Quote:A bipartisan congressional panel on Tuesday criticized brands such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Intel, Airbnb, and Procter & Gamble for sponsoring the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics despite China’s human rights violations, including the genocide of Uyghur Muslims.

As Reuters reported on Tuesday, all but one of the corporate representatives who addressed the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing said they did not believe China is guilty of genocide against the Uyghurs. Only Intel executive Steve Rodgers said he agreed with the U.S. State Department’s verdict of genocide, rendered during the Trump administration and upheld by the Biden administration.

“Other executives said they respected the U.S. government’s conclusions, but would not weigh in on the matter,” Reuters noted.

The big corporations – so eager to ostentatiously weigh in on social issues in many other contexts – all said China’s abuses are none of their business, as long as the Olympic committee is willing to hold the Games in Beijing:

Republican Congressman Chris Smith told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing that the sponsors needed to reconcile their “ostensible commitment to human rights” with subsidizing an Olympics where the host country is “actively committing human rights abuses”.

Smith asked each of the executives at the hearing – from Airbnb (ABNB.O), Coca-Cola (KO.N), Intel (INTC.O), Visa Inc (V.N) and Procter & Gamble (PG.N) – whether the games should be relocated or postponed due to concerns over human rights violations. All of them declined to opine, or said they had no responsibility over site selection.

“We do not make decisions on these host locations. We support and follow the athletes wherever they compete,” Coca-Cola’s global vice president for human rights Paul Lalli said.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) denounced the testimony of the corporate executives as “pathetic and disgraceful,” a cowardly abdication of their ostensible commitment to human rights because they know the tyrannical Chinese government would punish them for speaking up.

“Obviously, every one of you, with the exception on occasion of Mr. Rodgers, was sent here with orders not to say anything that could offend the Chinese Communist Party,” said Cotton.

“You are afraid of [China] in a way that you are not afraid of critics in the United States. I think that’s shameful,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ).

Malinowski said it was “absolutely clear” the corporations refused to criticize the Chinese Communist government because they were afraid of risking their profits from the Chinese market. He was especially vexed by Coca-Cola’s Lalli intoning that Coca-Cola “respects all human rights” while doggedly refusing to criticize Beijing for violating them.

The CECC hearing was also critical of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing the Beijing Games to proceed despite mounting evidence of China’s human rights abuses. Committee co-chair Jim McGovern (D-MA) accused the IOC of “cold indifference to genocide,” while Sen. Angus King (I-ME) suggested the committee should focus more on the IOC’s decision to award the Winter Games to Beijing than the corporations who were merely following along with that decision.

The CECC sent a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach last week asking for the 2022 Winter Games to be “postponed and relocated” unless China ends its “egregious human rights abuses.”

The committee told Bach:

To proceed with business as usual is implied consent and suggests the IOC has learned nothing from the Chinese government’s use of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to score propaganda wins and distract from its appalling human rights record. The IOC is on course to set a dark precedent where the behavior of future Olympic host governments is unconstrained by the international spotlight provided by the Olympic Games.

The letter noted it was unfair for the IOC to “force athletes to sacrifice their consciences in order to pursue their competitive goals, or vice versa,” by holding the Olympics in China – especially since the athletes could end up wearing clothing or consuming food that is a “product of forced labor.”

Link

Yet they WOULD opine if an American city was chosen. Oh boy would they opine!

They hate America and love China.

(08-10-2021 06:08 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  They hate America and love China.

I wonder why… (rhetorical /sarc)

(08-10-2021 05:41 PM)CrimsonPhantom Wrote:  

Quote:A bipartisan congressional panel on Tuesday criticized brands such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Intel, Airbnb, and Procter & Gamble for sponsoring the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics despite China’s human rights violations, including the genocide of Uyghur Muslims.

As Reuters reported on Tuesday, all but one of the corporate representatives who addressed the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing said they did not believe China is guilty of genocide against the Uyghurs. Only Intel executive Steve Rodgers said he agreed with the U.S. State Department’s verdict of genocide, rendered during the Trump administration and upheld by the Biden administration.

“Other executives said they respected the U.S. government’s conclusions, but would not weigh in on the matter,” Reuters noted.

