A Brief Comment By Doug Draper
I’ll admit that as much as I am not much of a sports fan, I have always enjoyed the Winter Olympics.
This North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-on, has been condemned as a Hitler-style psycho for the 21st centunry by the United Nations. Not that the Haper government, that has no regard for the UN, cares. Yet why are we supporting hm by purchasing ‘Made In China’ goods. China remains on this murdering leader’s side.
I am okay on skates – meaning that I can stand up and do a few circles around the arena on them – and I almost collapsed many years ago trying to follow some friends on a cross-country ski thing covering less than half a dozen kilometers in Niagara.
But I’m right in there, cheering on our best skaters, skiers, hockey players, etc., going back to Winter Olympics hosted in Lake Placid, New York and onward to the current Sochi, Russia games, as much as I have problems with them being held there around the Putin Russian governments oppression of gay people and its support for Syria and some of the other worst regimes around the world
That brings me to what I most want to say here – Why is our country of Canada tolerating the sale of Canadian Winter Olympics garb from t-shirts to jackets and hats, ‘Made In China’?
I’ve gone in to several stores across Niagara and looked at the Olympic garb on sale there for us Team Canada supporters, and it says ‘Made In China’. And not one word for our Canadian Harper government that says it is concerned about jobs here in our country
Hey, Mr. Harper, we still have some clothing manufacturers here in Canada, as much as many have been closed down due to corporate trade agreements tat have led to the outsourcing of tens of millions of manufacturing jobs. Why don’t you and your government, to the extent that you are a voice for our country’s Olympic team and the message we send around the world through the Olympics, take a stand that our Canada Team Olympic garb will be produced here, in our own country, by Canadians?
Or have you sold out, that much, to corporations in this country that would rather out-source work on products as close to our national spirit as an Olympic team sweater to one of the most polluting, totalitarian regimes on the globe.
To put what I last said in perspective, go online and find the new report released by a United Nations panel on the Nazi-like crimes against humanity being committed in North Korea and how much the government of China is aiding and abetting the Hitler-like psycho of North Korea Kim Jong-un.
Then ask Mr. Harper why he doesn’t care more about the holocaust being committed in North Korea and why he allows Canadian corporations to sell our Olympic garb made in a China that props up a 21st century Hitler on its borders.
Here is one report you can click on from the New York Times on the UN panel’s report of grotesque crimes against humanity committed by the North Korean regime of Jong-un and supported by the communist dictatorship of China that we Canadians support through our purchase of cheap Chinese goods in discount dumps like Wal-Mart, etc.
How long will we Canadian people – forget about Harper because he and his government obviously don’t give a shit – not use the powers we have as customers at a cash register to say no to China and its North Korean ally in the crimes they are commiting against humanity?
That New York Times link is
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/18/world/asia/un-panel-says-north-korean-leader-could-face-trial.html?_r=0 . Following that, do your own online research, if you dare to care.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
The same thing happened at our own Vancouver Olympics in 2010. Roots Canada, an official sponsor and Olympic wardrobe provider had all their clothing made in China, and the public couldn’t purchase enough of it. Governments won’t pay attention until the people take a stand. Unfortunately, for these 2014 Sochi Olympic Games as well as the last winter games in Vancouver, people don’t give a shit. Orcas being captured, dogs being slaughtered and human rights violations don’t compare to being part of the “Olympic spirit”, whatever that is.
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Conservatives, federal and provincial, are intent of giving tax breaks to corporations. In return these corporations create “shell” buildings to distribute the “Made in anywhere but Canada” merchendise. Rather than cause these corporations to employ Canadians to manufacture the goods in return for tax benefits the conservatives look the other way.
Why is the Haper Government so eager to give employment to the USA? If the Harper Government used its brain (I may be presumptuious) the government would give empployment to Canadians _ ship the finished products not the raw material that it wants to give away. Likewise, the Harper Government should cancel the sales of Canadian companies that will only hire workers from outside Canada rather than Canadian workers. Fortunately for us in Ontario, Hudak is not yet in a position to disadvantage the ordinary Canadian as has his federal friend.
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Your point is well made, Doug. By marketing foreign made Team Canada stuff the consumer may be showing support for Team Canada but abandoning Canadian workers.
I do take exception with your apparent wholesale absorption of the official propaganda telling us who our enemies are. For this Team Harper would be proud to have recruited a pink liberal to his cause.
Looking at the quality of life in countries known as our official enemies one often finds higher than some of our official friends. Haiti comes to mind as possibly the most extreme example. You will recall in 2004 Canada was part of the Axis that took Haiti’s “Democracy” in hand on the official assumption Haitian voters had made a mistake, setting back social progress, likely, untold decades. Saddam’s Iraq, Libya and Syria all had a high quality of life before foreign interference. I mean doesn’t anyone see the contradiction here? Brutal dictator plus high quality of life? Those who exploit, I would think, leave their people near starvation, not feed and educate.
