I read Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States. I also voted for Reagan (second term), the older Bush, I was a staunch libertarian in the 90s (mostly with respect to foreign policy issues), etc. I’m happy for the balance. I also read Paul Johnson’s Modern Times. Again, happy for the balance. More Americans should try it. Watching a liberal news outlet and reading a neutral news website to balance all the Fox News would benefit our country immensely, IMO. I think it would also help some contributors to this forum!
I have zero problems with balanced points of view. I simply disagree that US history isn’t being taught to Americans if Zinn’s PHOTUS isn’t on the reading list.
This would have been true perhaps ten years ago, maybe even in 2011.
But I don’t think you’re paying attention if today you’re reading the likes of WaPo, the NYT, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, LAT, or the Boston Globe and you think it balances out your news sources. Although they used to be news orgs, they’ve changed in the time of Trump and Twitter. They’ve changed in that they’re dying financially, and all of those on my list are publishing click bait designed to harvest clicks i.e., revenue. Many of their reporters are actually Democrat activists with large numbers of Twitter followers, and the reason they’re employed is because they reliably bring their Twitter followers along for the click harvesting at the “news” site.
Nowadays there is no such thing as balance. You have anti-Trump vs pro-Trump. Editorial content has seeped into news content at all major US news sites, Fox included.
More than anything, I’m saying as a country, some kind of balance like this would be helpful and needed. I see a country that is deeply divided. I also see a country in which each side is watching news (their own news) almost non-stop. For the liberals, that would be CNN and MSNBC, etc. For the conservatives, that would be Fox News. As painful as it is, we should make an effort to see what the other side is thinking. I would argue this is needed now more than 10 years ago- more than ever. And then to complete the balance, we should seek out neutral news sources.
Saw this today on somebody’s fb feed:
I have no idea if it really is balanced, but I’m trying. I really am. I don’t think many others are, though.
If everyone really believed this and acted accordingly, then I wouldn’t have any problem. Most of my relatives are 24-hour Fox News junkies, for example. No balance. No realization of how one-sided things are. Under such circumstances, I think forcing yourself to the other side every once in a while is necessary.
You’re preaching to the choir here. I am all about one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I just wish the vast majority of US news sites were, too (I would place Howard Zinn into that group as well).
I think it’s a good idea to keep track of how “the other” side thinks, so I read WaPo and, occasionally, other Democrat news sources. This year I stopped my NYT subscription, one I’d had since 2005. Their bias just became too offensive and too obvious. There is nothing to be gained by “forcing myself” to their side anymore; I always know where their boundaries are and exactly which positions they’ll take at any time.
In theory I agree with you. I would love to read more Democrat content, but frankly seem to be very few options and almost none that I know of. If you know of one, please share. I’ll give it a whirl.
1 Like
Is it possible, even likely, that Nike won’t employ him as an endorser in a few years? Yes. That doesn’t take away from the fact that they currently do. More importantly, how is Kaep not standing “on his own to feet”? He’s made his beliefs public and always dealt with the consequences. No one has to agree with him, but he’s not hiding behind Nike. He’s was very public about his beliefs before signing an endorsement deal with them.
1 Like
Are you an NFL fan? If you are, and if you’ve watched Kaep over enough time then you can see that he’s very comfortable using the resources of others for his own purposes. This is something I’ve discussed before.
A man like Kaep, who’s so determined to make his own statement and who has considerable personal resources, would do well to step out from behind the skirts of others. I’m not sure if Kaep realizes this about himself yet (he’s still young after all).
I think once he does realize it, he’ll do what he should have done four or five years ago, when his SJW side emerged as his dominant side. Go to law school, earn a degree, begin a political career. In my opinion, Kaep should get the hell out of sports and get the hell into community politics, with or without an eye on DC.
That’s when he’ll be standing on his own two feet - but not before then.
1 Like
6 Likes
I’m a casual NFL fan, but that’s really besides the point. EVERYONE uses the resources of others for their own purposes, ESPECIALLY politicians.