The big corporations – so eager to ostentatiously weigh in on social issues in many other contexts – all said China’s abuses are none of their business, as long as the Olympic committee is willing to hold the Games in Beijing:

Republican Congressman Chris Smith told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing that the sponsors needed to reconcile their “ostensible commitment to human rights” with subsidizing an Olympics where the host country is “actively committing human rights abuses”.

Smith asked each of the executives at the hearing – from Airbnb (ABNB.O), Coca-Cola (KO.N), Intel (INTC.O), Visa Inc (V.N) and Procter & Gamble (PG.N) – whether the games should be relocated or postponed due to concerns over human rights violations. All of them declined to opine, or said they had no responsibility over site selection.

“We do not make decisions on these host locations. We support and follow the athletes wherever they compete,” Coca-Cola’s global vice president for human rights Paul Lalli said.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) denounced the testimony of the corporate executives as “pathetic and disgraceful,” a cowardly abdication of their ostensible commitment to human rights because they know the tyrannical Chinese government would punish them for speaking up.

“Obviously, every one of you, with the exception on occasion of Mr. Rodgers, was sent here with orders not to say anything that could offend the Chinese Communist Party,” said Cotton.

“You are afraid of [China] in a way that you are not afraid of critics in the United States. I think that’s shameful,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ).

Malinowski said it was “absolutely clear” the corporations refused to criticize the Chinese Communist government because they were afraid of risking their profits from the Chinese market. He was especially vexed by Coca-Cola’s Lalli intoning that Coca-Cola “respects all human rights” while doggedly refusing to criticize Beijing for violating them.

The CECC hearing was also critical of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing the Beijing Games to proceed despite mounting evidence of China’s human rights abuses. Committee co-chair Jim McGovern (D-MA) accused the IOC of “cold indifference to genocide,” while Sen. Angus King (I-ME) suggested the committee should focus more on the IOC’s decision to award the Winter Games to Beijing than the corporations who were merely following along with that decision.

The CECC sent a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach last week asking for the 2022 Winter Games to be “postponed and relocated” unless China ends its “egregious human rights abuses.”

The committee told Bach:

To proceed with business as usual is implied consent and suggests the IOC has learned nothing from the Chinese government’s use of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to score propaganda wins and distract from its appalling human rights record. The IOC is on course to set a dark precedent where the behavior of future Olympic host governments is unconstrained by the international spotlight provided by the Olympic Games.

The letter noted it was unfair for the IOC to “force athletes to sacrifice their consciences in order to pursue their competitive goals, or vice versa,” by holding the Olympics in China – especially since the athletes could end up wearing clothing or consuming food that is a “product of forced labor.”

Link

Yet they WOULD opine if an American city was chosen. Oh boy would they opine!

Well you'll see in 2028

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

(08-10-2021 06:25 PM)fsquid Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 05:41 PM)CrimsonPhantom Wrote:  

Quote:A bipartisan congressional panel on Tuesday criticized brands such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Intel, Airbnb, and Procter & Gamble for sponsoring the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics despite China’s human rights violations, including the genocide of Uyghur Muslims.

As Reuters reported on Tuesday, all but one of the corporate representatives who addressed the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing said they did not believe China is guilty of genocide against the Uyghurs. Only Intel executive Steve Rodgers said he agreed with the U.S. State Department’s verdict of genocide, rendered during the Trump administration and upheld by the Biden administration.

“Other executives said they respected the U.S. government’s conclusions, but would not weigh in on the matter,” Reuters noted.

The big corporations – so eager to ostentatiously weigh in on social issues in many other contexts – all said China’s abuses are none of their business, as long as the Olympic committee is willing to hold the Games in Beijing:

Republican Congressman Chris Smith told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing that the sponsors needed to reconcile their “ostensible commitment to human rights” with subsidizing an Olympics where the host country is “actively committing human rights abuses”.

Smith asked each of the executives at the hearing – from Airbnb (ABNB.O), Coca-Cola (KO.N), Intel (INTC.O), Visa Inc (V.N) and Procter & Gamble (PG.N) – whether the games should be relocated or postponed due to concerns over human rights violations. All of them declined to opine, or said they had no responsibility over site selection.

