What's Wrong With Our Country?

My neighbor was beside herself, couldn't believe what she just heard on the news from Diane Sawyer. "What is wrong with this country?" she exclaimed. Then, I'm not going to vote anymore. I am so disgusted.

Lie after lie, slap in the face after slap in the face, public apathy has reached new heights. Somewhere along the way, pride in our country -- in its ideals, its shining star of possibility -- has been replaced by money, by profits, by greed.

My neighbor's complaint: Our country's Olympic uniforms are made in China. According to Diane Sawyer's report, the Olympic Committee refused to discredit their sponsors, specifically Ralph Lauren, who provided the uniforms.

Now we all know the state of American jobs, the economy, the trying to get this country back on track. This latest gaffe was crass to the nth degree. Here we are sending a team off to compete, hopefully win some medals rooting for the best of the best, and sending them off in attire we couldn't even take the time or care to ensure what would be an American product.

Who screwed up? Did anyone even care enough to check? From the design of the uniforms to their manufacture, certainly many many people were involved who could have raised a voice and suggested perhaps the prudent route to take might be 'Made in America'. Is this the ultimate corporate insult? I am sure no one can intimate that these uniforms could not have been made in the USA. Certainly there still exists clothing manufacturing and many competent companies I am sure who would have been willing to supply or sponsor the uniforms.

So how did they end up being made in China? Honestly I think nobody gives a damn. Nobody involved had the thought that maybe, just maybe the patriotic path might be to clad our winners to be in a product as authentic as them. If Ralph Lauren manufactures in China, so be it, then that's where these uniforms were coming from. End of story. End of pride. End of America as it was, a country birthed in the highest ideals, where everyone has a shot at the 'dream,' a country that could change its ways, come to grips with itself and be better.

I hope this latest insult might be a good thing. We have gone too far in a direction that lead our country to economic ruin with promises of houses and prosperity and winning wars, only to wake up and realize it was all a lie. Saddled with the crimes of the previous administration, these same perpetrators now expect a miracle to occur and the good times to roll.

What's wrong with our country is we stick our head in the sand and then expect everything to be great. This is a country of the people, for the people, by the people. Wake up, America. Don't give away your rights to anyone with enough money to buy your opinion. This wake-up call hits all of us in the gut. Let's start looking at what we're doing, what we're supporting, what we really want, and who we really are. These uniforms might be the ideal place to start.

 

Comments

[Dehong]

02:55 PM on 07/12/2012

Nothing wrong. This lovely USA is almost totally run and controlled by moneymen!!! How much does it cost to become a president, a congressman, a governor, or the like in this country? Where does their campaign money come from? When there is not enough money their moneymen can make at home to do their jobs, what’s wrong with them going abroad to make it? Thus, these so-called “Made in China” Olympic uniforms.

[tbmuch]

11:06 AM on 07/12/2012

I have always believed, as long as one has breath there's a chance something good may happen but in this case, the country is so buried in debt and there's seemly no one interested in changing things in a bipartisan way, I believe we have seen the best this ole boy (the U.S.) has to offer. Truthful article.

[RS]

11:02 AM on 07/12/2012

Here is exactly what's wrong with our country Laura: OUR MANUFACTURING SECTOR IS IN THE TOILET! Think about it -- outside of bad mortgages, what is made in the U.S. today? In my opinion, there is ONE AND ONLY ONE WAY to revive our manufacturing sector: START SLAPPING HIGH TARIFFS on our imports. This will put a stop to big profit-hungry multinational corporations exploiting DIRT CHEAP LABOR overseas. Keep in mind: the rest of the world's industrialized nations -- especially China, India, Japan and Germany -- all slap HIGH TARIFFS on their imports. Remember: the one trump card the U.S. possesses is this: the U.S. is still THE LARGEST MARKET IN THE WORLD -- and it's WAY past the time to start charging admission (i.e. high tariffs) in order to access it, because no matter how you slice it, "free" trade is NO FREE LUNCH, because keep in mind: CONSUMERS ARE ALSO WORKERS!