Lawmakers furious over China-made Olympic uniform

[freeatlast]

Uniforms for U.S. Olympic athletes are American red, white and blue...
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Lawmakers-furious-over-China-made-Olympic-uniform-3702485.php

 

[Crabtownboy]

Capitalism, go with the low bidder. Republicans should approve highly of this as they are for unregulated capitalism. Many on this BB keep saying they want the government out of their lives ... so??????

 

[Mexdeaf]

Politics at it's usual.

 

[targus]

Capitalism, go with the low bidder. Republicans should approve highly of this as they are for unregulated capitalism. Many on this BB keep saying they want the government out of their lives ... so??????

I saw nothing in the article that even suggested that the decision was based on the "low bidder" as the reason.

Talking through your hat?

 

[freeatlast]

Capitalism, go with the low bidder. Republicans should approve highly of this as they are for unregulated capitalism. Many on this BB keep saying they want the government out of their lives ... so??????

My guess is that this has more to do with corruption then capitalism. The price they paid for the uniforms is totally over the top. I see no reason why any company in the US could not have supplied the same things for half the price they are paying.

 

[LadyEagle]

Fact: This is ridiculous. It is LAWMAKERS who agreed to these global trade agreements which has cost millions of US jobs, starting with NAFTA back in the 1980s. It is LAWMAKERS who pushed through giving China Permanent Normal Trade Relations with the US back in 2001 and signed into law in January 2002 by President GW Bush, in spite of China's communism and human rights abuses (like executing political prisoners for the purpose of harvesting their organs).

And now we see lawmakers feigning outrage and crying crocodile tears. This is just another reaping of what they sowed. THEY are to blame. Not the Olympics Committee - it is LAWMAKERS. This is hypocrisy pushed to the limits.

 

[freeatlast]

Fact: This is ridiculous. It is LAWMAKERS who agreed to these global trade agreements which has cost millions of US jobs, starting with NAFTA back in the 1980s. It is LAWMAKERS who pushed through giving China Permanent Normal Trade Relations with the US back in 2001 and signed into law in January 2002 by President GW Bush, in spite of China's communism and human rights abuses (like executing political prisoners for the purpose of harvesting their organs).

And now we see lawmakers feigning outrage and crying crocodile tears. This is just another reaping of what they sowed. THEY are to blame. Not the Olympics Committee - it is LAWMAKERS. This is hypocrisy pushed to the limits.

Did Harry Reid vote for the trade bill?

 

[carpro]

My guess is that this has more to do with corruption then capitalism. The price they paid for the uniforms is totally over the top. I see no reason why any company in the US could not have supplied the same things for half the price they are paying.

Lady Eagle is on the right track.

Maybe there aren't any companies left in the U.S. that make them. We have sold our future to the Chinese.

Yet, deficit spending continues.

 

[freeatlast]

Lady Eagle is on the right track.

Maybe there aren't any companies left in the U.S. that make them. We have sold our future to the Chinese.

Yet, deficit spending continues.

Yes there are companies in the US that could have made them. We can still buy clothing made in the US. The Chinese is not our problem. The low estate of the church is.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Did you notice that the contract went to Ralph Lauren. Are you angry at Ralph Lauren? Does the Olympic Committee control where Ralph Lauren has the clothing made?

What company manufactures clothing in the US? I assume there is at least one, but I do not know who it is. When was the last time you bought any clothing that said, "Made in the USA"?

The only shoes you can buy where all parts of the shoe is made in the US is SAS Shoes. Are you going to buy only SAS shoes?

 

[targus]

Did you notice that the contract went to Ralph Lauren. Are you angry at Ralph Lauren? Does the Olympic Committee control where Ralph Lauren has the clothing made?

Yes the Olympic Committee does have control where the clothing is made.

It's called a "contract".

 

[freeatlast]

Did you notice that the contract went to Ralph Lauren. Are you angry at Ralph Lauren? Does the Olympic Committee control where Ralph Lauren has the clothing made?

