Nike is Anti-American

[Gun Nut]

Yeah, it's not necessarily that he's anti-American, Kaepernick evidently objected specifically to the fact that the flag Nike used was the flag that flew while the entire nation--which at that time, 1777, consisted of 13 colonies--were all slave states. The northern colonies did not all officially decry slavery until 1804 and then it still was codified in some that freedom would only be obtained after a certain age was reached (e.g, as late as 1850 "the federal census recorded that there were still hundreds of young blacks in Pennsylvania, who would remain enslaved until their 28th birthdays").

One could look at the flag as half full, I supposed, in that it marked the first colony to abolish slavery (Vermont), but seeing as how it took almost a century for abolition to fully realize--and then only in the North--that's a very generous position to take.

Well, American football (college) was first played as a public spectator sport in the 1920's (in Canton Ohio).. long before any civil rights act was passed. long before women were granted the right to vote... and at a time when "coloreds" were not allowed to share facilities with "whites".

How can Colin Kaepernick have stolen millions of dollars from "his people" performing in a sport that existed at the same time as that!!!!!!?!?!!???!!?!?!?!?!!
Colin Kaepernick is racist against blacks and women and should be boycotted.

 

[ronburgundy]

Yeah, it's not necessarily that he's anti-American, Kaepernick evidently objected specifically to the fact that the flag Nike used was the flag that flew while the entire nation--which at that time, 1777, consisted of 13 colonies--were all slave states. The northern colonies did not all officially decry slavery until 1804 and then it still was codified in some that freedom would only be obtained after a certain age was reached (e.g, as late as 1850 "the federal census recorded that there were still hundreds of young blacks in Pennsylvania, who would remain enslaved until their 28th birthdays").

One could look at the flag as half full, I supposed, in that it marked the first colony to abolish slavery (Vermont), but seeing as how it took almost a century for abolition to fully realize--and then only in the North--that's a very generous position to take.

Well, American football (college) was first played as a public spectator sport in the 1920's (in Canton Ohio).. long before any civil rights act was passed. long before women were granted the right to vote... and at a time when "coloreds" were not allowed to share facilities with "whites".

How can Colin Kaepernick have stolen millions of dollars from "his people" performing in a sport that existed at the same time as that!!!!!!?!?!!???!!?!?!?!?!!
Colin Kaepernick is racist against blacks and women and should be boycotted.

Completely false analogy. The flag directly represents the US government and therefore all it's policies. Thus, the Betsy Ross flag specifically represents a government that didn't allow women to vote and endorsed slavery, and since that flag was no longer used by the government by 1795, it doesn't represent the US government after that, and has no overlap with the period after slavery and women's suffrage.

In contrast, football was never the symbol chosen to represent the government of the United States, thus has no meaningful association with the governments laws and policies. Plus, flags are inherently symbols with no value other than the ideas they represent. The sport of football is not a symbol, and it's value is in of itself as an activity. Current football doesn't represent the football of a century ago and in fact has little in common with it. If there were a symbol of the NFL that was specifically only used during the time when blacks were not allowed to play in the NFL, then use of that symbol today might begin to be analogous with the Betsy Ross flag today.

As I said in my prior post, the Betsy Ross flag does also represent the positive aspects of that period, including the act of gaining independence from the British monarchy, and the principles of democratic representation. Thus, there is a time and place for it to be used in a positive way. But it inherently has clear and direct negative implications as well. That makes it completely reasonable and even morally neccessary to be cautious and aware of how, when, and what purposed that symbol is used instead of the modern flag which not only doesn't exclude 37 of the states but is the current representation of a government that prohibits slavery, grants women the vote, etc..

 

[repoman]

Are there ANY Revolutionary War era symbols of the government/rebellion that are currently up to snuff?

We should get rid of them all. Less whites will be willing to die for ZOG if this happens.

 

[ronburgundy]

Are there ANY Revolutionary War era symbols of the government/rebellion that are currently up to snuff?

