KFC Closes Restaurants in Pakistan Amid Protests: Should U.S. Retailers Get Out of the Middle East?

It is not a major issue for coporate HQ because most of these stores are a franchise.
In other words, so local guy is losing everything he owns and local people are out of jobs.

Wow, I'm four pages down and this is the first (other than the posts from Qatar and France and SA noting that Pakistan isn't in the "middle east) first post that "gets" it and doesn't think KFC is some kind of U.S. Foreign Aid sent over last month.

Thank you, some people have no idea how things work, mainly because they never pay attention to the world around them. In this case not even in their own neighborhoods.

Seems unfair to punish everyone for some of those that did crimes so awful to american allies, so why not shut down shops and eateries there.

Screw them and their kind....let them manage themselves and see how long it will take their whole bunch to collapse and cry like babies, when they have no food or anything else in their country that they need, that has been provided by this country and other
countries..who have invested in that country via the business and income they provide...
Ones who want asylum to other countries, after they are vetted, let them leave....just like it happened in Cuba....We are to good for them....

heard about those other libyan protesters?
the ones that stormed an extremist militia
base on friday?apparently,the 9/11 attack on
the us embassy was the last straw.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wor...

Just get out of there and focus on our own problems, they obviously don't want us.

Why were these protesters protecting chickens from certain death?

No, they simply want to ban everything comes from America specially after the anti-Islam movie. Because you simply have no respect to them and their religion, their prophet and their lands.

and perhaps we should respond in kind?

But you didn't.

say again? I do not understand your comment.

US government knows people in middle east do not want their military on their lands but US does not respond. Take Iraq for example, how many years US military was there.

well, I agree with you. I want us out.

I hope your government lisent to you.

Now would be a really good time to leave.

I know it's not realistic, but I think ALL American's should get out of ALL of the Muslim controlled countries. And, stop buying oil or anything else from them. Either that, or put a concentrated effort into educationing them. It goes without saying, we should bring our troops home, too.

I agree!

had to read your comment a second time....surly you're joking when you suggested putting in an effort to educate them....you cant be serious about that...what a huge waste of effort that would be

I believe education is the key to everything. You can see already what having cell phones and the Internet has done for them and everyone. It is very hard for the 'powers that be' to lie to the people anymore, them and us. Literacy is the key to understanding, especially for the women of those countries.

Ok ...you got me...very well put

Thank you, I appreciate your candor.

No point in feeding the blighters !

We try and deliver a service to these Countries and they don't appreciate them? Move out and let them build their own then!

I might should have answered Yes , but I took maybe, I was in Berlin for summer vacations in the years 2000, 2001 and 2003 . I stayed with family there and of course went shopping with them and visited in several cities all across Germany. Talking with the local folks , I was directly told about how much they resented our U.S. western stores invading their country , this is like they thought McDonalds was a curiosity but wished it would go. In Cottbus Germany they showed me a Wal Mart, the local folks had great disdane (to say the least)for WM and were doing what they could to see that the business failed . I was a little dissapointed that the Germans were closed minded about trade , but then after all it is their nation and I respect that they want to do things the German way . So , that was just a microcosism of thought thruout the world. I would have thought that many nations would like to grow the world economy thru trade and the spreading of market ideas , but it appears that is not the case. I would never tell an American businessman to not look to grow the size and influence of his business by looking at a world wide market. Although, I would caution that the results might be very disheartning and disasterous.

I was listening to you and your story'
Very interesting and informative.

It's not really safe for any Americans there. Just get out before more people get killed.

If they have any sense of self preservation!

If they want to.

For sure we want U.S. military to get out of our lands.
But about U.S. Retailers, the answer is yes if America keeps disrespecting us, our religion, our prophet and our lands.

No country enjoys being invaded...or told how to live... all find it disrespectful...but when your own people flee its borders in fear and come begging others for help...that puts these other countries in a bad spot...do you turn away from these people or try to help them...when their own country tortures its citizens

Yes our government tortures its people.
So do you think US here to protect people, or to support the dictatorships governments like the GCC? (Be honest)

Honestly I have no idea ...I dont believe your country's issues should be our country's problem....but again ...it is difficult not to try and help those people that ask for the help....even if 10 times as many people dont want us to help those people ..how do you turn your back on people that are being tortured...and still sleep at night...and I want to remind you ...that not everyone in this country agrees with everything our current government does

Oh you don't know?! And you think your country helps?! OMG
Look mytstar I'll tell you what's going on in the middle east in an easy way step by step:
I want you to tell me who has more freedom Saudi Arabia or Iran?

well a long time ago I dated a guy from Arabia...Khalid Alswaga was his name ...I remember a picture of his uncle along with LBJ and the King of Arabia on his mantle...very wealthy family...he was over here going to collage... nice enough guy...I wont go into all we talked about...but women werent allowed to do over there what they can here he told me they were not allowed to drive...one time we had dinner with his relatives...the men were suppose to eat first and with out the other women in the room ...they made an exception for me...we all sat on the floor in a circle and ate while the women stayed in the other room...and at a night club a person was going to take our picture...but we had to remove the drinks from the table first...he told it wasnt allowed?? doesnt sound like freedom much to me ...also he told me he could marry several wives...but his first wife had already been chosen for him

Yet you didn't answer me. You didn't compare Iran and Saudi Arabia.

again...sorry...I dont have that answer...but I am trying to be understanding

OK I'll go straight to the point and I appreciate that you don't want to make such a comparison of foreign countries you don't know much about.
When you compare Iran and Saudi Arabia you will find Iran is way more free than Saudi Arabia.
Here are few:
Iranians elect their presedent, Saudis don't.
Iran allow women to drive, Saudi don't.
Iranians womens are allowed to run for president, Saudi women are not as well as Saudi men.
It's really long list you will find that Iran is much better and more free than Saudi Arabia.

But (here is my point) what do you hear American merdia talk about? Always Iran dictatorship, Iran against humanity,...etc. and you don't head any thing about Saudi Arabia.
Then if US supports democracy and freedom then why do US aligns with Saudi Arabia (one of the most dictatorship regime in the world) while US want to attack Iran and Syria?
Does not this tell you that US plan of freedom of the world fail?

Thanks for the input...it all makes my head hurt...I know that everyone has their own agenda ...including America

Kind of sad that the most powerful country do that, and I feel terrible that US convince my country Iran is threat and will involve my country and the other Gulf countries (Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman) and Jordan, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia and of course Israel (and god knows how many other countries there will be) with war against our neighbor Iran which did nothing to us and all of this is just for Israel not for US and not for Gulf countries and not for the rest of the world and for sure not for the imaginary nuclear weapons.