Daniel vs. the Nike Wages Hypocrites

I HATE HYPOCRITES...

While browsing thru away messages in this spoiled land of the United States, I stumble upon one that actually strikes a chord of interest in me... www.nikewages.org

For anyone who pays attention at all to current (or old) affairs you are aware from the title what this will entail... a bunch of self righteous Americans thinking that they can make a website about how Nike went to Indonesia and fucked up the otherwise "PERFECT" existence that those people had there (huge bowls of sarcasm served cold...).

Sooooo... I check it out... I've got nothing better to do this morning.

Now... I don't know if I got off the wrong side of the bed this morning or if I've just about had it up to here with people who are all talk and no DO... but I am infuriated by what I read... ESPECIALLY when I get to the "Research" page. So infuriated was I, that I wrote these poor bastards an email...

I encourage you to go the website first and browse thru the "Project Team" bios first, then read their "Research" second, then read the following email:

*Note: This is my opinion and therefore it CANNOT be wrong. Opinions are not wrong or right, but merely expressed, so fuck off if you don't like it... don't read it. I don't wanna hear shit about it. No feedback will be responded to. I really need to calm down...

To whom it may concern:

I enjoyed reading your website. The long list of "heros" working on this project, and the "downtrodden victims" of Nike really inspired me. YES PEOPLE... Indonesia was this happy go lucky country with ideal lifestyles and a fun loving people who prospered in its own fiscal and intellectual glory until NIKE stormed in and raised evil factories and enslaved all of its people... What a crock of shit.

I find it sad that people would spend their lives attacking some corporation who merely chose a location where they knew the going rate of labor was low so that they could turn a profit. If you did those same studies anywhere in the United States in a fast food restaurant you would find that the people that work those jobs here in the United States are faring just about as bad as those in Indonesia. For instance based on statistics gathered by me at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/oes/2001/oes_35Fo.htm) I determined using the Production Mean Hourly Wage of $6.60/hr for a Cook,Fast Food per diem income to be about $27... (that is for 4 weeks @ 31hrs/week since they limit employees to 31hrs to keep from paying benefits... at 31 hrs you are still considered part time and dont have to pay benefits). Now here's the same "Research" (as you called it) that I came up with for them.

Medicine: Aspirin: 10 pack @ $1.59 = DBW of 6%
Condoms: 3 pack @ 4.99 = DBW of 18%
Multivitamin: Daily serving @ 3.99 = DBW of 15%
Milk: Small bottle @ 1.79 = DBW of 7%
Coke: 12oz @ $1.09 = DBW of 4%
(SIDE NOTE: This is the most absurd and unscientific way to present your case that has ever been witnessed in the Statistical and Scientific world. As I noted, the people who are heading this project are Theology and Ethics majors, so I expect your lack of experience in math and statistics to be the reason behind this sorry "evidence.")

Now you look at these statistics, and you say... "SEE they are living like kings!!" Wrong. Our taxes are much higher and the cost of living is much higher, not to mention utilities like electricity and water that in this great country you cannot live without, if you are in a position to work at McDonalds in the cheapest way possible (so dont go saying these people can go live in the woods).

I can hear you now... "what they (the Indonesians) wouldnt give to be in the same situation..."

Well go preach this to the McDonalds workers... "there are Indonesians who'd love your job..." They might just give you the ass kicking that you deserve. We are supposed to be a govt/country who has it figured out and this is the best that we can do? When a CEO's average salary is $13mil and minimum wage is $5.15? I don't knock the US, I love this country, and its people are doing the best they can, better than anyone else in my opinion (which isnt wrong), battling human nature and its survival intstincts, and I agree that Indonesia has it worse, but making a movie about it and blaming the whole thing on Nike is the most absurd thing I've ever fucking heard. You people need to do more research and figure out who the real culprit is (even though it is blatantly obvious, but there's no money or recognition in living in Indonesia and battling the govt first hand... fucking hypocrites).

To go after the only potential cash cow in this situation is a laughing mockery of "Education for Justice." You should rename your foundation to "Lets try to get some money out of somebody's ass... oh yeah for justice....of course." If you really wanted to make a difference you would be in Indonesia petitioning their govt to do something about the horrible conditions that were created long before Nike ever got there. I agree that kicking these people when they are down, or taking advantage of their situation by employing them for nothing is wrong, but the reason those people work there is because that is the best opportunity they have at their disposal. It's not like Nike went in with machine guns and forced them to work there. Those people are in poverty and they get any money or jobs that they can. Monster.com does not have a Jakarta section for unskilled impoverish people... do you hear what I'm saying, self-righteous weirdos? Do yourself and everyone else a favor and move to Indonesia and live there and fight their govt if you REALLY want to make a difference, instead of throwing a film kegger in the safeland of New Jersey, so that you might raise a few eyebrows and a few dollars to make some shitty film that you think will change the world. The whole project is a "T-shirt of the week" at best. You people have watched too many movies about hero stories... consider yourself californicated.

good luck with your hypocritical beer party,
A well educated and well informed concerned individual who is tired of people making films about stuff that sucks and wishes that they would DO something about it instead of capturing it on film.

I'm still waiting for their reply... Jooky One

ONE HOUR LATER.... (append to the original page)

HOLY JESUS...

This thing keeps getting better and better, but I really don't want to spend my day bitching about somebody else's stupidity. But I will add the following for shits and giggles...

I'm thinking... hey, maybe I didn't give these people a fair shakedown... maybe I didn't do enough research on them before trashing them. They can't be all bad, right? Wrong. They are all bad. I read their FAQ's and THIS above all other things is the quote to end all quotes...

