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Olympic ‘Hypocrite’ Harry Reid Should ‘Burn His Own Wardrobe’ (Xinhua, People’s Republic of China)

 

Are U.S. Congress member violating the Olympic spirit and expressing ‘narrow-minded nationalism and ignorance’ with their near-hysterical reaction to news that Team USA has uniforms made in China? This editorial from China’s state-run Xinhua points out that if Harry Reid and his Congressional colleagues are so angry about China-made products, they should start burning their clothes and smart phones.

 

EDITORIAL

 

July 16, 2012

 

People's Republic of China - Xinhua - Original Article (English)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Ried of Nevada: Beijing has reacted badly to his sentiment that the U.S. Olympic Team should set their China-made uniforms alight.

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL VIDEO: Ralph Lauren in 'hot water' over U.S. Olympic uniforms, July 16, 00:03:39RealVideo

WASHINGTON: Some U.S. politicians are displaying a rainbow of hypocrisy. Last week, outraged lawmakers let go an outcry over made-in-China uniforms for U.S. Olympic athletes.

 

Responding to media reports that U.S. athletes attending the London Summer Olympics will wear navy blazers produced in China, Congress members, led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, chided the U.S. Olympic Committee for not dressing U.S. Olympians with made-in-U.S. uniforms.

 

Expressing his outrage, Reid went so far as to say, "I think they should take all the outfits, put them in a big pile, burn them and start all over."

 

It is astounding that words of such irresponsibility were spoken by a senior political leader.

 

The Olympic Spirit, which has nothing to do with politics, embodies mutual understanding and fair play. By conflating uniforms with politics, U.S. politicians have revealed a narrow-minded nationalism and ignorance, violating the very essence of the Olympic Spirit.

 

In reaction to the Congressional criticism, the U.S. Olympic Committee said that the U.S. Olympic Team is appreciated the support of Ralph Lauren, a leading U.S. sportswear designer that happens to produce most of the apparel it designs in foreign countries, China being one of them.

 

Furthermore, China and the United States are prodigious trade partners, with bilateral trade volume exceeding $440 billion last year. China has provided U.S. consumers - including the politicians - with high-quality commodities and necessities that are vital to their daily lives.

 

Nevertheless, both the U.S. Olympic Committee and Ralph Lauren, bowing to political pressure, were forced to promise that Team USA would wear uniforms manufactured in the United States starting in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

 

This fury over U.S. Olympic uniforms is just another case of the fierce and at times absurd political fighting that occurs on Capitol Hill, particularly in an election year dominated by issues of economic growth and job creation.

 

By criticizing the outsourcing of jobs by Ralph Lauren, politicians seek political gain by portraying themselves as champions of “insourcing” U.S. jobs.

Posted by Worldmeets.US

 

By touching on the outsourcing of U.S. jobs, the outfits of Team USA have hit gotten caught up in the most sensitive issue in this year’s U.S. campaign: the U.S. unemployment rate, which has been hovering above 8 percent.

 

 

SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Telegraph, U.K.: Team America's Olympic Uniform Debacle
Euro News, France: Political Storm Over Team USA 'Made in China' Uniform
Telegraph, U.K.: U.S. Olympic Uniforms Made in China

 

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Of course, common sense tells us that what really counts at competitive events like the Olympics is the performances of the athletes, not the origin of uniforms to be worn at the opening ceremonies.

 

If accusations like these are justified, why doesn’t the U.S. Congress impose a ban on its members from wearing anything or using any product not made in America?

 

It is extremely unlikely that Congress members would vote for such a ban, as most labor-intensive products and daily necessities available in the United States are in fact manufactured overseas.

 

"Will Reid burn his Blackberry, all his home appliances, and half of his wardrobe because those were made in China?" ridiculed a reader in a blog post on the www.wsj.com.

 

So, if there is anything that should be burned, it should be the hypocrisy of U.S. politics. 

 

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[Posted by Worldmeets.US July 16, 9:29pm]

 

 

 

 

 







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