China does not understand free speech -

[JAD]

So be it.

Let’s send the 7th Fleet in and conquer the place then. It would be a horrific war which would likely escalate to WMDs (including nuclear), but since you say rights have no geography that is what we would be morally obligated to do.

You’d probably respond by saying commercial pressure would get the point across. I disagree. It took the largest mechanized invasion in history to effectively halt the regime behind the holocaust. It would take no less of an effort to stop modern China.

This pragmatic fact is why nothing is being done. It is a choice between the systematic genocide of the Uighurs (among other human rights problems) versus WWIII.

That's a patently false dichotomy. The choice is not between doing nothing and invading. Commercial pressure will not be as effective as quickly, but it has significant potential for influence. The government of China is existentially dependant on delta GDP, and is very aware of it.

[GardoneVT]

That's a patently false dichotomy. The choice is not between doing nothing and invading. Commercial pressure will not be as effective as quickly, but it has significant potential for influence. The government of China is existentially dependant on delta GDP, and is very aware of it.

The Hong Kong crisis has cost Chinas government productivity and revenue. They’ve yet to yield on the matter. Neither did Hitler in terms of diplomatic pressure.

The choices are rather similar to our Presidential race, ironically- live with the horrid status quo , or commit to an even more horrific alternative. Nothing less then direct military force against China would conclusively stop the Uighur genocide. It doesn’t take a military strategist to realize that’s gonna be a war so massive it’ll make Vietnam look like a parking lot ND.

[JRB]

...I'm sure there is a loss in translation here. But regardless, I don't object terribly to this message in many respects. The NBA has players who are of Chinese descent and a long history of players moving to and back and forth from China. I love Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Southpark, but I think it's pretty easy to take shots like that when you don't have skin in the game.

It's not just about money - the NBA has or has had players from 80 different countries, not counting the U.S.

Does Southpark even have 80 different employees?

South Park is basically an institution of free speech - and considering they're losing money because they got censored in China for calling a spade a spade, they sure as shit had skin in the game.

Honestly I think it's fucking depressing and pathetic that a bunch of tall motherfuckers squeaking all over a wood floor with a fucking ball is 'entertaining' enough to be worth tens of billions of dollars.
But as with anything that's worth that much, they'll find the experts and the smooth talkers and the bullshitters to protect that shitload of money, worth, relevance, and revenue.
In reality the grumpy old lady working in the school cafeteria brings orders of magnitude more real value to the world with her work.

I have nothing good to say about China's government or the people that believe such things are 'okay'. But IMHO GardoneVT's got it exactly right on what it'd take to make things any different.

[Joe in PNG]

AOC Joins Cruz, Sasse, Others in Letter to NBA’s Silver Condemning League for ‘Betrayal of American Values’

A bipartisan coalition of members of Congress sent a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday “to express our deep concern” over the NBA’s statements surrounding controversy over a tweet last week by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who expressed support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

“It is outrageous that the Chinese Communist Party is using its economic power to suppress the speech of American inside the United States. It is also outrageous that the NBA has caved to Chinese government demands for contrition,” the letter reads. It was co-signed by eight members of Congress, including Republican Senators Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, and Ben Sasse, as well as House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.). Senator Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) and Representatives Jim Banks (R., In.), Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.), and Tom Malinowski (D., N.J.) also joined in on the letter.

[JAD]

AOC Joins Cruz, Sasse, Others in Letter to NBA’s Silver Condemning League for ‘Betrayal of American Values’

Stopped clocks so rarely agree.