Olympic team uniforms (including shoes, trousers, belt, shirt, tie, blazer, and beret) all "Made in China". Apparently, US-sourced potential suppliers were not even considered. I believe Ralph Lauren is the one to "thank"

Sadly that sounds about like what I'd expect anymore...

I wonder if the US flags they will carry in the opening ceremonies will be made in the USA

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Wrong. You can thank the person on the U.S. Olympic Team who was responsible for making the decision that allowed that. I imagine the clothes were freebies and the USOC probably got a nice check, too.

I saw a picture of a young lad modeling the get up - including the beret. How "American"...

We wear lots of hats here in the U.S. but I think a beret is a heck of a stretch. Doesn't someone make spiffing cowboy hats? The whole world thinks of us as cowboys. We may as well accommodate them.

Next big news story will be that Olympic medals aren't made of real gold, silver, and bronze but are just cheap brass knock-offs minted in Indonesia.

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I'm with the banned ...

Well, I guess it's one way to start paying back the debt!

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Even older, even crankier....

Well, let me correct this:

"Stupid Cowboys who want to take over the world!"

That at least were my personal observations for the last 32 years...

This is sad... really sad. And it's all about money... nothing else. Nobody want to help the chinese economy. That's just an argument that works for people who produce there. The only reason to go there is to save money in production and gain money in the own pocket...

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Jorge

I agree with the critique of the uniforms.. The US Team is privately funded and takes care of their sponsors (read: Ralph Lauren donation $$$$$$$) and RL typically sources his clothing overseas. The other sore spot is the Lauren logo on the clothes, which is at least as big and pronounced as the US logo.

How sadly ironic.

I pretty much agree with what's been said. But, it could have been much worse. They could have had sideways ball caps and falling trousers. That's very American these days.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Actually, the medals are not solid gold. I found this and I believe it to be correct.


Six grams of gold is about one gram short of a quarter ounce.

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1st Signal Brigade, RVN '70

I believe your correction is accurate, and duly noted.

The quote from the USOC spokesperson got to the heart of the subject...

“Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors,”

I have a niece who has, for two Olympiads been a swimmer and they work their butts off to fund their attempts. We are one of the very few countries in the world that doesn't step up and pay the tab for those who represent us. They resort to corporate sponsorships which gets all sorts of NASCAResque logomania involved in the events.

With public funding the public would have a say about this issue. Unfortunately it is the free market at work. The profit on those $2000 outfits has to come from somewhere...$0.50/hr labor pool sure seem like a good place to start. Stockholders of RL wouldn't have it any other way.

McBear I agree completely but cannot pull the "like" switch. Dig?

That's about it. (Of course those "$2000 outfits" cost RL a tiny fraction of that figure, I'm sure.) So, maybe the present "free market" isn't so great after all, unless you want to be one of those in this country who eventually will be reduced below the current poverty level if things continue as they are. I believe I would prefer a market environment that is structured to protect our standard of living, our interests, and our security. I never have been a big believer in that "free" word.

Somehow, this has got to be Walmart's fault...

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

I see the made in China threads and tend to groan at a lot of them.

Manufacturing of certain things would be far better done here. I lament the loss of the "Made in USA" label. For instance, we should be able to produce high tech items competitively, but because of tax policy, currency manipulation, and maneuvering of markets by the Chinese dangling access to a billion customers in front of US mfgs. (which the US political structure seems fine with), US mfgs have even moved the high tech stuff overseas.

But back to clothing etc. Capitalism dictates that a mfg should produce things in the most efficient way possible. Much of the work in those sorts of factories in this country was done by immigrants and people moving off small farms who were trying to better their lives so that their children could be something other than a factory worker...

Bottom line--how many of you aspire for your children or grandchildren to work for near subsistence wages in a sock mill? If you've ever known anybody that worked in a mill, you sure wouldn't want that for your kid.

I guess i am not buying RL anymore. He owes us an apology.

They need cowboy hats instead!

I dunno. Doesn't it go against the spirit of the Olympics not to conduct the contests with nude athletes?

