Lloyd Lofthouse

Recently US politicians discovered that the uniforms of the U.S. Olympic team’s opening ceremony were made in China and protested publicly (after all, it is an election year and surveys show that 44% of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of China). Source: Politico.com

“I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said when asked by ABC News today, “If they have to wear nothing but a symbol that says USA on it, painted by hand, that is what they should wear.” Source: ABC News

An American Company, Ralph Lauren Inc, provided those uniforms for the US Olympic team. USA Today, reported Ralph Lauren’s response to Motor-Mouth Harry Reid.

Ralph Lauren’s corporate headquarters is in New York City. However, its products are sold worldwide and they are made worldwide. Ralph Lauren has 19,000 employees.

Some work in the United States. Many don’t. I tried to discover how many worked in the US but could not find that answer.

As of 2010, Ralph Lauren Corporation operated a total of 631 locations worldwide. If you check out the Ralph Lauren website, you will discover it has stores in forty-two countries, and its products were sold at some 11,000 locations worldwide.

There is a hunger in China for “Made in America”

Imagine a citizen of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, China (yes, Ralph Lauren Inc. has stores in China), Ireland, Japan, Russia, Switzerland or Turkey throwing a tantrum because a shirt they bought was made in the US.

I suspect this sort of knee-jerk reaction is exclusive to Americans—mostly narcissistic that believes the world revolves around them [with some exceptions—if you are reading this, I hope you are one of those exceptions].

In addition, for 2011, Market Watch.com reported Ralph Lauren Inc paid US taxes on its net US profit at an effective tax rate of 32.9%. If you are an American citizen, what was your effective tax rate?

Ralph Lauren is an American company that has become wealthy and prosperous by selling its products to the world. It stands to reason that this company would also have manufacturing plants around the world.

This is why I cannot stand politicians and their BIG motor mouths that often spout nonsense in addition to lies. When Harry Reid opened his mouth, it sounded as if every penny was going to China but that is not true.

For example, for one Apple iPad manufactured in China, about $6 stays in China of the $499.00 spent for this popular device. I’ve read the profit for that one Apple iPad sale is more than $100 and that money stays in the US where Apple has its corporate headquarters and pays taxes.

What would happen to American companies such as Ralph Lauren and Apple if the only country they manufactured and sold products in was the United States?

Continued on July 17, 2012 in Sick of Motor-Mouth Politicians – Part 2

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Lloyd Lofthouse, a former U.S. Marine and Vietnam Veteran, is the award winning author of The Concubine Saga.

His latest novel is Running with the Enemy. Blamed for a crime he did not commit while serving in Vietnam, his country considers him a traitor. Ethan Card is a loyal U.S. Marine desperate to prove his innocence or he will never go home again.

And the woman he loves and wants to save was trained to hate and kill Americans.

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