McDonald's, the company that somehow convinced the world that a lukewarm cheeseburger is worth four dollars, is now facing boycott calls over allegations it hired illegal migrants in Ireland and paid them under the table. Because apparently the secret sauce has a few extra ingredients nobody ordered.
As The American Tribune reported, a resurfaced video clip on X shows an Irish citizen speaking with a Moroccan immigrant on the sidewalk. The man says he came to Ireland because there is no work in Morocco and that he had been in the country for three months, during which time he made 3,000 euros (about $3,429 USD). He was smoking a cigarette because of stress, specifically the stress of not knowing whether he would have work on any given day. So he is allegedly getting paid under the table, meaning no taxes going into the Irish system, while potentially benefiting from social welfare programs. Classic arrangement where everybody wins except the taxpayers.
The video going viral has sparked quite the response on X. A user named Milly posted photos showing alleged asylum seekers getting into a brand new Mercedes in the Rathmines area. "Walking back to work through Rathmines past IPAS Tramco, 'asylum seekers' getting into a brand new MERC. Could not get the reg because he was eyeballing me," Milly wrote.
Another user responded by slamming the Irish government for allegedly prioritizing illegal migrants over homeless citizens. "And the Irish homeless sleep outside the swimming pool and outside Rathmines church and hardly anyone blinks an eye. Rathmines I sadly have to say has turned into a first class kip. 20 years ago it was a great spot for a night out in. Wonder what could possibly have changed," the user said.
An account called Kulture Warrior went beyond boycott talk, suggesting legal action. "Don't just boycott, get lawyers to sue McDonald's under an organization and use to fight the government," the account said. Because nothing says grassroots activism quite like hiring attorneys.
One commenter took the opportunity to flex their superior dining choices. "I never eat McDonald even if they're just a couple of buildings in my block.. if I wanna eat burger I walk few blocks to Shake Shack or Burger King for Angus beef but once in a year or 2 only I'm not a meat eater. I'd rather eat fish, seafood or veggies," someone commented. Thank you for your detailed dietary autobiography.
Perhaps the best response came from someone who was already boycotting for entirely different reasons. "I'm boycotting them already until they bring back fries fried in beef tallow and those freaking delicious fried pies with the molten lava apple or cherry filling," the individual stated. Honestly, that might be the most relatable grievance in this entire story. Those old fries were genuinely better.
Whether this boycott gains real traction or fizzles out like most social media outrage remains to be seen. But McDonald's probably was not hoping that "under the table" would become associated with their employment practices rather than their dropped chicken nuggets.
Read more American news stories at: The American Tribune