Coming from a state, much like you where there were mills everywhere for socks, underwear, shirts...I know that many small towns just collapsed when the market moved to <fill in 3rd world country here>. While folks didn't want their kids being factory workers, they knew it was honest work and had always been consistent work. And it really didn't matter if it was a union or non union shop...the lure of $0.17-$0.90/hr wages in countries where you can't even breath without your snot turning black is just too much for corporate America and for consumers who demand low, low prices.

So, stockholders remain whole but the labor force and the small towns do not. Right now we have 312Million people and a job pool [the number of consistent jobs] of around 154Million. The population keeps going up and the jobs keep going offshore so the differential will continue to increase.

There is women's beach volleyball.

I agree with this for the most part but the fact is that because of Chinese and US govt. policy the high tech products that could be made here are not. Those things could be made here and compete if the playing field were level--and I'm not just talking about wages but about the taxes and currency manipulation and government subsidized Asian mfgs. I mentioned.

So it seems to me that the differential could be attacked if the US govt. had the stones to stand up to China, especially with regard to currency manipulation and the tremendous pressure they put on US companies by threatening to keep them out of the Chinese market unless they play ball. But a country with a potential market of a billion people can bring a lot of pressure to bear on governments and corporations.

I'm not sure the sock mill type jobs ever will or really should come back. What do you imagine the cost of that kind of item made here would be?

And I LOVE women's beach volleyball.

We need the sock mill type jobs for the simple reason that we have 312 Million people and right now 154Million jobs. And looking at the retail side, I am not sure costs would go up that much but I doubt we would see as many "18 Year Record Corporate Profits" that we saw at the end of 2011.

As for high tech, folks like IBM [using one example] laid off 12,000 US software engineers in May 2009 because of "demand". In the same month they opened a new software engineering facility in Mumbai that housed 15,000. Pay for those folks would max out at $15KUS while the 30 year US software engineers would be making near $100K [and paying hefty taxes on that].

On the manufacturing side, as you mention the government subsidies are everywhere but here. It is why a company like Solyndra can't compete, even with government help...in China the help is 100% and it includes every step from raw materials to and through manufacturing, not just R&D and Manufacturing. So as soon as we support one company, China floods the market and removes our ability to compete in that market. They did much the same to Europe.

No doubt, McBear. And the US does most of the work in the world to keep the supply lines such as shipping open and safe. That's a "subsidy" for the world economy that is not figured into too many calculations.

As for the sock mill jobs, no doubt that would be a sort of pressure valve for many and provide steady employment, but with even the high tech jobs that we should shine at going overseas, I don't see them coming back.

I guess we've gotten a little off track from the original post, but it's an interesting discussion. What to do about it is certainly beyond my ability to figure out. But since it involves some of the hottest political potatoes there are--immigration, taxes, regulation, unions, foreign policy, some political types would just as soon keep arguing about it and demagogueing than actually accomplishing something.

If the beret is worn properly, it is a very distinctive headcovering.
Hopefully, they will have a few Airborne alumni to show them how to wear it. What I hope not to see is the "French pastry chef souffle-type
beret" on the heads of our athletes. A properly formed "Airborne-shaped" beret looks very good and strac on both men and women.

Then again, Ralph Lauren has no fashion dictates with the military or regarding the long history of the beret with French, British, Russian, American, Israeli military units.

I can't believe that nobody with the USAC or RL would realize how this would resonate with the US people. Somebody out there really had a tin ear!!

What I found interesting was, when a member of the USOC was found by ABC news, they were asked to leave and escorted out by security. And when another reporter went to the USOC office, no one would answer the door.

I mentioned to my wife during dinner that I would bet there are American companies who would be glad to donate jeans, boots, shirts and cowboy hats and could get them to the athletes within a week.

If the flag is not made by Annin or a comparable U.S. company, our flag bearer should refuse to carry it.

CW

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I realize it has become a boutique business but there are a few sock mills left. Socks run 2X the Chicom price but I happily pay it. And if more Americans "walked the walk" the mills would be busier. Alas, that won't happen.
The Made in America Online StoreSocks

Nike also has a line of dri-fit baseball compression socks that are US made. I wear them with boots.

