[From GARM with love] China v. GM Daryl Morey’s personal views

I just can't enjoy basketball any longer.

 

Except there is one little (big?) difference between the two statements. The word INAPPROPRIATE.

What exactly was "inappropriate? about it anyways?

Was it "Fight for Freedom"?
Or was it "Stand with Hong Kong"?

I find ZERO about that tweet inappropriate. In fact, I find it to be VERY appropriate.

 

Again, I don’t know what is the Chinese word that got translated to “inappropriate”. Clearly, it could be argued that tweeting something without much thought for how it would be perceived and what the consequences might be could be construed as “inappropriate”, irrespective of whether one personally agrees with the sentiment of the tweet itself.

 

Sure, if you're trying to explain away the difference with semantics.

I have a simple question: If your goal is to be as clear as possible, why not put out (as closely as possible) a word for word translation of either one of the statements instead of 2 demonstratably different statements?

 

I largely agree that the situation in HK is much more complicate than most Americans believe it to be. I also believe that most of the pro PRC side are looking at it to simplistically especially the idea that it is being driven by foreign influences. What is happening in Hong Kong is driven by the people of HK and you’re right is more than about the extradition bill or about some nebulous concept of freedom. There are economic issues at stake but also this that the PRC hasn’t granted true autonomy to HK per the Basic Law.

You’re right that it will take much longer than In one post to get into all of it. As someone though who has family in HK goes there quite often I’m painfully aware of what is going on and how intractable the situation is.
This isn’t an argument of scoring ideological points but something that has real and immediate consequences to people and a city I care about.

 

Well, I don’t think the NBA has a clear message to explain their position here. There is a fundamental tension between supporting free expression and trying to be respectful to the feelings/sensitivities of particular populations. It becomes even more difficult to navigate when dealing with a totally different culture and billions of dollars are at stake. It’s easy for us be openly opinionated on hot button issues on an Internet forum when what we say has no real consequences.

 

I call it fence sitting when their are 2 pretty diametrically opposing viewpoints here.

One is right.

One is wrong.

The fact the NBA fence sits anyways because it's a **** ton of money is blatantly obvious. However, there ARE people with a lot more at stake than money. That's what makes all of this feel so icky and why so many are opinionated. Including our GM.

The problem is the NBA knew decades ago the risks associated with dealing with a country that has an oppressive government. I have zero pity. They've sewed the wind, now reap the Whirlwind. Pretending the CCP is just another western type govt that treats its people fairly is a lie. The fact they pretend this isn't the case this for the sake of money is sickening. Their explanations insult our intelligence.

They can't have it both ways. They can't pretend to be "woke" and in favor of human rights/diversity/blah blah blah and at the SAME TIME ignore the blatant human rights violations of the CCP. Well actually they can, but their double standard and hypocrisy is duly noted.

 

Sure, it's their right. And it's my right as a consumer to take my business elsewhere (which, unfortunately, I've already done, so I can't really do it again). I'm fine with China pushing back on the Rockets because they didn't like Morey's ill-advised tweet. I'm not okay with the NBA shrinking in the face of their criticism. The NBA wants to preserve their Chinese business. What about their American business?

The NBA has been woke when it comes to things like BLM. While the NFL is more conservative about it for fear of alienating their customer base, the NBA has obviously seen it's to their financial advantage to embrace these progressive stances. Its good for employee relations and for marketing. Suddenly you see they fold like a paper napkin when their politics becomes uneconomic. To whatever extent people embrace brands because they see those companies as missional (all the rage these days), take note: the NBA ain't really woke. If they let Kerr or Lebron talk about racial injustice, it's marketing. They don't care about black people any more than they care about freedom in China.

Off-topic, but what is this nonsense? German citizens absolutely did partake. They ratted out Jews and homosexuals and other undesireables. They joined boycotts (and sometimes frenzies of vandalism) of Jewish businesses. They participated in the exclusion of Jews from work, schools, stores, iterracial mixing, etc. Some worked in the Jewish expatriation industry, putting people on trains to Poland. Non-military even served in death squads operating behind the war front, finding and executing Polish Jews.

We do the same thing on reporting on our domestic clashes. For a BLM march or Antifa, you'll see outlets like Fox focus on how unruly they are, how they fight with cops and set recycling cans on fire, how they bully feeble old ladies, and how they litter everywhere (so unlike the Tea Party demonstrators who always cleaned up after themselves!). But liberal outlets discount those elements besides maybe count of the arrests, and focus on the number of people, the official messaging etc. And when the polarity is reversed, like for a Charlottesville march, the liberal media focuses on the tiki torches, the Jews will not replace us!, and the guy who murdered a counter-protester, all while Trump insists there were also good people. The politics molds the story. Savvy consumers of the news know they do this (right?).

 

Chinese players in the NBA should kneel during the National Anthem to protest the NBA's right to free speech.

 

What about it? If they see a big impact to American businesses, I'm sure they do something about it. They will acts out of what they believe is reasonable to them, which to me revolve around the mighty $$$. But that doesn't exclude them for both caring about black people and caring about their relationship to China. Heck, they may even philosophically believe that a sport relationship is the best type of relationship toward bringing the people of China to see what freedom is, and so to push for that themselves.

 

You knew trump would have something completely stupid to say...

 

Well, here it is: Chinese words for inappropriate

But I don't think this is the issue. The issue is how China perceives the entire Hong King situation, vs how we perceive it. China seems to think it is an issue with national sovereignty. We think of it as an issue with freedom and independence (which does lend some credence to China's concern, doesn't it?...maybe they totally get that, and that's exactly why they reacted this way?).

A Marriott employ was fired recently for indicating he thought Taiwan was a country. Which is a … Fact? (well, maybe not in China).

I'm all for getting a trade deal with China, as they've been taking advantage of us for decades now, but maybe this is an opening to take a harder line stance. No other country on earth would have this type of overreaction to a random tweet from a citizen in another country. If the US acted like this...we wouldn't have any trade with anybody. Trump gets harsher tweets directed at him probably every minute of every day. If China wants to become a real member of the global community, they need to put their big boy pants on and stop acting like a spoiled little kid who didn't get the candy they wanted. MAYBE a reaction like this would be warranted if another country OFFICIALLY took action against them. Reacting like this to a fairly innocuous tweet from 1 of the 6 billion? people on planet earth is frankly just ridiculous. If their regime is sooooo fragile that it can't withstand that...then clearly it has a very weak foundation and needs to be toppled. Maybe they realize that, and hence their reaction?

 

"Fight for Freedom
Stand with Muslims"

Imagine someone tweet that words with airplane as background the second day after 911. Your 'very appropriate' could hurt others.

 

It's easy for us to say, we 've nothing to lose.

 

False analogy.

An appropriate analogy would be:

Fight for Freedom

Stand with NY

After 9/11, I doubt ANYONE would have had a problem with that. Nice try though.

 

Not even close to the same thing

 

Lol. Your analogy and logic is so stupid; you don't even warrant a serious response.

 

Steve Kerr eloquently responds to trump...

 

Hey could someone help me understand since USA value freedom and democracy around the world above anything, why are they allies with Saudi Arabia, they don't seem to be too free or democratic? Shouldn't USA go against them instead of supporting them?

 

Yes, the USA should speak out against them much more. The difference is that they aren't competing that much with American industries.