Opportunistic politic neutrality at its best

[Skybird]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,druck-552033,00.html

The obviousness by which this guy does not even try to hide that his company does not care at all and only wants to do business, no matter how and with whom, I find disgusting.

I know that our economies cannot afford to break with China, and that we are more vulnerable to them than they are to us. But to line up with a regime so shamelessly and be so easyi-willing to produce the lip-services that please it - well, I shake my head. Reminds me of Goggle's special ties with China's censors.

[Platapus]

He seems pretty smart to me.

Hainer: Do you think it's OK to violently disrupt the torch relay? It's OK that people use these events to publicize their political beliefs, but, in my opinion, that doesn't give them the right to violently disrupt the torch relay or extinguish the flame.

Hainer: Look back in history to see what boycotts have achieved: absolutely nothing. Try talking to athletes who were prevented from taking part in the games for political reasons. I'm opposed to any boycott. I read a survey that said 88 percent of Germans are opposed to a boycott. Even the Dalai Lama doesn't want a boycott. One of the purposes of the Olympic Games is to bring the nations of the world closer together, so that they can conduct an open dialogue. We should be careful about constantly imposing our values on others.

Hainer: I'm completely in favor of people expressing their views in connection with such events. But using force to take the torch away from someone -- that goes beyond the limits of freedom of expression.

I would agree with his statements.

it appeared that the SPIEGEL interviewer had an agenda he or she was pushing and was getting frustrated when Hainer refused to take the bait.

[Steel_Tomb]

The problem is thesedays you have to go that extra mile to actually turn politicians heads. The gov't couldn't give a flying f**k about what the public thinks, as long as they can get some brownie points they don't care.

[Skybird]

Jaques Rogge also said, sicne yeras, you have to engage China, you have to not boycott them, you have to bring them in.

Look what he got in return. The Olympics not political? they are always poltiical, but in case of china they were extremely political from the minute on china decided to candidate for hosting the games. It's a political propaganda coup par exellence Rogge is a braindead zombie. Or better: he is a clever businessman. First rule in profitable business: kick out morals and excuse with "I have a dream".

It is a pattern you often see: when business wants to do business with any politically critical party - it claims that not doing business would lead to nothing anyway, so why not being silent and do business anyway?

And this man from Adidas excels in this exercise. business first - everything threatening the deals is being talked down, and touched only to a degree that still is safe not to upset the chinese and threatening the precious deals. Like this it has gone since years and decades - now see how dramatically they have improved: it is the same totalitarianism, just with much improved economical striking power against Western economics. Go on, dream some more rosy dreams for some time longer. We allow ourselves getting abused to our increasing present and future disadvantage - and seek condolence in telling ourselves that we just meant it well. Most things in history that went wrong - were meant well.

But I'm getting carried away. I really was just about this man and his annoying selfish statements that he can barely hide behind "economic reason". The spiegel reporter having an agenda: well, don't think so, I think he just asked most obvious, self-recommending questions.

Meanwhile:
Sponsors Find Olympic Connection a Double-Edged Sword

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,druck-552074,00.html

[Platapus]

Spiegel is not exactly a neutral source. It is rather right wing.

It sure did not read like a neutral article to me. It read like the interviewer had the answers he or she wanted and kept baiting until he or she got what they were looking for.

I think Hainer was a little too smart to fall for that stuff.

He is a businessman not a politician. Of course a business man will be concerned with economics. That's his job.