Colonel, with all due respect (and I do mean that), this is NOT a military operation. The berets are ridiculous.

I agree whole-heartedly with Blujax01. It is easy to rant and rave - "Buy American!" - and a lot harder to actually do it. On the other hand, it is VERY easy to succumb to the convenience and inexpense of buying inferior foreign-made goods that last half as long for half the price. I try to avoid that, but it is not easy, and as the distribution systems become more and more dedicated to foreign-made goods, the process of finding and buying American-made products is only going to become more tedious. It is time to alter our course NOW!

McBear is correct. We need every job we can keep, and we need to get our people to understand that any job, no matter how repetitive or menial, is more honorable than sitting at home infront of the TV, waiting for a handout from Washington. But the handouts keep coming (for now) and as long as they are sufficiently lucrative, people who do not care about their personal honor will keep accepting them. Getting our citizens to think about their personal honor is going to be more vexing than contending with foreign trade, which is really a very simple matter. We just don't have leadership that is willing to do it.

I agree that if we as a nation don't fund these athletes very well (we do pay for training facilities to some extent at least), we can't complain too loudly about tacky logos on the uniforms.

as for the outsourcing of jobs; that has more to do with government regulations and other costs than just just labor costs like everyone seams to think is the case.

also, cheap Chinese labor is coming to an end thanks to China's reproductive policies. Think out of 8 grandparent and 4 parents a couple has with no one else to share the estate with, that not one of them has a successful farm or business to pass on? they are losing their cheap labor pool.

I'm not happy about it either. But I can't help but wonder, how many Americans who are complaining about this, practice what they preach? How many are wearing clothes with a "Made In USA" label inside? Or specifically look for made in USA products when they shop? Granted, they're getting hard to find, but most people just buy a favorite brand or the cheapest brand. And yes, I'm often guilty of it myself. Sorry if this was a bit off topic, but it's been on my mind ever since I read about the stink the Olympic team uniforms is causing. Ok, ya'll can get in line to smack me back out of the door now!

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Misty

PATHETIC, SAD AND I THINK THAT OUR OLYMPIC COMMITTEE SHOULD BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY! SO SHOULD THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO FLY CHINESE MADE AMERICAN FLAGS OVER FEDERAL, STATE AND PUBLIC OFFICE BUILDINGS.

WHAT IS IT THEY DON'T GET???!!!

Chief38

Misty, I do try to buy USA products when I can. I remember a few weeks ago, while the wife and I were shopping, we were looking at an item and found it was made in China. We decided we could do without it. But sometimes it is difficult. I looked through every knife at Acadamy Sports and Outdoors a while back for a USA made knife. Out of over 100 knives on display, no more than 10 were not made in China and even some of those were Swiss Victornox. I finally ended up paying several dollars more for a Buck Quickfire that showed USA on the blade than a similar sized Gerber. Even some of the Bucks showed "Made in USA of Domestic and Imported parts."

CW

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I have been a donor to the USOC for over 30+ years. When I saw the story last night on TV news that 1. The uniforms came form China; and 2. The price of all the components of the uniform I was aghast. Ironically this morning I received a call from the USOC, requesting more money, and told them exactly what I felt about this, and that I hoped the call was recorded and to please pass it along to the supervisors.

I basically informed them I will no longer support the USOC if this is the way they are spending our money.

Hopefully more of you will get the chance to also express your disapproval of the waste of money with these uniforms. The Olympics is about athletic contests, not how "Pretty" the contestants will look.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I was involved in organized athletics for many years, and with the Atlanta Olympics as a contractor. I have NEVER seen an athlete on any US athletic team wear a beret as part of his every day wardrobe, on either side of the locker room.

I am a big proponent of buy Made in USA first and buy Made in China last. China has been one the edge of (or over the edge of) rouge nation status for a very long time in my book and is not above dirty tricks. They also have a history of shipping us poisons in their products. Pet food fillers (That one hit home. My cats still show signs of it) and drywall are the big ones that come to mind.

I was recently in the market for some work bibs, and made in the USA was not a viable option.
Key quit doing prehemmed in my size (I am still waiting on my Hawain shirt from my wife that she purchased the fabric for about 6 years ago) and Round House is having production problems with big delays. That left my with Chinese made and ironically named Liberty. available to purchase in my size.

