The Starbucks Effect

But in France, such security, and the lifestyle it implies, sound like a good deal worth fighting for. "We don't have a problem with Americans," a German friend living in France tells me. "We just don't like the American way of life--working all the time, rushing around, always seeking more."

The French students are doomed, probably--but doomed on their own terms.

So the French students took a stand. They saw the Starbucks effect for what it was and said no thanks. They're doomed, probably, but at least they're doomed on their own terms. Meanwhile, we Americans meekly accept the conditions that participation in the global economy seems to require: BlackBerries on, 24-7.

That said, Des has returned to the Dublin Starbucks several times since the opening. It's always packed.