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The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

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Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#61

China is offended by him offering an opinion on something. So, that makes them right? I'm offended by his backpedaling. That makes me right, right? China really needs to get a grip and understand that with seven billion people in the world, not everyone is going to agree with everything it wants.

>China really needs to get a grip and understand that with seven billion people in the world, not everyone is going to agree with everything it wants 1.4 billion of those people are Chinese, and they can get outaged over whatever ridiculous shit they want.

Most of them are brainwashed by one party politics and one party news in their own country so I am not sure their outrage means anything.

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure it is. One represents free speech in response to market participants making decisions. The other is an authoritarian government shutting down business ties based on one employee opinion. How do people not see the difference in this? On twitter, people are to speak whatever they want and can choose to buy whatever they want. In China. Not so much.

If the NBA were big in Spain, and the guy had said "Fight for Freedom, Stand with Catalonia", I expect he would have had to apologize too. The government is more involved in China, because the government is more involved with everything in China, but there are few countries in the world where people don't get mad at foreigners wading into touchy political issues.

> government is more involved with everything in China

There lies in the difference. In Spain, it would be the people demanding it. In China, its the authoritative government that is not only demanding but also threatening.

Its not quite apples to apples.

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#63
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Studios will absolutely modify screenplays, or else edit the films specifically for the China market to remove offensive or politically sensitive topics. It’s worth a lot of money to them to make a product which sells well in the Chinese market.

Could be an interesting market niche for a studio that makes movies that unapologetically espouses western values and doesn't take any money from nondemocratic funders. See if it's possible to earn a profit without selling out.

> See if it's possible to earn a profit without selling out.

Unfortunately it's not possible.

Nearly everyone on HN would rather invest in a total stock market index fund, simply because it gives better returns. How much different? Approximately 1% more.

So there you have it. People will sell out for 1% of their portfolio. Myself included.

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#64

Hong Kong is definitely heading in the direction of complete independence. Thankfully. I agree completely that the angst in HK is caused by outsiders. It has to feel terrible for HK people having their representation grabbed by agents of Beijing. They should apologize and grant universal suffrage to all people born in HK. Most important in this is HK establishing its own military service, intel service, constitution…

That would never happen because HK is already part of China, while it's political system differs than Mainland China - It's still effectively China. It has PLA garrisons all around HK.

Would highly recommended reading about Taiwan. Taiwan is what China should be but with the amount of manipulation and corruption i don't see it ever happening.

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure it is. One represents free speech in response to market participants making decisions. The other is an authoritarian government shutting down business ties based on one employee opinion. How do people not see the difference in this? On twitter, people are to speak whatever they want and can choose to buy whatever they want. In China. Not so much.

If the NBA were big in Spain, and the guy had said "Fight for Freedom, Stand with Catalonia", I expect he would have had to apologize too. The government is more involved in China, because the government is more involved with everything in China, but there are few countries in the world where people don't get mad at foreigners wading into touchy political issues.

The crisis in Hong Kong is not a separatist movement, unlike Catalonia.

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#66
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is more representing the power of social media mob justice than what "China" wants. It's really not that different from how the left or the right boycott a business after any other tweet

This is only superficially true. In China the CPC exercises strict control over what topics are allowed to trend on social media, so what appears to be "mob justice" is actually a carefully curated event. The state media chose to report on this rather than ignore it. The Cyberspace Administration chose to allow this outrage to gain momentum while topics that do not toe the party line are squashed. You cannot really c…

likewise any criticism of Chinese policy that occurs on the internet is no doubt being monitored and influenced by an army of Chinese intelligence operatives

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can criticize China, but then you lose their dollars. So in the end, the thing that rules over you is actually money.

There's a difference between a who and a what . Also consider: you can ask a PRC official what they think, and you'll get a response. Try to do the same thing to a pile of money? Crickets.

That's not obvious at all in any place in the world.

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#68

US companies are increasingly "owned" by the Chinese government through Chinese investment. None of them are willing to risk the financial backlash that would occur if they spoke out against the Chinese government - so they are willing to censor their own platforms and sacrifice their own stakeholders and users to please them.

Yup. This situation is about to get somewhat complicated.

Many American C-level execs at many large tech companies are huge pro basketball fans.

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#69

What does fighting for freedom and standing with Hong Kong have to do with promoting sport? Why not just shut the fuck to and promote sport? This is how we know some (many?) successful people just got lucky with the birth lottery and generally being in the right places and knowing the right people.

It doesn't have anything to do with promoting sport, which is why the guy tweeted on his personal account.

Except that Daryl Morey, as a public figure in his role as general manager of an NBA team doesn’t get much of a distinction between personal and public.

Which is why we’re here having this conversation.

Re: The NBA Feels a Backlash in China After a Tweet Supporting Hong Kong

#70

Why can't Hong Kong just vote then we can end these protests? The people could vote for a leader who wants closer ties and one who wants more autonomy but let them vote and have a say in the matter. I do not think voting will lead to secession but maybe to a sense of freedom and the ability to influence direction of country.

You do realize:

1- voting got implemented over there only a few years before the handover. It's a relatively new and fluid concept to them.

2- industries/businesses get to vote. These are increasingly owned by China

3- China maintains veto power for any political candidates

If only it were as simple as "just vote"

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