horror. Bruh.. am i the only one that often drank fake version cola as a kid? it really wasn't that horrible, tasted slightly different but pretty much the same shit, they will survive it lol.
I looked a bit, to try to find out how big of a deal these Fastfood Chains story/narrative really is, apparently not that big of a deal.
McD has 850 stores in Russia, 1 Store per 168k People, if we rank McD per Capita by Country, Russia ranks 53th. For comparison: Usa, CAN, AUS, NZ rank at 25-30k per Store and JP, SG, SWE, AT, FRA, UK at 40-50k per Store. According to Statista, McD had just 550 stores in 2015 (1 Store per 260k people) and around 200 in 2010 (1 Store per 720k people), so their relevance only came about in the last decade.
Similar story with others, Burgerking's first store in RU only opened in 2010, they had 550 stores by 2019 and 800 in 2022. According to Chartsbin, there were only 10 Pizzahuts in Russia in 2015, and around 50 nowadays, so they were not relevant back then or now judging by the numbers.
Given that all of these barely had presence in Russia just 10 years ago, would it be fair to say, as quickly they came and spread out, as quickly they will leave and evaporize?
0
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