We should get rid of them all. Less whites will be willing to die for ZOG if this happens.

No need to "get rid of" any of them, just acknowledge and recognize those that not only represent the revolution for independence but also have very clear, obvious connection to grossly unjust and undemocratic laws of the time, and also recognize that anyone who tries to present those symbols as though they reflect a better era (as many right wingers and miltia types do) are white supremacist women-hating scumbags.

 

[Derec]

Apparently, Nike thinks they need the NFL to endorse (or at least not lobby against) their products to be able to turn the profit they think their shareholders expect them to make.

Kaep is not even in the NFL any more. And vast majority of NFL fans are pro-America.
Nike didn't do this because of NFL or football fans.
They did it to appeal to the Black Lives Matter, Fuck the Police, anti-American segment of US population most of whom only became interested in Kaep when he decided to protest the anthem because some knife-wielding thug got himself shot by police.

You do realize that Nike makes sportswear, right?

No kidding.

... and that american football is a sport (such as it is), right?

So is cornhole, arguably (it's on ESPN).
But doing impressions of the Great Cornholio isn't.

You don't really need athletic gear for that.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

I thought Nikie was hated as anti-American from way back in the 80s when we heard about Nike factories ovreseas abusing and killing their workers.

 

[repoman]

A bad tree cannot produce good fruit, amost all symbols of US patriotism pre 1965 must be uprooted. Also, all symbols before 1865.

The Alamo should be bulldozed.

No country can long survive the destruction of its founding myth.

 

[bilby]

I think it was basically just a straightforward maths question at the end of the day.

*Math question.

The original 13 colonies were very poor, and could only afford one mathematic (which was donated to them by the French).

Unfortunately, the French reneged on promises to deliver some additional 'u's to New York in 1789, as they were needed at home for manufacturing gillotines; A failure that has colored Franco-American relations to this day.

 

[Trausti]

 

[EvoUK]

I think it was basically just a straightforward maths question at the end of the day.

*Math question.

The original 13 colonies were very poor, and could only afford one mathematic (which was donated to them by the French).

Unfortunately, the French reneged on promises to deliver some additional 'u's to New York in 1789, as they were needed at home for manufacturing gillotines; A failure that has colored Franco-American relations to this day.

... And I was about to correct your correction of the British English use of the word 'maths'...

 

[EvoUK]

A mildly amusing opinion piece on this (plus an unrelated issue with Arsenal about sports clothing):

Trolls and a flag leave sports marketing masters of universe in black hole

Then, on Tuesday, Nike were forced to withdraw a special edition Air Max Fourth of July shoe after their own brand ambassador Colin Kaepernick reportedly voiced concern to the company at their decision to emblazon it with the so-called Betsy Ross flag, a 13-star Revolutionary War version of the stars and stripes. This flag dates back to a time of oppression and racism, but – more importantly – has been co-opted by far-right groups including the American Nazi party and the Ku Klux Klan, precisely for that reason.

[...]

Naturally, there will be those eternal conspiracists who declare archly that the entire Betsy Ross flame war was started on purpose by Nike for publicity. Fraid not. It’s one thing to generate controversy and free advertising via stoking a culture war with a relatively inexpensive online campaign. But to design and manufacture a product, get it all the way to stores, then recall it after private internal conversations with one of your highest-profile brand ambassadors is, if we’re realistic, a highly inefficient sort of marketing conspiracy.

Still, it’s done now and, given this is America, I don’t need to tell you a huge amount of shit is being completely lost by people. The Arizona governor, Doug Ducey, has declared he will rescind funding for a $184m Nike factory proposed for his state. “Words cannot express my disappointment about this terrible decision,” fumed Mr Ducey, somehow finding words, in a series of tweets. The former presidential candidate Herman Cain confirmed an enduring reputation for understatement by declaring: “Just so you know how this works now: Nothing can happen in America anymore if Colin Kaepernick doesn’t like it.”

