Allianz wants to sponsor an NFL stadium (see Company once tied to Nazis may name stadium) and the decision is causing some controversy.
The New York Giants and New York Jets are considering awarding naming rights for their new stadium to a German company that once had ties to the Nazis.
Officials from German-based Allianz — one of the world’s largest insurance firms — said that they’ve atoned for past history and should not be judged by the company’s World War II record.
Allianz once insured Nazi death camps and refused to pay life insurance claims to its Jewish clients — instead granting the proceeds to the Nazis.
. . . . . . The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement calling the proposed naming rights deal “inappropriate” and “an insult to the memory of Holocaust victims.”
“The New York region is home to many Holocaust survivors and their families and to World War II veterans for whom memories of the war are still vivid,” the statement reads. “We hope that the teams’ ownership will take this into account as they move toward a decision on naming rights.”
Is this worse than companies like Ford or IBM sponsoring players or teams? Do the people from the Anti-Defamation League feel the same about BMW and Volkswagen dealerships in their neighborhoods?
Do Saudi-based companies lose business because of terrorism? Has Wal-Mart, Google, or Microsoft suffered in any way because of their sweet deals with China's oppressive government?
In the big scheme of things, the opposition to Allianz sponsoring a stadium seems arbitrary considering how so many companies get by without criticism of past and present atrocities in other countries. The comic book villain ethics of most global companies dictate that everything is justified if it's just business.
I ask why Allianz because they are still in business, earning money from paying customers in spite of their admissions. The Volkswagen Beetle's cute-and-cuddly image hasn't diminished since the world found out about its Nazi origins. For all of the horrific actions taken by the Chinese government to create perfect Olympics, Wal-Mart hasn't lost profits (or sleep) over their business dealings with that regime.
Objections to businesses over foreign actions that harm people should be one way or another. Right now, the majority of Americans don't care and the message the Anti-Defamation League wants to communicate about Allianz is lost because Allianz has $20 to $30 million a year to spend.
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