I have visited North Korea in August 2010. It was only 10 days and we were guided 100% of our time out of the hotel. I was very impressed by the apparent order and discipline of the people we saw. The cities and towns looked well maintained. Transportation looked good. People were well dressed and fit looking. They happily engaged with us foreigner in a park during a national holiday celebrating the defeat of the Japanese. Granted I couldn’t come close to understanding the devotion poured out by the people for their leaders, including the present, Kim Jong-un, but for sure is real.
As a country with First Past the Post electoral system following an election campaign which could best be described as a “Disinformation Campaign” who are we to label other world leaders dictators or fraudulent leaders?
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China owns a large portion of oil sand property in Alberta and as Mark recently wrote the Harper goons are attempting to sign a free trade agreement with China. I do agree with all you say about North Korea and China and how they are backing each other up but the fact that you see Olympic garments “MADE in CHINA” being offered for sale in Canadian Stores has little to do with North Korea or in fact even China IT HAS TO DO WITH CORPORATE CANADA AND CORPORATE UNITED STATES out sourcing to these bastions of sweat shops, eliminating jobs in our countries and why? TO MAKE THE OFFENDING CEOs EMPIRE GROW LARGER AND IN TURN INCREASE THE MILLIONS TO TENS OF MILLIONS IN REMUNERATION they enjoy due to their colossal Greed and lack of concern for the Canadian and American peoples who they rob with heads held high.
Recently the top gun for the “Pan Am Games” was fired and his severance pay was sinful to say the least. Thus I ask why are these perks and bonuses written into their monstrous contracts?? And then again why are they hired in the first place? Is it because they have proven through past performances the can do the job? OK You give them a salary so why the hell are all the perks and severances package included? This has got to stop …….I will NOT be guilty of watching this PAN AM spectacle of Greed and so called entitlement….any if there are others like me sick and tired of this bull shit they should do the same…
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Good point. You would think that our own government would back the production of our Olympic clothing by making sure it was made in Canada. As indicated in the past, this is one sick government.
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This is just wrong…… Would love to punch that fat little bastard Kim in the head! Hey people…. vote with your wallets! I don’t buy China crap….. You don’t have to either….. Just means you will have less to throw out in a year because we all know the crap doesn’t last!
Just sayin…..
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Is there no end to the Harper government’s hypocrisy? “Buy Canadian” is their cry, and then they go and buy elsewhere. When a government won’t support its own workers and protect its nation’s jobs we are all in trouble. Yet, there was relatively little comment from Canadians about made-in-China uniforms for out Olympic team. Given the Harper government’s treatment of our vets, who put everything on the line for this country, why am I not surprised? Harper saves a few million by closing vet-support offices yet provides nearly a billion dollars to help Chrysler build another plant. Ah, don’t you love corporate welfare?
With Harper “cash” is still king, from wherever that cash comes. Perhaps that is the main reason Canada has one of the world’s worst environmental protection records. Certainly Harper’s government seems to care little about whose bed it climbs into. Dictators and those that support them are fair game for friendship when it comes to trade and supporting big business.
Could it be that Mr. Harper cares so little about his own kid’s future? What kind of legacy is he leaving for them? He seems to care little for our children’s future earth. As a trained economist he has bought into the growth theories of Keynes, Patinkin, Stiglitz, and the like. Yet, unchecked growth in a closed system is cancer.
It really is time for a change federally and provincially. Ah, but will we remember at election time. Voter turnout is still on the pathetic side. Apathy is on the rise.
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Dear Doug,
You are correct in your critique of the global commodity production chains but your argument is weakened by your childish refrain about human rights violations when the motivation of “international” human rights reports are to support imperialist occupations of foreign lands. Do you not know who supported Hitler and who today claims that communism and facism were and are the same thing? I have no sympathy for NK political prisoners who are agents of US imperialism and South Korean and Japanese fascists.
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Beef all you want people…. but what will that get you. This problem is easy to solve…… DON’T BUY CHINESE CRAP!!!! IT’S THAT SIMPLE OR ARE YOU ALL BLIND?
Confused and Just sayin……
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There are a few Economists Stiglitz, Krugman and a few others who are NOT corporate stooges but I do agree most make their living from their support of the Private sector. While studying Economics at one of our Community Colleges I had the opportunity to see first hand the propaganda that comes from brain washed professors of Economics.
He was finally fired and went on to work for the Federal Conservative Party. Actually Gary I agree with you and the other commentators who can see beyond the brain washing of our Corporate Medias including our local rags and are not worried about speaking out against these bastions of dictatorial propaganda knowing they just might be included in Harper’s enemy hate list.
It is a very sad commentary when one has “FEAR” of the agenda being dictatorial force fed to Canadians by what is supposed to be “OUR” government and to realize we are being spied upon by the same government who is suppose to be protecting our rights.
Now I understand the medical information pertaining to our “Veterans” is now in the hands of an American for profit corporation. How low can a bunch of GOONS get when “they will sell their souls to the Company Store”.
I am 78 years old and have seen a lot during those years, in fact I witness the great respect Canada “ONCE” had in the world and I see the disbelief in the eyes of those foreign countries every time this Federal Conservative government rejects common sense and buys into trickle down economics.
Just rhetoric ? I hope change comes for our children and grand children. Thanks Doug and thanks people who care…..
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