“We do not make decisions on these host locations. We support and follow the athletes wherever they compete,” Coca-Cola’s global vice president for human rights Paul Lalli said.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) denounced the testimony of the corporate executives as “pathetic and disgraceful,” a cowardly abdication of their ostensible commitment to human rights because they know the tyrannical Chinese government would punish them for speaking up.

“Obviously, every one of you, with the exception on occasion of Mr. Rodgers, was sent here with orders not to say anything that could offend the Chinese Communist Party,” said Cotton.

“You are afraid of [China] in a way that you are not afraid of critics in the United States. I think that’s shameful,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ).

Malinowski said it was “absolutely clear” the corporations refused to criticize the Chinese Communist government because they were afraid of risking their profits from the Chinese market. He was especially vexed by Coca-Cola’s Lalli intoning that Coca-Cola “respects all human rights” while doggedly refusing to criticize Beijing for violating them.

The CECC hearing was also critical of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing the Beijing Games to proceed despite mounting evidence of China’s human rights abuses. Committee co-chair Jim McGovern (D-MA) accused the IOC of “cold indifference to genocide,” while Sen. Angus King (I-ME) suggested the committee should focus more on the IOC’s decision to award the Winter Games to Beijing than the corporations who were merely following along with that decision.

The CECC sent a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach last week asking for the 2022 Winter Games to be “postponed and relocated” unless China ends its “egregious human rights abuses.”

The committee told Bach:

To proceed with business as usual is implied consent and suggests the IOC has learned nothing from the Chinese government’s use of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to score propaganda wins and distract from its appalling human rights record. The IOC is on course to set a dark precedent where the behavior of future Olympic host governments is unconstrained by the international spotlight provided by the Olympic Games.

The letter noted it was unfair for the IOC to “force athletes to sacrifice their consciences in order to pursue their competitive goals, or vice versa,” by holding the Olympics in China – especially since the athletes could end up wearing clothing or consuming food that is a “product of forced labor.”

Link

Yet they WOULD opine if an American city was chosen. Oh boy would they opine!

Well you'll see in 2028

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

We already saw with the MLB All-star game.

(08-10-2021 09:28 PM)banker Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 06:25 PM)fsquid Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 05:41 PM)CrimsonPhantom Wrote:  

Quote:A bipartisan congressional panel on Tuesday criticized brands such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Intel, Airbnb, and Procter & Gamble for sponsoring the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics despite China’s human rights violations, including the genocide of Uyghur Muslims.

As Reuters reported on Tuesday, all but one of the corporate representatives who addressed the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing said they did not believe China is guilty of genocide against the Uyghurs. Only Intel executive Steve Rodgers said he agreed with the U.S. State Department’s verdict of genocide, rendered during the Trump administration and upheld by the Biden administration.

“Other executives said they respected the U.S. government’s conclusions, but would not weigh in on the matter,” Reuters noted.

The big corporations – so eager to ostentatiously weigh in on social issues in many other contexts – all said China’s abuses are none of their business, as long as the Olympic committee is willing to hold the Games in Beijing:

Republican Congressman Chris Smith told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing that the sponsors needed to reconcile their “ostensible commitment to human rights” with subsidizing an Olympics where the host country is “actively committing human rights abuses”.

Smith asked each of the executives at the hearing – from Airbnb (ABNB.O), Coca-Cola (KO.N), Intel (INTC.O), Visa Inc (V.N) and Procter & Gamble (PG.N) – whether the games should be relocated or postponed due to concerns over human rights violations. All of them declined to opine, or said they had no responsibility over site selection.

“We do not make decisions on these host locations. We support and follow the athletes wherever they compete,” Coca-Cola’s global vice president for human rights Paul Lalli said.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) denounced the testimony of the corporate executives as “pathetic and disgraceful,” a cowardly abdication of their ostensible commitment to human rights because they know the tyrannical Chinese government would punish them for speaking up.

“Obviously, every one of you, with the exception on occasion of Mr. Rodgers, was sent here with orders not to say anything that could offend the Chinese Communist Party,” said Cotton.

“You are afraid of [China] in a way that you are not afraid of critics in the United States. I think that’s shameful,” said Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ).

Malinowski said it was “absolutely clear” the corporations refused to criticize the Chinese Communist government because they were afraid of risking their profits from the Chinese market. He was especially vexed by Coca-Cola’s Lalli intoning that Coca-Cola “respects all human rights” while doggedly refusing to criticize Beijing for violating them.

