Nike Nixes 'Betsy Ross Flag' Shoe After Kaepernick Intervenes

[VRAMdemon]

Blizzard banned an esports player and confiscated 1 years worth of their winnings because the player voiced support for Hong Kong. They reportedly also fired two commentators who had interviewed him

Blizzard pulls Blitzchung from Hearthstone esports tournament over support for Hong Kong protests

Blizzard also canceled the pro gamer's prize winnings and banned him from Hearthstone esports for 12 months.

www.cnet.com

Let's not let Nike off the hook, either. They cancelled a line of running shoes because China said they had pro-Hong Kong symbols on them.

And.... the Trump keeps quiet on massive human rights abuses in Hong Kong in order to keep trade talks going.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/04/trump-china-hong-kong-protests-xi-jinping-trade-talks

I wonder if anyone in the NBA corporate leadership thought to themselves, "Well, if the Chinese start killing Hong Kongers, a la Tiananmen Square, those victims aren't going to watch our games and buy t-shirts. Let's not stick our neck out too far on behalf of potential non-customers!"

The Chinese learned capitalism, and are leveraging it to their advantage. It's up to us to decide whether Chinese money is worth more than our principles. And that's all it is - money. China cannot actually restrict or punish speech outside its borders.

 

[VRAMdemon]

China's state run television channel last week issued the following statement about the latest attempts by the NBA to walk the thin line between supporting freedom and democracy and making that almighty dollar:

"We have noticed that Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the NBA, who is participating in an event in Japan, has responded to Houston Rockets general manager Morey’s post of inappropriate Hong Kong-related remarks. We are strongly dissatisfied and we oppose Silver’s claim to support Morey’s right of free expression. We believe that any speech that challenges national sovereignty and social stability is not within the scope of freedom of speech.

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/chi...ckout-adam-silver-discusses/story?id=66132574

This is the point at which we must remind ourselves that the Chinese government hates basic freedoms.

 

[Homerboy]

China's state run television channel last week issued the following statement about the latest attempts by the NBA to walk the thin line between supporting freedom and democracy and making that almighty dollar:



https://abcnews.go.com/Business/chi...ckout-adam-silver-discusses/story?id=66132574

This is the point at which we must remind ourselves that the Chinese government hates basic freedoms.

Honestly, this isn't the point we have to do such a thing. We should be doing it EVERY DAMNED DAY. China is a brutal government that controls everything in their citizen's lives.
Please note, Trump recently congratulated them on their 70th anniversary of oppression.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

Sorry, but when white supremacists co-opt a symbol, it's no longer a good idea to use it anymore. We all understand this when it comes to the swastika, so it shouldn't surprise anyone when the same paradigm applies to the confederate flag, pepe, and the Ross flag.

At what point do we stop ceding symbols to undesirables? I think you're empowering them by immediately letting anything they touch turn toxic. This is not like the swastika, the difference being mass adoption of a symbol of more ambiguous meaning (in western culture).

 

[dank69]

At what point do we stop ceding symbols to undesirables? I think you're empowering them by immediately letting anything they touch turn toxic. This is not like the swastika, the difference being mass adoption of a symbol of more ambiguous meaning (in western culture).

We don't get to make that choice I am afraid. It only took one guy to ruin the "Hitler" 'stache for everyone else.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Has any of the Democratic candidates loudly voiced what they feel about Hong Kong and US corporations kowtowing to Chinese money?

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

We don't get to make that choice I am afraid. It only took one guy to ruin the "Hitler" 'stache for everyone else.

Hitler is #3 in most people killed. Make sure not to wear a Stalin' stache' or a Mao face

Did you ever stop to think that political correctness in relation to what YOU do is a stupid concept?

I hear all 3 of them even breathed oxygen too!

 

[ElFenix]

Meh I am not all that impressed with woke corporations myself.
View attachment 12050

Sacrificing everything Nike? Not only did you pull all of your Houston Rockets merch from Chinese stores, you also pulled all merch designed by any designers that are pro Hong Kong. I guess you are not willing to sacrifice that sweet sweet yuan to believe in freedom for the people of Hong Kong. We see you.... we see Blizzard... and we see the NBA. What we see is perhaps the most repellent form of capitalism in our lifetime.

Houston Rockets Nike merchandise disappears from China stores

Houston Rockets sneakers and other merchandise were pulled from several Nike <NKE.N> stores in major Chinese cities amid the furor surrounding a tweet from the team's general manager in support of anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

www.reuters.com

Nike took a calculated risk with Colin Kaepernick ad, experts say

Nike Inc.’s decision to feature Colin Kaepernick in its latest “Just Do It” advertising campaign predictably blew up the internet.

www.latimes.com

someone bumped an existing thread rather than starting a new one?!?!

 

[dank69]

Hitler is #3 in most people killed. Make sure not to wear a Stalin' stache' or a Mao face

Did you ever stop to think that political correctness in relation to what YOU do is a stupid concept?

I hear all 3 of them even breathed oxygen too!

I don't make the rules, bro. Ever ask yourself why you never see the Hitler 'stache? It certainly isn't because of a dank69 decree.

 

[Victorian Gray]

Yes, it was <shrug>

Should maybe have used words to convey that then. The words you used sure the hell didn't. <shrug>

 

[Starbuck1975]

Should maybe have used words to convey that then. The words you used sure the hell didn't. <shrug>

How would you have worded it

 

[senseamp]

They should make that sneaker with upside down American flag instead, that would be more appropriate for the times.

 

[Victorian Gray]

How would you have worded it

You missed the example? Weird.