All those outraged by Made in China Olympic uniforms, where were you in 2002?

[janet118]

Olympic Torch Bearers uniforms made in Burma

"Activists here first became aware of the uniform's origin when an escaped Sudanese slave living in Massachusetts, Francis Bok, was chosen as one of the more than 11,500 official torchbearers who carried the Olympic torch on its U.S. tour.
Like Burma, Sudan is one of the tiny handful of countries where forced labor or slavery is practiced.

He and his friends noticed that the uniform's pants and shell top bore "Made in Myanmar" labels.

In the last few days, more than a thousand activists have e-mailed complaints to the IOC.

The IOC, however, has insisted that it bears no responsibility for the order and that all arrangements for the torch relay to Salt Lake City had been made by the local organizing committee, the SLOC.

Most of them received email replies signed in the name of the SLOC's Media relations Committee, which indicated that it thought Burma and Myanmar were two different countries."

Who would have been the person in charge of this outrage? Oh yeah, Mitt.

[obamanut2012]

1. I was emailing my Congressman and Senator

And my state legislator.

[janet118]

3. And did they respond with outrage and a strong statement for the nightly news? n/t

[obamanut2012]

12. It wasn;t as big of a deal nationally 10 years ago

But there was much local and regional outrage because I live in a textile state.

[lunatica]

2. Are you inferring that those who are outraged now were fine with it then?

[Lifelong Protester]

5. I agree

I can't be investigating everything all the time, and I don't think it is healthy to live in a constant state of rage against inequitable things; I respond appropriately (letters, marching, donations) when I can. I'm pretty sure I'm already a pain in the posterior to a lot of the folks around me with my constant comments on all things progressive.

Not too in to the Olympics so I'm not sure I'd ever have these issues on my radar until someone brought them up, here or on other progressive sites I visit.

[janet118]

6. Um . . . no. I'm saying that all the gasbags . .

on tv and in Congress who are so publicly outraged now said nothing in 2002 when Mitt Romney was "saving the Olympics" with taxpayer money, he bought uniforms from sweat shops in Burma and from manufacturing companies in Canada with barely a peep of media and political protest.

I believe we should all buy from American manufacturers - the few that are left. But the sudden outrage by many of the same characters who pushed for the trade deals that have devastated American companies is a bit disingenuous.

[obamanut2012]

13. Yes

As I stated upthread, most of the American public didn't get it then. I grew up and live in what was once one of the biggest textile states in the US, and we "got it," even 10+ years ago.

[nykym]

4. And Romney ordered pins

Made in China, The berets TeamUSA wore were French styled made in Canada.

[janet118]

7. Yeah, the flak about the berets is a bit strange . . .

considering most U.S. teams have worn them for years - mostly made by Roots in Canada. Now, all of a sudden, they are too French. :&gt

[randome]

8. Working in a Chinese sweat shop.

Not really, just in a goofy mood today.

[Poiuyt]

9. Don't forget that Bush/Cheney had their campaign gear made in Burma

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/03/21/20415/-Bush-gear-made-in-Burma

Even Bush campaign gear is outsourced. And not to China, either. Apparently, that nation is not repressive enough for GOP sensibilities.

Rather, the gear is made in Burma.

A "Bush-Cheney '04" campaign jacket sold on the Internet has stirred controversy because it was made in Myanmar, whose imports have been banned by the United States.

---

The Bush administration has had sanctions in place since September against Myanmar -- also known by its colonial name Burma -- in an attempt to punish the government over human rights violations.

"Burma is one of the most repressive, brutal dictatorships in the world," said Charles Kernagan, head of the National Labor Committee, a group that seeks to combat sweatshops internationally. "The Bush-Cheney campaign was putting money into the hands of dictators with that purchase."

[janet118]

10. Bush/Cheney loves them dictatorships . . .

Bush: "If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." Bush joked.

[treestar]

11. Waiting for Mittwit to save the Olympics

Obsessing over Al Qaeda. That's my guess. 2002 was just one year after 911. The country was 911 obsessed all year.

[w8liftinglady]

14. trying to talk my son out of enlisting after 09/11... I was busy

[janet118]

15. Frankly, most of us, including me, didn't even hear about the 2002 incident . . .

because our Congress and media didn't feel the need to get upset about it then. The only Olympic story we heard about was that Mitt Romney was a big hero for "saving" the Olympics with our tax money.

Did you son enlist? I hope he's okay.

[Honeycombe8]

16. We weren't in a recession in 2002. Plus, I don't recall reading where the clothes were made.

I assumed everything about the American Olympic Team was American, except individual choices by competitors for shoes or things directly affecting performance.

[janet118]

17. Oh look, Huffington Post has this story now . . .

Mitt Romney-Helmed Olympics Outsourced Uniforms To Burma