The Nomad and the Olive Branch

It is easy in today's world to be lost in a fascination with - as Alexis de Tocqueville put it - "magical names [and] ideas". He may have been the world's first brand prophet, for, in today's world of cutthroat capitalism, it is not enough to simply make a product and sell it, as is often argued, but also to produce a brand: a name, logo, and idea seeped into the thoughts of consumers worldwide. The brand does not become just anything and everything. It becomes the only thing. The fanatical fervor displayed by such branders, argues Canadian journalist and activist Naomi Klein, rivals that of extremist terrorists who supposedly follow the Muslim faith. Indeed, names like Nike, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, McDonald's, and Wal-Mart have become more than just entries in the Fortune 500, but have adopted cultures of their own that seek to invade and influence the nascent minds of children everywhere, breeding the next generation of blind-faith consumers and