But the daddy of them all remains the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, who naturally weighed in on this priority issue for the nation. “If we’re in a political environment where the American flag has become controversial to Americans,” he stated, “I think we’ve got a problem.” You do have one, Mitch. Several big ones, to be accurate, though it feels weird that a shoe prompted this realisation as opposed to, say, children dying in shameful conditions in US custody at the border with Mexico. This is, after all, a week in which you also called basic protections for immigrant children in detention camps “way to the left of the mainstream”, and threatened to block a bill guaranteeing basic care for them.

Source

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

anti-American

You clearly have no idea what it means to be an American.

 

[southernhybrid]

Maybe all this stupid nonsense will help Nike in the end. I have a friend who is a manager at a chain shoe store. The last time idiots got all up in arms because of the "take a knee" protest, at least a few people came into the store saying they were buying Nike shoes to burn. Hehehehe. I'm sure Nike was upset over those extra sales by the haters.

And, Derec, we Americans are supposed to have free speech, so I can hate the flag as much as I want and still be an American who realizes that my country has both positives and negatives. My free speech allows me to criticize my country and its symbols when I feel the need. I just think that flags are outdated symbols of blind patriotism. If I want to fly a flag, I'll fly my freak flag.

Why the fuck does anyone here even care what Nike decides to do? It's a marketing thing, and they are trying not to use any symbols that many of their customers might find offensive. It's Nike's decision. If it backfires, that's Nike's problem. You don't like it? Then don't buy any Nike shoes. Who cares!

 

[Trausti]

Will the Great Awokening target the Philidelphia basketball team next?

 

[laughing dog]

I was driving around doing errands yesterday, and I happened upon Limbaugh apoplectic rant about how the Democrats and "the Left" hate the American flag. Now I understand what prompted that spewing of horseshit.

 

[southernhybrid]

I was driving around doing errands yesterday, and I happened upon Limbaugh apoplectic rant about how the Democrats and "the Left" hate the American flag. Now I understand what prompted that spewing of horseshit.

It must have been me. Rush must know that I hate the flag. I guess Rush doesn't think free speech is one of the things that add value to America, unless it's coming from a conservative.

I don't care if some of my neighbors fly their flags. Maybe if they don't fly their flags, they might forget what country they are in. No sweat off me. And, they shouldn't care when I refuse to stand for the flag either. I have just as much right to refuse to salute the flag as they do to salute it. Donald Trump, on the other hand, seems to like to molest the flag. That does seem really weird to me. Does he think the flag is a woman?

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

I was driving around doing errands yesterday, and I happened upon Limbaugh apoplectic rant about how the Democrats and "the Left" hate the American flag. Now I understand what prompted that spewing of horseshit.

It truly is disturbing how programmed the right are to regurgitate anything that is said by their propagandists. It's fucking freaky.

 

[Half-Life]

The left: "We hate blind obedience to the government! Screw the government!"

Also the left: "We need the government to do more for us! Free Healthcare and free education!"

 

[Half-Life]

I was driving around doing errands yesterday, and I happened upon Limbaugh apoplectic rant about how the Democrats and "the Left" hate the American flag. Now I understand what prompted that spewing of horseshit.

It truly is disturbing how programmed the right are to regurgitate anything that is said by their propagandists. It's fucking freaky.

No, the left is literally complaining about how offensive Betsy Ross and the 4th of July are. Constantly triggered by something. How do they survive with so much rage and anger built up inside? It's not healthy.

 

[ZiprHead]

I was driving around doing errands yesterday, and I happened upon Limbaugh apoplectic rant about how the Democrats and "the Left" hate the American flag. Now I understand what prompted that spewing of horseshit.

It truly is disturbing how programmed the right are to regurgitate anything that is said by their propagandists. It's fucking freaky.

No, the left is literally complaining about how offensive Betsy Ross and the 4th of July are. Constantly triggered by something. How do they survive with so much rage and anger built up inside? It's not healthy.

Colin Kaepernick is "the left"?