While I agree that the hypocrisy from Nike and similar companies is laughable, let's step back and look at its causes.
Nike and similar companies only take stances like this because of the opinion of people. If people get negative associations towards Nike from Sharapova, then they lose from that.
In one sense the more dangerous hypocrisy is therefore perhaps that of the people. After all, their consumer habits are apparently more affected by the fact that someone like Sharapova takes a banned heart medicine than the fact that Nike utilizes children to make their products, as reflected in Nike's actions (suspending Sharapova but maintaining a crappy policy towards employees).
Nike and similar companies only take stances like this because of the opinion of people. If people get negative associations towards Nike from Sharapova, then they lose from that.
In one sense the more dangerous hypocrisy is therefore perhaps that of the people. After all, their consumer habits are apparently more affected by the fact that someone like Sharapova takes a banned heart medicine than the fact that Nike utilizes children to make their products, as reflected in Nike's actions (suspending Sharapova but maintaining a crappy policy towards employees).
Are you saying people are bad in nature and not educated well in general? lol
Nike should act on principles and run policies in line with universal human rights which was signed by all 'civilized' world. Corporations only caring about revenues is just a sign that wild and 'free market' capitalism sucks. Politicians also are responsible to protect their country's values and signed declarations by forcing the corporations to act accordingly but they can be bought by big money unfortunately.
Nike should act on principles and run policies in line with universal human rights which was signed by all 'civilized' world. Corporations only caring about revenues is just a sign that wild and 'free market' capitalism sucks. Politicians also are responsible to protect their country's values and signed declarations by forcing the corporations to act accordingly but they can be bought by big money unfortunately.
I agree that unfettered markets have some very vicious sides to them for exactly the reason I'm stating. My point is that it's absolutely silly to put the blame on companies like Nike alone. We only get the companies that people are willing to buy from. If people reacted stronger to Nike's human rights policies and accordingly stopped buying their products, then Nike would not keep going the same way either. But nay, by and large people keep buying unethical stuff all the time, whereas immaterial episodes like the one with Sharapova affect their consumer-habits.
Jesus was a Capricorn
He ate organic food
He believed in love and peace
And never wore no shoes
Long hair, beard and sandals
And a funky bunch of friends
Reckon we'd just nail him up
If he came down again
'Cause everybody's gotta have somebody to look down on
Who they can feel better than at any time they please
Someone doin' somethin' dirty decent folks can frown on
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me
Eggheads cussing rednecks cussing
Hippies for their hair
Others laugh at straights who laugh at
Freaks who laugh at squares
Some folks hate the Whites
Who hate the Blacks who hate the Klan
Most of us hate anything that
We don't understand
'Cause everybody's gotta have somebody to look down on
Who they can feel better than at any time they please
Someone doin' somethin' dirty decent folks can frown on
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me
He ate organic food
He believed in love and peace
And never wore no shoes
Long hair, beard and sandals
And a funky bunch of friends
Reckon we'd just nail him up
If he came down again
'Cause everybody's gotta have somebody to look down on
Who they can feel better than at any time they please
Someone doin' somethin' dirty decent folks can frown on
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me
Eggheads cussing rednecks cussing
Hippies for their hair
Others laugh at straights who laugh at
Freaks who laugh at squares
Some folks hate the Whites
Who hate the Blacks who hate the Klan
Most of us hate anything that
We don't understand
'Cause everybody's gotta have somebody to look down on
Who they can feel better than at any time they please
Someone doin' somethin' dirty decent folks can frown on
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me
I would guess that all of the shoe companies have some labor issues in their plants outside the western world (New Balance has five plants in New England and some in Britain but they also make a lot of shoes in the third-world) in the contract-labor market. If you're outsourcing, then you don't necessarily have control over working conditions. Apple, and all of the phone makers have high-profile problems with this from time to time. The outsourcing does provide jobs in countries that wouldn't otherwise have these jobs so it's a tough call.
What's amazing is that New Balance can make shoes in Massachusetts (a state with a high-cost to do business in), provide benefits and training for unskilled workers. The pay rate isn't that high but they are giving people a chance in the working world.
What's amazing is that New Balance can make shoes in Massachusetts (a state with a high-cost to do business in), provide benefits and training for unskilled workers. The pay rate isn't that high but they are giving people a chance in the working world.
I go through far more running shoes than anything else. New Balance wasn't really big into tennis shoes when I started using the brand and I really didn't like their tennis shoes though they might have been made in the US back then in the 1990s. We used to go to the factory in Brighton to buy their shoes and the factory outlet was attached to the actual factory. I've mostly (maybe completely) bought their cross-trainers for tennis use.
New Balance made 70% of their shoes sold in North America back in 1994. In 2006, they made 25% in the US and the rest in China and Vietnam.
I currently use the MX609s for tennis which are imported.
New Balance made 70% of their shoes sold in North America back in 1994. In 2006, they made 25% in the US and the rest in China and Vietnam.
I currently use the MX609s for tennis which are imported.
Dear TTW user,
Thank you for your concern about Nike's labor practices. I can assure you that, for several years now, Nike has been exploiting only persons of legal adult age. When we need someone with tiny, flexible fingers, we just hire midgets, and make some extra cash by employing them during lunch hours in the South Asian Sideshow circuit.
Yours Truly,
Nike Big Honcho
Thank you for your concern about Nike's labor practices. I can assure you that, for several years now, Nike has been exploiting only persons of legal adult age. When we need someone with tiny, flexible fingers, we just hire midgets, and make some extra cash by employing them during lunch hours in the South Asian Sideshow circuit.
Yours Truly,
Nike Big Honcho
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