Thursday, July 03, 2008
The Irony
The Chicago Tribune today had an article about how corporate sponsors of the Beijing Olympics are nervous about the negative reaction they may get from those who are protesting the games because of China's numerous human rights abuses. Many protestors are calling on sponsors like Coca-Cola and McDonalds to condemn these Chinese policies.

I was struck by the irony of this considering that many of these corporations are themselves culprits of similar crimes. Why would they make a big deal about China's human rights abuses when they're guilty of their own? Asking Coke or McDonalds to condemn China for human rights abuses is like asking Hitler to condemn Stalin for genocide.

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posted by Mike Clawson at 12:44 PM | Permalink |


4 Comments:


At 7/03/2008 10:32:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous

You're a deep thinker and a good writer, Mike. I appreciate your voice. Please keep it up! But one qualm here with this post - Don't you think it's at least a little spurious to equate these two companies with Hitler and Stalin? I think you've made a good point here, but drawing a line to two of history's worst mass murderers? Really?

 

At 7/04/2008 01:41:00 PM, Blogger Mike Clawson

Both Coke and China have been complicit in the mass murder still going on in Darfur, not to mention their countless other environmental and human rights crimes, so no, I don't think the analogy is too much of a stretch.

 

At 7/04/2008 06:01:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous

Wow. Maybe I stand corrected. Thanks for your reply. Can you provide a link to more info on the Coke/Darfur situation? I'd like to know more.