Pence takes swipe at NBA, Nike in critical speech on China

Associated Press

You got to give credit where it's due. I liked Pence's speech and and think Nike is hypocritical and weak in their dealing with China. On one hand they pretend to care for social justice and align themselves with Kaepernick, but when it's about human rights in Asia, profit comes first. It's hypocrisy and it has to be called out.

Vice President Mike Pence took a swipe at Nike and the NBA on Thursday in a speech criticizing communist China’s record on trade and human rights, saying American corporations have been too willing to ignore censorship and repression in pursuit of profits.

The NBA was acting like a “wholly owned subsidiary” of China’s “authoritarian regime” for failing to stand up to the government’s criticism of Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, he said.

“Nike promotes itself as a so-called ‘social-justice champion,’ but when it comes to Hong Kong, it prefers checking its social conscience at the door,” the vice president said in a speech laying out the Trump administration’s approach to China.

I don't shop for sports apparel very frequently, but I think I may skip Nike next time, unless they start showing some guts.

Good. I am glad someone is speaking up about it.

He should have pushed some more and talked about their forced re-education camps for Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and I am sure any other religion that doesn't worship the state. How about their social score or the fact that China blocks much of the internet if it doesn't tow the state propaganda line or the fact that women are often sex-trafficked especially those escaping from North Korea.

Nike and those like them don't have any place acting like it has any interest in social justice it only cares about profit.

a reply to: Oraculi

I stopped buying Nike before they got political.
Their damn shoe always fell apart on me.

My not buying Nike's was only reinforced by kaepernick...


But on topic... Good on pence.
He nailed this one.

a reply to: Oraculi

Nike is on my no buy list already. Horribly disgusting business practices.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Oraculi

I stopped buying Nike before they got political.
Their damn shoe always fell apart on me.

My not buying Nike's was only reinforced by kaepernick...


But on topic... Good on pence.
He nailed this one.

I stopped for the same reason. New Balance was lasting about 5x longer. But I did not have an outright self-ban on Nike, now I do.

a reply to: Oraculi

Clearly Nike cares more about profits
than human rights abuses, American Constitutional
values, nor their American Heritage.

It is all about the money.
After all, how many billions did they realize
due to cheap Chinese Child labor?

Respects to Vice President Pence for adressing
this issue.
Credit to you as it is due.
S&F

I don't agree with the NBA but companies and both parties have been gutting the US for years selling us out to to China. Now all of a sudden outrage...meh.

It's really part of the culture from even before the US was a country. The Revolutionary War Soldiers had a hard time getting rations because the British were paying top dollar. Henry Rollins did a segment on it on his history show. Guys were damn near starving to death.

Nike products do indeed suck. Horrible quality. Stopped buying their shoes in the late 80's. Much better shoes and clothing out there. Their main market is people who don't know any better.

a reply to: Oraculi

I like the way Pence shoots his cuffs when needed.

I wish he would have said more though - a lot more about the atrocities...

But - yeah - let's focus on Nike instead.

I'll take the good with the not so good though.