That is a path he could choose, but it doesn’t have to be. He uses his current platform to raise awareness on an issue he is passionate about. He has donated a lot of money to charitable causes. If that’s what he wants to do, that is his choice, and it doesn’t mean that he’s not standing on his own feet.
1 Like
Is that really what’s going on? I have heard otherwise many times. I don’t know. I have a strong suspicion that Nike knows exactly what they’re doing.
1 Like
You don’t waste your team’s pocket-passing resources by leaving the pocket prematurely in order to inspire/create a victory that will be laid at your feet. That’s what Kaep did, and it’s why he’s no longer employed as a starting QB in the NFL.
We can agree that politicians use the resources of others explicitly, by definition, but that’s my point. If Kaep wants to earn the respect he demands, he needs to become a politician and work in an area where what he produces is what’s expected from his position.
Again, he is young and may not realize this about himself yet. I suspect he still thinks he can be a successful NFL qb; I do not think he actually knows why he’ll never even get the chance.
If/when Nike’s path and Kaep’s path diverge, he’ll be cast aside. He may be hired by another athletic company that thinks it can profit from his SJW side, but imo he won’t be truly standing on his own two feet until he controls, and owns, what his SJW side actually produces. In my opinion he should move into politics, but again - he’s still young.
It’s woke marketing. Nike’s target market are not a bunch of middle aged men on Forumosa. They know what they are doing and it will prove to be highly profitable.
2 Likes
Actually, Nike helped by overseas sales, not US sales.
Last week announced earnings for 3 months ending in May.
N.America sales +8%, while in China +22%
So, not really from CK.
NBC says Nike struggling on home turf from rivals Adidas and smaller brands
2 Likes
I think that Kaep likes inspiring others. I think that’s what gives him his life’s purpose. There is nothing wrong with doing that and there is nothing wrong with being driven by the need to see the looks on the faces of fans and coworkers as a result of something you, personally, have done. This is very common among many leaders. Leaders in sports (especially NFL QBs and other pro athletes), in business, in non-profits, and in government are driven by a similar need. Heck, there are plant managers who feel the same way. Very common.
Where Kaep is hurting himself, imho, is in not owning that part of himself. He may not realize it about himself at this point.
I think he would do a favor to himself by realizing it and acting accordingly, act in a way where he’s not owned/rented by The Man but by himself.
If the Flag of the 13 States from 1776 is offensive how far back in history will Nike draw the line? Heck the 5th Century Greek City States were offensive…Maybe Nike should ditch the Nike Greek Goddess Name and Logo. The Greeks were big time Slave mongers , an ultra misogynistict Patriarchal society, practicing culturally accepted pedophilia,. Greeks were pretty racist against outsiders even considering Macedonians as “Barbarians” lets not even consider what they thought of Persians or the fact that Greeks thought they were racially superior and the chosen race as Mt Olympus was home of the Gods.
4 Likes
My country’s greatest (most evil?) period of empire was under Victoria. Probably ought to rename that, too.
The Taliban were also offended by 1,700 year old Buddhist statues so blew them apart.
Honestly I’ll still buy Nike if I like the product. There’s very little they can do to change that for me. I suspect it’s like that for most of their customers. We grew up on Nike, Jordans. Always the newest shoes when we played, it’s a strong part of athletic culture. We all wanted to go Nike schools.
Nike is cool. I honestly think they should stick to that formula, they were almost bankrupt in the early 90s I believe. Changed their image and gained at least 2-3 generations of customers. They might not get the next generation with this kind of stuff though. I don’t buy nearly as much Nike shoes of gear anymore. Most of us don’t around my age.
1 Like
Well that’s no secret 
1 Like
That joke is probably considered hate speech in several countries.
1 Like
Im done with Nikes, Ive never bought Adidas shoes but Ive bought their clothes,now I’ll try their shoes.
1 Like