Russia has long been doing away with the hammer and sickle.
It's taken Adidas a bit longer.
The sportswear company recently offered, then pulled, a ballcap featuring the symbol of Soviet communism -- with ad copy saying, "Show your love for the former USSR during training time in this adidas Marx A-Flex Russia cap ..."
Show your love?
Kids may not know the significance of what they're wearing -- many may not realize their "Che Guevara" shirts celebrate a bloody Marxist -- but a worldwide distributor of apparel certainly should.
We weren't sure the cap was real. But it was. We checked.
"This insignia is as offensive to some as the Nazi symbol," we told Adidas in an e-mail this week. "Communism is responsible for mass murders and the imprisonment of whole peoples in the USSR, East Germany, Eastern Europe and elsewhere."
To its credit, the company responded the same day, saying "Adidas regrets that the design of this product has created concern. Once alerted of the situation, the company immediately removed all product from the store shelves and online. Diversity is a core value of the Adidas brand and no offense to any group or person was ever intended."
Nice explanation. But "once alerted"? You mean a multibillion-dollar multinational didn't know what they were putting out?
Also strange is that a response to another inquiry about the cap claimed it was only "temporarily out of stock."
Even kids should know better. A big company sure should.
Comments
i won't try to say it any better, trukinranger. what has happened to the AC editorial page?
Dang justus, you beat me to it. Now will the AC start going around making sure no local companies sell Confederate flags or anything with a swastika? Maybe even ban some of the blatantly racist posters from these sites? I guess the AC would think it was OK for kids to wear a "Batista" shirt. He murdered and "disappeared" his opponents and was tight with the mafia, but he was on our side.
Excellent points, Justus and TL. Also, nice red-baiting ACES. You really must long for the good old days of McCarthyism. Also, just would like to make the point that communism is not responsible for mass murders and imprisonment, etc, etc. Communism is a philosophy of sharing the wealth. Dirty words around here, nevertheless one of Christ's main teachings. The corrupt leadership in the various countries you mention may have been responsible for the crimes you suggest, but communism is not.
What a crock of bull, all these victims need to get a life.
The American flag offends many, as does the Christian cross. The swastika and hammer and sickle offend many as does the Mogan David. So what? One would have thought during this era of Marxist presidents, the hammer and sickle hat and che guevara t-shirt would be very popular. Since when is it politically incorrect to offend Americans or Christians?
what about the Malcom X shirts? Let's get those too.
Shut up justus4 your old song and dance about something that did not even happen to you has gotten so old it is pathetic. Can you not find something else to blame your pity party on?
Tech.....I don't think Justus wants the blatant racist banned from this board. He wouldn't be able to post anymore.
Good point and arguement Justus4! This is going to be a hot topic today, I may come back later to join in!
Heck, that doesn't surprise me. Any company that use to have a trefoil marijuana plant design as their company symbol will put out about anything.
Some people in other countries find the American flag offensive. So I guess ACES thinks we should do away with that, too. God forbid that anyone should be offended about anything.
corgimom......who?
Christianity has killed more people than Communism, but because Christianity is seen as "holy" and "righteous" no one's going to complain about it.
the first marxist country in the world killed tens of millions of people. russia starved 7 million ukrainians to death in one year.
marxist ran death camps all over europe and continued to run the nazi death camps after ww2. russia starved its on people while sending food to the nazi's during ww2. socialist and marxist are nearly 2 peas in a pod. anyone that thinks communism is a viable option is insane. watch this film and tell me you want to open that door at all. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2928171075647907339
Democrats today and Democrats of yesterday are very different things. The Civil Rights Movement changed all that. I actually think Justus has a point with this one. The ACES is hypocritical. And Strom Thurmond switched parties so many times I doubt he knew what he was.
Take a look at the stimulus logo...nothing but an updated hammer/sickle icon...
justus4, i hope you have never benefitted from the united negro college fund. a mind may be a terrible thing to waste, but in your case i will make an exception.
the confederate flag and the confederate states are part of the history of this country, and if you and your ilk are offended tuff cow chips.a symbol of hate according to minorities??? up yours !!
where is your rightous indignation over the atrocities committed by black leaders against their own people today in somallia,ethiopia,and others.where is your anger toward black men who run around breeding like rats, then do not take care of their responsibilty ...child support,being a father??got an answer today, or just more little boy blubbering???since when is the ac a leader, hell i thought they were a newspaper.
with regard to the remarks about maddox,hollings,etc. at least they took a stand and you knew where they stood. the aces is not hypocritical....they simply realize that freakin slavery was over a damn long time ago, but people like justus will cry about it till they die.we can only hope.
If you ask me, JB Powell is Republican in all but name.
Justus4, your usual racist diatribe. In all the years of reading the AC, I haven't seen anything in the AC supporting the Confederate Battle Flag or a Confederate holidy. If you have, how about giving us the date and time. We do have a Confederate memorial day that I celebrate, as my Great Grand daddy has a hill in Atlanta named after him for his defense of that hill against the Northern Army of Aggression.
Excellent points, Justus and TL. Also, nice red-baiting ACES. You really must long for the good old days of McCarthyism. Also, just would like to make the point that communism is not responsible for mass murders and imprisonment, etc, etc. Communism is a philosophy of sharing the wealth. Dirty words around here, nevertheless one of Christ's main teachings. The corrupt leadership in the various countries you mention may have been responsible for the crimes you suggest, but communism is not.
Posted by joe hill on Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:44 AM....I do believe that the leaders of the USSR were communists as were/are Mao, Fidel, Caucesku, Ho, et al and did murder, imprison and make their opponents "disappear".
Christianity has killed more people than Communism, but because Christianity is seen as "holy" and "righteous" no one's going to complain about it.
Posted by Talkatoast on Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:47 AM....How about your source on your stats? I do question their accuracy.
Southernguy, don't confuse them with facts. It really pi$$es them off.
If you ask me, JB Powell is Republican in all but name.
Posted by TheShep on Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:50 PM...Nobody asked you, but this would be a typical response when a DIM isn't toeing the DIM, racist line.
Jack you are an old bitter man. Look at his voting record. It TOWS the repub line.
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