" ...The Living Wage Project is not an anti-Nike campaign; it is an anti-exploitation and pro-justice campaign. We are not trying to bankrupt the Nike Corporation. We are a human rights initiative that is focused on telling the human story behind the sweatshop debate..."

Of course you aren't picking on Nike... by having the URL www.nikewages.com you mean to attack that OTHER nike that stands for ... uh... justice? FUCK OFF you dipshit opportunists. I'd like to also laugh (ha ha ha ha) at your stupid quotation of the employees talking about severe beatings and mistreatment of its employees, because "AHH.... HAAA" (said in Jim Carey/Ace Ventura manner) you caught Nike!! Yeah, they hired the meanest slave whipping snakes they could find because they figured the only way to turn a profit was to beat the living shit out of anyone who wouldnt make their shoes. And once you sign on at Nike there is NO getting out. It's worse than the Mafia.

Perhaps the reason those people stay at their jobs EVEN after being beaten is because to be unemployed and have NO money, and deal with the symptoms of poverty there while broke is WORSE than being beaten for a little bit of money. I suppose if you are sick and your left arm doesn't work, and you have 13 diseases, then being in good health with a few bruises and a few dollars in your pocket might just seem like the "high life." I spit (haaaaaaaaaackptttttuuu) on your stupid cause and your subconscious glory seeking documentary... damn you ruined an otherwise glorious monday morning, you theology studying hypocrites... which reminds me... where is your god in all this? That's another webpage all together...

UPDATE... (append 20 mins after last append)

I received two replies from Jim Keady (the lead guy on the Project Team)...

"I agree that kicking these people when they are down, or taking advantage of their situation by employing them for nothing is wrong"

It would seem that this is our common ground. Let's discuss this. Again, over lunch or a beer.

Peace, Jim Keady

2nd Reply

"A well educated and well informed concerned individual who is tired of people making films about stuff that sucks and wishes that they would DO something about it instead of capturing it on film."

Would love to meet with you and have lunch. Seriously. I am open to your position and perhaps we can find some common ground. I could answer each of your criticism via email, but have too much to do to type it all out. I am assuming you read about our work in the Tri-City, so you most likely are in the area. So, let's set something up.

Peace,
Jim Keady
Educating for Justice
www.e4j.org
(phonenumbers withheld to protect)

I have no criticism for the replies. They are honest, genuine, and I'm sure that he really wants to have beer and lunch with me. I guess it's too bad I live a little too far away to just go out for a beer... that and the fact that I don't drink. Perhaps that is why I don't have as much money as these people... no initiative to have keg parties and make movies... if only I'd acquired a proper taste for alcohol while I'm out fighting the world's problems, THEN I would have made a difference. I have nothing against alcohol, but if you claim that people wearing clothes made from sweat shops are contributing to the problem, then under that logic people who drink are contributing to alcoholism, which in turn plays a part in about 90% of all violent crimes, so my friendly little beer for lunch could possibly cause your grandma to get robbed at the local K-Mart so I wouldnt be able to sleep after that costly lunch beer... no thanks, I don't want that on my conscience.

He assumed I read about their work in the Tri-City... boy was he wrong, but I am a man of responsibility, and I don't want to be bitching about something I don't know about, so I started browsing the internet to see what this "Education for Justice" was all about...

APPEND: I falsely accused Jim Keady’s organization of being associated with the Center of Concern below, when actually they are not affiliated at all (greyed out text below). Keady’s organization is “EducatING for Justice” whereas the CoC’s organization is known as “EducaTION for Justice.” I apologize to Jim Keady and his organization for this misinformation, as English has never been my strongest subject and my attention to detail in this area has withered to damn near zero as I have gotten older. Jim Keady’s website (www.educatingforjustice.org) represents a non-profit organization that “…develops, produces and distributes justice-oriented programming and content to the educational marketplace. Through research, online resources, digital filmmaking, grassroots educational events, and educational publishing, EFJ seeks to raise awareness about issues of justice and spark social change.”

Please feel free to browse their website and form your own opinions.

Turns out that it is the lead slogan for The Center of Concern: (http://www.coc.org/ej/) which is a "... site that offers a wide range of resources to help promote Catholic Social Teaching and social justice issues through interactive group activities and discussions."

How about that? From the people who brought you "How to Fondle the Young Men of Your Chuch" comes the newest campaign... "Hey we aren't bad, we are misunderstood, lemme teach you about JEEEZUS." No, thanks.

Now before you bible beating bastards start plotting to kill me... slow down. I don't hate jesus, god, or any other religion. I'm just saying that religions of the world have been responsible for some of the most horrible disasters of our time. Crusades ring a bell? Athens/Sparta? The World Trade Center didn't get attacked because somebody didn't like Bob the Accountant. They call it "jihad" or "holy war" for a reason. They believe in their religious causes just as much as you believe that chrisitanity is correct. So who IS right? I don't know, and I'm not spending my given days on this planet trying to figure it out. Science can only explain so much. You won't find a group of scientists studying WHY everything is the way it is. All they can do is find out WHAT it is and WHAT it does... never WHY it is. Know any Jewish people? I don't think that Hitler killed them because he really didn't like the way they were dressed. He hated their religion. No criminal or extreme organization ever started killing people because they had NO beliefs... and that is all religion is. I will believe what I believe and I won't force my beliefs on you, and you won't force yours on me, and we can all have lunch and beers (or lemonade) and live happy lives.

Please feel free to browse the COC website... but oh... wait, you have to sign up for an account and give them an email. Ever hear of Jehovahs witnesses or seen those packs of bike-riding Mormons preying on people to kill with kindness... no thanks COC, I'd rather be bombarded by "Fix your credit" email, or pornsite email from some college drop out than get your kind of propoganda... at least those porn sites tell you when they are fondling children.

JOOKY ONE