Don't forget people that every job we send to China because of environmental regulation gets sent to a much more polluting country that is upwind of us. If people really cared about the environment, they wouldn't keep on driving out our relatively clean industry. Instead they would place pollution based tariffs on incoming products.

They (the Chinese government, not the people who live there and who are powerless to do anything about anything) are WAY over the edge. From where they are now, "the edge" isn't even visible any more.

The U.S. Government treats them like they are our best friends so the already big-money interests can keep making ever-bigger money. Gradually, the American people are being wiped-out (financially), and we are willingly cooperating with our own demise - squandering our future for "thirty sausages."

Meanwhile in Washington, D.C., it is business as usual - "Everything is fine. You just don't understand."

Yep...

Our government (every single one of them) is the best money can buy. Both sides of the aisle. Maybe we can blame Nixon for this, he opened trade with China, setting the whole chain of events in motion. I suppose if he didnt, then Reagan or Bush 1 would have... it was just a matter of time.

Arent lobbyists great?

Term limits and banning lobbyists is the only way to fix it.

The chances of that are about as good as me winning the lottery.

Nipster, you are right about Nixon and Ping-Pong Tradings with China. It seems we aren't or every really getting a ping-pong of equal exports and imports with the Chinese. I am not an economist and could be wrong.

Pfff, when the Border Patrol went to ordering it's uniforms from a well known vendor back around the mid 90s, we had no choice but to order from them (rather than going to a uniform shop).
Lo and behold, when I got my first batch, the label clearly said...
Hecho en Mexico.
I'll see if I can dig an old one out for a pic of the label, I think I saved one.

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Hold my beer and watch this!

Your points are well-taken and I respect McBear's posts on a variety of topics. I have no issue with the idea of manufacturing the uniforms in US facilities (we have Fruit of the Loom and other weaving facilities close to where I live.)
My post certainly was not in support of foreign manufacturing,
and given my background, you can assume (correctly) that I am all about what is good for America, including American jobs. I however, disagree, that the berets are "ridiculous".

My post was in reference to the suggestions that only cowboy hats would be iconically "American" enough for a US uniform.
The beret has been "adopted" in the US, especially by our armed forces, and it is actually an international headgear (thus, actually a good fit for the Olympic Games, which emphasize the coming-together of the woprld thru sports, thus, the significance of the opening and closing ceremonies.)
My only point is and was, that berets can be worn in a "striking" fashion -- I used the military configuration of the beret simply as an example of how "cool" the beret can be made to look for either sex. I well understand that the Olympics are not a military operation (and did not imply such), but is ironic, given the times, that the British troops guarding various venues around London/Olympic areas are all wearing berets. What I can attest to is that I have seen military forces of over 100 countires wearing berets, let alone
having seen civilians wear berets all over Europe, Russia, South America, SE Asia, the Middle East, Africa -- I simply think it is refreshing to have a little different take on the "American motif" than cowboy hats and jeans (notwithstanding, I wear plenty of jeans and have both straw and felt cowboy hats, along with my prized berets).
Viva la difference'

That would be Olympics in it's purist form. It's the way the ancient Greeks did it.

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9tenz

Colonel, I suppose you may be corrrect... but I still think the berets are "ridiculous." You'll have to forgive me. (Naturally, I would make an exception for a beret if you were wearing one as part of your authorized uniform. Thanks for your service to our country. )

It has a bit to do with regulations...things like chromium and mercury and other heavy metals that we don't want in our water tables and companies find it cheaper to offshore than to retool to a different product.

But most of it really is labor. The draw of $0.17-$0.90/hr labor costs is the main cause of the offshoring. It is most readily shown when the job offshored is white collar, like software engineering or even call center work where there are not environmental or OSHA type regulations that differ. Just labor costs.

And yes, China's cheap pool of labor is shrinking, both due to internal policies and rising middle class [higher wages] which is why we see Viet Nam and Bangladesh and other third world emerging countries now on labels. In their view it is their turn at the golden ring.