The CECC hearing was also critical of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing the Beijing Games to proceed despite mounting evidence of China’s human rights abuses. Committee co-chair Jim McGovern (D-MA) accused the IOC of “cold indifference to genocide,” while Sen. Angus King (I-ME) suggested the committee should focus more on the IOC’s decision to award the Winter Games to Beijing than the corporations who were merely following along with that decision.

The CECC sent a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach last week asking for the 2022 Winter Games to be “postponed and relocated” unless China ends its “egregious human rights abuses.”

The committee told Bach:

To proceed with business as usual is implied consent and suggests the IOC has learned nothing from the Chinese government’s use of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to score propaganda wins and distract from its appalling human rights record. The IOC is on course to set a dark precedent where the behavior of future Olympic host governments is unconstrained by the international spotlight provided by the Olympic Games.

The letter noted it was unfair for the IOC to “force athletes to sacrifice their consciences in order to pursue their competitive goals, or vice versa,” by holding the Olympics in China – especially since the athletes could end up wearing clothing or consuming food that is a “product of forced labor.”

Link

Yet they WOULD opine if an American city was chosen. Oh boy would they opine!

Well you'll see in 2028

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

We already saw with the MLB All-star game.

What happened there?

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Most major corporations nowadays are multinational companies and those that were once founded in the USA are no longer ‘for’ the USA. They don’t root for America. They’ll post the usual 4th of July advertisements and marketing gimmicks every year but business-wise the US is just one of many business opportunities and they will sell themselves out for the highest bidder and if it means looking the other way at Chinas atrocities, so be it.

People need to come grip with this and do something significant about it if they really want change. Maybe throwing everyone in politics out who might be nice for awhile but the new ones coming in may just go back to the trough

People really have unrealistic expectations of corporations. They are capitalist. Their obligation is to shareholders, not citizens of the country hosting their HQ. Not to any government. Just to the market.

Everyone wants their 401k to go up. Everyone wants the economy to be strong. But corporations aren't really in the business of dictating, or enforcing foreign policy issues.

There really isn't anything local about capital. It doesn't have allegiances, ethics, or morals like people. It's only goal is to grow, whenever, wherever, and however possible. That's its nature. That's its sole function.

We live in a capitalist economy. Understanding the nature of Capital and how it works should be basic knowledge to the citizenry.

(08-10-2021 10:39 PM)Todor Wrote:  People really have unrealistic expectations of corporations. They are capitalist. Their obligation is to shareholders, not citizens of the country hosting their HQ. Not to any government. Just to the market.

Everyone wants their 401k to go up. Everyone wants the economy to be strong. But corporations aren't really in the business of dictating, or enforcing foreign policy issues.

There really isn't anything local about capital. It doesn't have allegiances, ethics, or morals like people. It's only goal is to grow, whenever, wherever, and however possible. That's its nature. That's its sole function.

We live in a capitalist economy. Understanding the nature of Capital and how it works should be basic knowledge to the citizenry.

I would argue the negative impact of 401k $$$ creating the 21st century robber barons we see today…

investment bankers/hedge funds/lobbyists drive the bus…politicians are mere puppets at this point…

now, we’re 2+ gens lost in the educational cycle due to a variety of factors…

one thing about historical empires….power is the number one goal to retain/maintain at any cost/sacrifice..

No need to be concerned with genocide when there is a product to sell!!

(08-10-2021 09:45 PM)fsquid Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 09:28 PM)banker Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 06:25 PM)fsquid Wrote:  Well you'll see in 2028

We already saw with the MLB All-star game.

What happened there?

The MLB game was scheduled to take place in Atlanta. GA passed a law that offended the wrong people, including the suits at Coca-Cola, etc. So the game was moved to Denver on short notice. It was in the news.

(08-11-2021 10:00 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 09:45 PM)fsquid Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 09:28 PM)banker Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 06:25 PM)fsquid Wrote:  Well you'll see in 2028

We already saw with the MLB All-star game.

What happened there?

The MLB game was scheduled to take place in Atlanta. GA passed a law that offended the wrong people, including the suits at Coca-Cola, etc. So the game was moved to Denver on short notice. It was in the news.

ok, based on your post, I thought something else had happened the week of the game or something. My bad.

