USA’s Brand Is Tarnished

I’m starting to think America’s brand has been tarnished. Like Mongoose bikes. Mongoose used to be one of the best BMX bikes on the market. If you were a kid who owned a Mongoose, other kids respected and/or envied you. Either way, they thought you were cool.

Then Walmart struck a deal with Mongoose and the quality went to hell. A hard-earned reputation was soon destroyed by those who were looking for a quick cash-in on a trusted name.

America struck a deal with Walmart and even more unsavory actors long ago.

Tylenol had a brand problem in the 80’s. They said it was good for a headache, but thanks to someone tampering with the bottles, if you took one you might end up dead. America’s like that now. If you drink the water in Flint, or get on the wrong seat on an airplane, or if you live in East Palestine, Ohio, it could be all over for you.

Tylenol worked diligently to repair their reputation, beginning with designing tamper-proof packaging to ensure that the contents within would be safe to the consumer. Perhaps someone might come up with a tamper-proof lid for the United States, but I’m not confident that’s going to happen. We’re busy selling bullets in vending machines now, so it’s evident that safety is not our top priority.