Double standards are a key facet of imperialism, denying the behavior of the dominant class to vilify oppressed classes. Seeing through the delusions of grandeur are the first step into imagining a different world.
Where is this business placed? While it may not seem to matter, the purpose of clumping middle class businesses in similar patterns is to influence the minds of the people who live there. If someone sees this business in a neighborhood, the impression left on residents and visitors is that their situation is manageable, regardless of their actual income or other circumstances. Thanks to the famous “$5 Footlong” campaign, many people in the previous middle class have appreciated the frequent placement of this franchise close to their neighborhoods.
Several of these businesses are popular in Texas, but in reality, this clump of businesses–which is near the franchise above–is several hours south of the border near Monterrey, Nuevo León. Businesses often do market research before they place in areas. One of the main reasons that both of these popular Southern businesses are here is to imply that the people in this neighborhood should feel satisfied with their lot. However, in Mexico, these businesses function very differently. For example, a lot of the drink machines that have open usage in the United States are severely limited here because of water shortages. Someone expecting the same experience will likely find the same meals, but the excessively large drinks and free refills might not function the same way. Thus, the patrons who have not gone to the United States before might think that all franchises function in the same way.
Nobody wants to work, everyone is lazy, and a good, reliable employee is just so hard to find, right? Wrong. In an era where nobody wants to give anyone an opportunity to prove ourselves but everyone feels entitled to more profits, even the opportunities are hiding. The first time I experienced an entity that charged for providing information, it was for a collection of scholarships, and it was $800 in 1998. I was lucky, but as it turned out, none of those scholarships turned out to be viable options, but I was able to receive $500 of funding from a retired teachers’ association. Fast forward to 2024. Sure, everyone is getting laid off, and everything costs more, but job sites without even a legally liable guarantee of hiring still feel entitled to charge for information. There is no good reason why people without enough common sense to pay what they themselves charge feel entitled to hide the possibility of working for them behind a paywall.
Within the dominant narrative, there seems to be a rampant desire to replace cultural spaces with consumptive spaces. There are two museums in this area of Mexico City, but to make it more “palatable,” both high- and low-end consumption had to be available. The argument is often “jobs,” but the reality is that wealthy people demand servants around them to beg gor their favor. After all, consumption is a rich person’s “hobby,” not a pastime for people struggling to exist.
Chasing A Dying Empire 