(08-10-2021 06:08 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  They hate America and love China.

China is such an untapped market! Their hypocrisy is quite apparent, though, when Woka-Cola and others tell us to "be less white" and make it seem like America is an oppressive sh*thole, when in reality China can genocide people and they just look the other way.

(08-11-2021 05:51 AM)stinkfist Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 10:39 PM)Todor Wrote:  People really have unrealistic expectations of corporations. They are capitalist. Their obligation is to shareholders, not citizens of the country hosting their HQ. Not to any government. Just to the market.

Everyone wants their 401k to go up. Everyone wants the economy to be strong. But corporations aren't really in the business of dictating, or enforcing foreign policy issues.

There really isn't anything local about capital. It doesn't have allegiances, ethics, or morals like people. It's only goal is to grow, whenever, wherever, and however possible. That's its nature. That's its sole function.

We live in a capitalist economy. Understanding the nature of Capital and how it works should be basic knowledge to the citizenry.

I would argue the negative impact of 401k $$$ creating the 21st century robber barons we see today…

investment bankers/hedge funds/lobbyists drive the bus…politicians are mere puppets at this point…

now, we’re 2+ gens lost in the educational cycle due to a variety of factors…

one thing about historical empires….power is the number one goal to retain/maintain at any cost/sacrifice..

Exactly. Not their money, but they pull the strings on it. But the real growth is coming from private equity groups to make sure the us plebes can't get in on the action. The number of things owned by private equity is astounding and terrifying.

(08-10-2021 06:08 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  They hate America and love China.

I hate to break it to you but Americans love China.

They buy all of their products.

(08-12-2021 09:41 AM)Danforth Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 06:08 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  They hate America and love China.

I hate to break it to you but Americans love China.
They buy all of their products.

Because our government has--either stupidly or with malicious intent--caused it to be more attractive to manufacturers to make things in China than to do so here in the USA. Ross Perot warned of this in 1992, but in the 30 years since, we've done precious little to address it.

(08-12-2021 09:41 AM)Danforth Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 06:08 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  They hate America and love China.

I hate to break it to you but Americans love China.

They buy all of their products.

They don't love China. Americans love cheap - and in many situations, the ONLY avenue to owning a specific good involves China.

The irony is that while we become reliant on China on the supply side, China also needs the USA as a mass consumer. International finance is why the two countries will compromise and make deals on ANYTHING.

(08-10-2021 10:39 PM)Todor Wrote:  People really have unrealistic expectations of corporations. They are capitalist. Their obligation is to shareholders, not citizens of the country hosting their HQ. Not to any government. Just to the market.

Everyone wants their 401k to go up. Everyone wants the economy to be strong. But corporations aren't really in the business of dictating, or enforcing foreign policy issues.

There really isn't anything local about capital. It doesn't have allegiances, ethics, or morals like people. It's only goal is to grow, whenever, wherever, and however possible. That's its nature. That's its sole function.

We live in a capitalist economy. Understanding the nature of Capital and how it works should be basic knowledge to the citizenry.

They take it upon themselves to pick a side in the social policy realm.

(08-12-2021 09:42 PM)oliveandblue Wrote:  

(08-12-2021 09:41 AM)Danforth Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 06:08 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  They hate America and love China.

I hate to break it to you but Americans love China.

They buy all of their products.

They don't love China. Americans love cheap - and in many situations, the ONLY avenue to owning a specific good involves China.

The irony is that while we become reliant on China on the supply side, China also needs the USA as a mass consumer. International finance is why the two countries will compromise and make deals on ANYTHING.

I agree with what you and Owl say on the subject.

We live in a global economy.

(08-12-2021 04:24 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(08-12-2021 09:41 AM)Danforth Wrote:  

(08-10-2021 06:08 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  They hate America and love China.

I hate to break it to you but Americans love China.
They buy all of their products.

Because our government has--either stupidly or with malicious intent--caused it to be more attractive to manufacturers to make things in China than to do so here in the USA. Ross Perot warned of this in 1992, but in the 30 years since, we've done precious little to address it.

Well, we DID have a politician who tried to address it but was voted out in the middle of the night by miraculous mail-in votes all for the other candidate, all because the other person sent out "mean tweets."