Brett Stephens, who has defended the usage of dehumanizing language when it is deployed by conservative pundits attacking immigrants and migrants, tried to get a university professor fired because they made a tweet jokingly calling Brett Stephens a bedbug that had essentially no interaction with it until the Streisand effect took hold.
File this away in the overflowing cabinet marked "conservatives only care about their freedom to say things."
He's also using this as an excuse to leave Twitter as well.
MrMisterJesus dying on the cross in pain? Morally better than us. One has to go "all in".Registered Userregular
I agree that a talk from Bret Stephens is pretty low-value academically, but provosts (and Universities generally) are fame-hounds and would more than love the attention.
On the most substantial issue, Forrest Maltzman did exactly the correct thing--which is too infrequently done in this situation--which was to respond to pressure over its professor's extramural speech by categorically telling Stephens that Karpf has academic freedom and speaks for himself, not the institution, and so the institution has no interest in either policing or apologizing for him
His new column, entitled “World War II and the Ingredients of Slaughter,” is illustrated with a giant photograph of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. Yes. Stephens then says that he sees a lot of parallels between the Nazi era and now, including “three crucial factors: new forms of mass communication, the rhetoric of dehumanization and the politics of absolute good versus absolute evil.” He also references Twitter. You see where this is going.
In case you were wondering whether Stephens was really just talking about something else, he makes it very, very clear that he still has Karpf on his on the mind (emphasis mine):
The political mind-set that turned human beings into categories, classes and races also turned them into rodents, insects and garbage. “Anti-Semitism is exactly the same as delousing,” Heinrich Himmler would claim in 1943. “Getting rid of lice is not a matter of ideology. It is a matter of cleanliness.” Watching Warsaw’s Jewish ghetto burn that year, a Polish anti-Semite was overheard saying: “The bedbugs are on fire. The Germans are doing a great job.”
Today, the rhetoric of infestation is back.
That’s right, jokingly tweeting that Stephens is a (metaphorical) bedbug is just like the LITERAL HOLOCAUST. This man has a Pulitzer Prize. It’s hard to know if this sort of overreach is more embarrassing or disturbing, but whatever it is, it’s apocalyptically nuts.
Remember, the whole reason this came up is because the Times has been dealing with an actual bedbug infestation in their press room, and a professor riffed off that.
His new column, entitled “World War II and the Ingredients of Slaughter,” is illustrated with a giant photograph of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. Yes. Stephens then says that he sees a lot of parallels between the Nazi era and now, including “three crucial factors: new forms of mass communication, the rhetoric of dehumanization and the politics of absolute good versus absolute evil.” He also references Twitter. You see where this is going.
In case you were wondering whether Stephens was really just talking about something else, he makes it very, very clear that he still has Karpf on his on the mind (emphasis mine):
The political mind-set that turned human beings into categories, classes and races also turned them into rodents, insects and garbage. “Anti-Semitism is exactly the same as delousing,” Heinrich Himmler would claim in 1943. “Getting rid of lice is not a matter of ideology. It is a matter of cleanliness.” Watching Warsaw’s Jewish ghetto burn that year, a Polish anti-Semite was overheard saying: “The bedbugs are on fire. The Germans are doing a great job.”
Today, the rhetoric of infestation is back.
That’s right, jokingly tweeting that Stephens is a (metaphorical) bedbug is just like the LITERAL HOLOCAUST. This man has a Pulitzer Prize. It’s hard to know if this sort of overreach is more embarrassing or disturbing, but whatever it is, it’s apocalyptically nuts.
Remember, the whole reason this came up is because the Times has been dealing with an actual bedbug infestation in their press room, and a professor riffed off that.
The bit where he cited evidence to support his argument but forgot to clear the search that showed he literally just googled "Jews as bedbugs" is especially hilarious.
This guy is paid more money than anyone on this forum to come up with the equivalent of a low-effort post in a 2006 forum flame war every couple of days. It is hard to imagine an easier job.
Being cancelled getting you down? Well now there’s a conference for you—and everyone else booted from mainstream political discourse for “thoughtcrimes.”
“Imagine a conference for people banned from other conferences,” the announcement for Founders Fund’s exclusive new three-day event reads. “Imagine a safe space for people who don’t feel safe in safe spaces.”
Should swarm it with left wing people banned from other conferences and watch them freak out. Because "no safe space" is really always "The world is MY safe space"
So, over the course of this week, we've seen two American organizations blatantly kowtow to China over the HK protests, trying to silence people within the organization. First up, we have the NBA going after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for the protestors. The Chinese response was swift and punative, targeting not just the Rockets (a well liked team in China since the days of Yao Ming), but the NBA itself. The NBA's official response was the sort of split the baby nonsense that leaves nobody happy - China isn't buying it, and US critics across the spectrum are decrying the NBA for supporting the censorship of Morey in the pursuit of sweet, sweet yuan. The mess has even pulled ESPN in, with the network refusing to talk about the politics involved.
