Letters to the Editor
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I sort of delighted in the pictures of protestors wearing North Face Denali jackets...
...because it reminded me that hey, in America, at least we've got something that, to use a sorta dated term, sor-whores (and the frat rats who like to dress like them) and granolas can agree on: Total oblivion to the geo-politics involved in this quintessential Chinese product in favor of a uniquely American variety of brand-whoreness.
Which kind of got me to thinking.
So the "silent-sports" outdoor industry, which probably if polled among biz persons and end users went about 80% Dem in the last election, and whom if you asked anybody who claims to follow the topic would probably be cluck-clucking about China...
...is as wedded to the hip to China and its politics as any industry out there. Sure, it's easy to take pot shots at Wal-Mart and Nike, but have you checked the tags on your $350 Gore shell lately? What about that Patagonia fleece? Holy crapola, every piece of nylon you own -- oh yeah, and that eco merino wool, too -- is coming out of China. All of it.
So, I'm waiting for the industry's collective response. A couple years ago, a coalition of groups spearheaded by Black Diamond threatened to pull its trade shows out of Utah on account of then-gov Mike Leavitt's (admittedly boneheaded) stances on wilderness land use. I'm still waiting for the response now. I'm assuming they won't hesitate to use their leverage in a positive vein, cheap imports be damned.
Climbers! Mountaineers! Runners! Bikers! To the stockades!
I bring this up because the spectre of mountain climbers being inconvenienced this summer in Tibet is more than I think I can bear. It should be for you, too.