What company manufactures clothing in the US? I assume there is at least one, but I do not know who it is. When was the last time you bought any clothing that said, "Made in the USA"?

The only shoes you can buy where all parts of the shoe is made in the US is SAS Shoes. Are you going to buy only SAS shoes?

Here is a list;
http://www.apparelsearch.com/america.htm

http://www.americansworking.com/shoes.html

 

[Crabtownboy]

Here is a list;
http://www.apparelsearch.com/america.htm

http://www.americansworking.com/shoes.html

Thanks. I appreciate the links.

 

[Salty]

... The low estate of the church is.

What does the church have to do with this discussion?
(unless those who made the clothing were Chinesee Christians?)

Otherwise I agree with Lady Eagle and Crabby.

I think part of the problem is that Congress is not able to control this. Watch some Rep insist that the US Oymplics be funded by the Govt, then Congress can pull all the strings.

Granted, I would have prefered the US Olympic committee insured that the clothing was made in Americia - but as Crab said "Republicans should approve highly of this as they are for unregulated capitalism. "

Salty

PS - Crabby dont start thinking I'm going to agree with you all the time:smilewinkgrin: :laugh: Brother, I'm looking forward to the day when we can meet over a glass of Mountian Dew

 

[Crabtownboy]

PS - Crabby dont start thinking I'm going to agree with you all the time:smilewinkgrin: :laugh: Brother, I'm looking forward to the day when we can meet over a glass of Mountian Dew

It would be good to sit and have a Mountain Dew with you. I think we could have an interesting discussion. You know Salty if we agreed on everything it would be a boring conversation.

The more I think about this topic, or should I say non-topic, the more I feel that politicians express outrage as they know this is a very safe subject and one to keep the minds of people off real problems and the lousy way Congress is not dealing with real problems.

You know, keep the folks minds occupied on trivial topics so they will not pressure us to act responsible on important issues. :laugh:

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Well, the issue was important enough for you to utter a false claim, which you have not yet retracted.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Of course they went with the lowest bidder. That is simply good Capitalism. Ralph Lauren is an American company. They won the contract. They want to make a nice profit, so they contract with the low bidder. If that had been an American company they would have gone with that company.

Now y'all who are so upset. Will you send a contribution to the Olympic Committed specifying that your donation is to be held in an account so that next time the uniforms can be manufactured by a US company at a higher price? Or are you just going to continue to whine and cry, but not help?

The U.S. Olympic Committee responded with this statement:

"Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors. We're proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America's finest athletes compete at the upcoming games in London."

http://www.kctv5.com/story/19016946/team-usa-uniforms-are-made-in-china

But free market advocates, such as the Cato Institute, say none of this is surprising.

Globalization means manufacturing companies will be drawn to countries where the costs are lowest, according to Daniel J. Ikenson of the Cato Institute.

"When companies are able to outsource, they are able to produce most competitively. They're able to attend to their costs. And if they can do that, then they can deliver better quality, greater variety at lower prices for U.S. consumers," Ikenson said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/13/sport/us-uniform-controversy/index.html

 

[billwald]

When the kids were young The Wife made much clothing for them. Now days it is cheaper to buy Chinese clothing than to buy the materials to make clothing.

She is making me light weight denim coveralls. The cloth cost fifty bucks.

 

[billwald]

http://www.fabricdepot.com/

in Portland, OR is a good place to buy fabric.

 

[Scarlett O.]

Well, here my two cents.

I think this is much ado about nothing. Break it up - nothing to see, folks.

Unless you want to chime in about how this is really just a very LAME and bi-partisan attempt to appear all sentimental and patriotic in an election crunch time. I just couldn't help but give a cynical smirk while reading the article - just a bunch of politicians falling all over each other to see whose "team" can grunt out the biggest amount of righteous indignation over something that at any other time and during any other set of circumstances they wouldn't have wasted a breath nor given it a second thought.

But, hey. That's just my personal take on it.