Next, we have Activision Blizzard, and their using their control over the Hearthstone pro circuit to blatantly punish HK player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai for openly supporting HK protesters on stream. While not involving the same amount of money as the NBA fiasco above, the actions were more direct and blatant with ABlizz both banning Ng Wai in and withholding prize money he had won, citing the following competition rule:
Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player’s prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and Blizzard’s Website Terms.
Big DookieSmells great!Houston, TXRegistered Userregular
I'm really curious what will happen when actual superstar players start coming out with similar statements to what Morey said. Or maybe that won't happen at all. Adam Silver seems to be trying to have it both ways, and most others (Kerr, Popovich, Harden, Lebron, etc) are either remaining silent, condoning Silver's stance, or outright apologizing to China. Which sucks, because I'm really proud of Morey for speaking out about it, but kind of surprised that virtually no one else in the NBA has come to his defense. I guess no matter how progressive you claim to be, money talks.
I'm really curious what will happen when actual superstar players start coming out with similar statements to what Morey said. Or maybe that won't happen at all. Adam Silver seems to be trying to have it both ways, and most others (Kerr, Popovich, Harden, Lebron, etc) are either remaining silent, condoning Silver's stance, or outright apologizing to China. Which sucks, because I'm really proud of Morey for speaking out about it, but kind of surprised that virtually no one else in the NBA has come to his defense. I guess no matter how progressive you claim to be, money talks.
A lot of those super stars are in China right now. It's probably not super safe for them to say things while over there.
MrMisterJesus dying on the cross in pain? Morally better than us. One has to go "all in".Registered Userregular
China using its market power to enforce speech codes on international firms—even speech being produced and consumed outside of China proper—strikes me as a serious threat to free speech. And relying on the good conscience of the firms to resist it seems obviously ridiculous.
Maybe Western governments can counterbalance China’s use of incentives by threatening countersanctions on firms that comply? I don’t know. I would be very interested if anyone has seen discussion of potential policy responses.
China using its market power to enforce speech codes on international firms—even speech being produced and consumed outside of China proper—strikes me as a serious threat to free speech. And relying on the good conscience of the firms to resist it seems obviously ridiculous.
Maybe Western governments can counterbalance China’s use of incentives by threatening countersanctions on firms that comply? I don’t know. I would be very interested if anyone has seen discussion of potential policy responses.
It's not just market power, but their business relations, most notably with Tencent. Tencent is business partners with the NBA in China. They own 5% of Activision Blizzard, 40% of Epic, and just outright own Riot entirely.
The bit that actually pisses me off is that, were Trump not the unbelievable black hole that sucks in all attention that he is, that the NBA stuff would be front page news / first bit of news. It deserves to be.
But it doesn't feel like it is yet and ESPN is banning discussion because of how deep they're involved in the NBA.
A fan was ejected from the 76'ers pre-season game against a Chinese team last night -
China using its market power to enforce speech codes on international firms—even speech being produced and consumed outside of China proper—strikes me as a serious threat to free speech. And relying on the good conscience of the firms to resist it seems obviously ridiculous.
Maybe Western governments can counterbalance China’s use of incentives by threatening countersanctions on firms that comply? I don’t know. I would be very interested if anyone has seen discussion of potential policy responses.
It's not just market power, but their business relations, most notably with Tencent. Tencent is business partners with the NBA in China. They own 5% of Activision Blizzard, 40% of Epic, and just outright own Riot entirely.
Those numbers make it very interesting that Tim Sweeney and Epic are being so vocal in opposition.
The bit that actually pisses me off is that, were Trump not the unbelievable black hole that sucks in all attention that he is, that the NBA stuff would be front page news / first bit of news. It deserves to be.
But it doesn't feel like it is yet and ESPN is banning discussion because of how deep they're involved in the NBA.
A fan was ejected from the 76'ers pre-season game against a Chinese team last night -
The idea that Tencent specifically is behind this all is just... well it would be hilarious if it wasn't so stupid.
Corporations want to make money in China, so they acquiesce. They alter their games and programs and allow the government backdoors and/or promise to monitor and report certain kinds of activity. It's been going on for years and years.
Gamers just want a convenient boogeyman, and hating on Tencent allows them to be xenophobic and turn Epic into a scapegoat at the same time.
The bit that actually pisses me off is that, were Trump not the unbelievable black hole that sucks in all attention that he is, that the NBA stuff would be front page news / first bit of news. It deserves to be.
But it doesn't feel like it is yet and ESPN is banning discussion because of how deep they're involved in the NBA.
A fan was ejected from the 76'ers pre-season game against a Chinese team last night -
At first I thought this was maybe a pre-season game being played in China, which would still not be great, but at least sort of understandable.
But no, this happened in Philadelphia.
This is fucked.
Nobody wants to tip the wagon, because China will end you. The story of Lotte terrifies corporations looking to do business in China, as a blogger for Ask A Korean talks about:
Short version - Lotte, a Japanese-Korean company, made significant inroads into China. Then the US forced South Korea to install the THAAD missile defense system, which they did by repurposing a Lotte golf course.
The Chinese response was swift and brutal, wiping out Lotte's presence in China.
