'Welcome to the Congo!' joke forces USOC to apologize to Brazil - AP

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

'Welcome to the Congo!' joke forces USOC to apologize to Brazil

The Associated Press
Published: July 7, 2007

SAO PAULO, Brazil: The U.S. Olympic Committee apologized
to Brazil on Saturday after one of its employees jokingly
compared South America's largest nation to the Congo,
making headlines and prompting outrage from local
politicians.

Brazilians cringed at the photo, published on the front page
of Rio de Janeiro's O Globo newspaper, of a whiteboard at
the USOC's press center for the Pan American Games where
someone scrawled "Welcome to the Congo!"

O Globo called the joke "full of prejudice" as U.S. athletes
arrive to compete in the games, which begin next week.

Rio Mayor Cesar Maia told CBN Radio that Brazilians are
understandably sensitive about being compared to much
less developed countries — especially by Americans, who
are often seen here as arrogant in their views on other
nations.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/07/america/LA-GEN-Pan-Am-Games-USOC.php

[SoCalDem]

1. Here's the photo

[Bluebear]

2. Winning hearts and minds! nt

[durrrty libby]

3. Ugly Americans strike once again