Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
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Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#2Actively refusing is the least passive/neutral thing they could have done.
Now they’ve obligated themselves (morally) to refuse Chinese political meeting bookings as well, but we won’t see that happen
Opinion: Due to Chinese human rights abuses AND the threats against American business, the US should not attend the upcoming Beijing Olympics
Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#3Marriott decided to avoid poking the bear by stepping on the proverbial mouse.
From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense, but moralistically, it does not.
It is very disappointing that even I, as an Asian individual living in Canada, am disincentivized from expressing even my own opinion on China and HK/Taiwan, etc. due to the perceived threat of "consequences" from a government whose reach I cannot easily quantify.
Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#4More evidence that China's arm reaches quite far, including inside the West.
Because China is willing to play dirty. If they hosted it, they would see Marriot executives arrested for "corruption", or Marriot hotels closed for "environmental damage" or similar things, like how they arrested two innocent Canadians as retaliation for the Canadian arrest of the Huawei executive.
This is why Nike, NBA, Hollywood, ... bow down to China, including inside the US, they know they will be crushed if they don't.
Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#5This simply makes good business sense. I would wager they would also refuse to host an Al Qaeda support conference.
Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#6Actively refusing is the least passive/neutral thing they could have done. Now they’ve obligated themselves (morally) to refuse Chinese political meeting bookings as well, but we won’t see that happen Opinion: Due to Chinese human rights abuses AND the threats against American business, the US should not attend the upcoming Beijing Olympics
Athletes from the USA. I like it.
Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#7I think US (not just govt but as a nation) has lost the stomach to put up a fight.
I would add developed Western democracies in general.
Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#8This simply makes good business sense. I would wager they would also refuse to host an Al Qaeda support conference.
I always thought of Marriott as being an ethical company. When the ethics and good business diverge is where things are difficult.
Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#9Calling something a "policical issue" is itself political.
It's like not wanting to acknowledge climate change because of "neutrality". There is no clearer way to broadcast a political opinion.
Marrott has taken a stance here, just not the respecting civil rights.
Re: Marriott refused to host Uyghur conference, citing “political neutrality”
#10I think US (not just govt but as a nation) has lost the stomach to put up a fight. I would add developed Western democracies in general.
Not US as a nation, but US elites, some of whom developed rather ghastly fascist sympathies, if not tendencies. They drank the China koolaid.
I will refer to a very insightful description of the state they are in by api (https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=api,) I read yesterday https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29267217
*> I consider Singapore to be the most dangerous dystopia in the world.
> It's not even close to the worst place to live. That's not the point.
> The thing that makes it the worst is that it is superficially desirable. It's like refined sugar, a poison that rots your teeth and causes dozens of health problems but tastes fantastic and is marketed heavily to children.
> Only a lunatic or an idiot would want to emulate North Korea but many sane intelligent and well-meaning people want to emulate Singapore. That's what makes it so horrible. It's a shining beacon of totalitarianism that advertises that wonderful things can be purchased at the cost of human rights.
> I would rather live, pragmatically, in Singapore than many other countries, but if I were there I'd be fully aware that it's a road to hell.