China using its market power to enforce speech codes on international firms—even speech being produced and consumed outside of China proper—strikes me as a serious threat to free speech. And relying on the good conscience of the firms to resist it seems obviously ridiculous.
Maybe Western governments can counterbalance China’s use of incentives by threatening countersanctions on firms that comply? I don’t know. I would be very interested if anyone has seen discussion of potential policy responses.
It's not just market power, but their business relations, most notably with Tencent. Tencent is business partners with the NBA in China. They own 5% of Activision Blizzard, 40% of Epic, and just outright own Riot entirely.
Those numbers make it very interesting that Tim Sweeney and Epic are being so vocal in opposition.
China using its market power to enforce speech codes on international firms—even speech being produced and consumed outside of China proper—strikes me as a serious threat to free speech. And relying on the good conscience of the firms to resist it seems obviously ridiculous.
Maybe Western governments can counterbalance China’s use of incentives by threatening countersanctions on firms that comply? I don’t know. I would be very interested if anyone has seen discussion of potential policy responses.
It's not just market power, but their business relations, most notably with Tencent. Tencent is business partners with the NBA in China. They own 5% of Activision Blizzard, 40% of Epic, and just outright own Riot entirely.
Those numbers make it very interesting that Tim Sweeney and Epic are being so vocal in opposition.
Noah Smith, who is a Bloomberg Opinion writer, has a link to a reddit thread that's collecting just example after example of companies doing stuff to appease Chinese authorities. From clicking through a couple of the sources the bullet point summaries aren't telling all the details (the Marriot employee fired for liking a tweet supporting Tibetan independence, for example, had liked it while logged into an official Marriott Twitter account), but it's still a long list of egregious bullshit.
From Reddit, Blizzard's Official Weibo Account Just Posted An Apology - to China:
Includes a comment with a list of all the companies bending the knee.
And what AngelHedgie said is correct. China will inmediatly kick out of the country any company that doesn't play ball. So far, this hasn't been an issue, until it is. Oh, and there's a NYT article about it.
And finally, pressure is coming from the other side:
So, over the course of this week, we've seen two American organizations blatantly kowtow to China over the HK protests, trying to silence people within the organization. First up, we have the NBA going after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for the protestors. The Chinese response was swift and punative, targeting not just the Rockets (a well liked team in China since the days of Yao Ming), but the NBA itself. The NBA's official response was the sort of split the baby nonsense that leaves nobody happy - China isn't buying it, and US critics across the spectrum are decrying the NBA for supporting the censorship of Morey in the pursuit of sweet, sweet yuan. The mess has even pulled ESPN in, with the network refusing to talk about the politics involved.
Next, we have Activision Blizzard, and their using their control over the Hearthstone pro circuit to blatantly punish HK player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai for openly supporting HK protesters on stream. While not involving the same amount of money as the NBA fiasco above, the actions were more direct and blatant with ABlizz both banning Ng Wai in and withholding prize money he had won, citing the following competition rule:
Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player’s prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and Blizzard’s Website Terms.
So, over the course of this week, we've seen two American organizations blatantly kowtow to China over the HK protests, trying to silence people within the organization. First up, we have the NBA going after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for the protestors. The Chinese response was swift and punative, targeting not just the Rockets (a well liked team in China since the days of Yao Ming), but the NBA itself. The NBA's official response was the sort of split the baby nonsense that leaves nobody happy - China isn't buying it, and US critics across the spectrum are decrying the NBA for supporting the censorship of Morey in the pursuit of sweet, sweet yuan. The mess has even pulled ESPN in, with the network refusing to talk about the politics involved.
Next, we have Activision Blizzard, and their using their control over the Hearthstone pro circuit to blatantly punish HK player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai for openly supporting HK protesters on stream. While not involving the same amount of money as the NBA fiasco above, the actions were more direct and blatant with ABlizz both banning Ng Wai in and withholding prize money he had won, citing the following competition rule:
Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player’s prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and Blizzard’s Website Terms.
Tencent is not the biggest issue, the issue is that companies act in fear of Chinese sanctions. So, the ante is now upped with the threat of US sanctions if they don't stop.
So, over the course of this week, we've seen two American organizations blatantly kowtow to China over the HK protests, trying to silence people within the organization. First up, we have the NBA going after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for the protestors. The Chinese response was swift and punative, targeting not just the Rockets (a well liked team in China since the days of Yao Ming), but the NBA itself. The NBA's official response was the sort of split the baby nonsense that leaves nobody happy - China isn't buying it, and US critics across the spectrum are decrying the NBA for supporting the censorship of Morey in the pursuit of sweet, sweet yuan. The mess has even pulled ESPN in, with the network refusing to talk about the politics involved.
Next, we have Activision Blizzard, and their using their control over the Hearthstone pro circuit to blatantly punish HK player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai for openly supporting HK protesters on stream. While not involving the same amount of money as the NBA fiasco above, the actions were more direct and blatant with ABlizz both banning Ng Wai in and withholding prize money he had won, citing the following competition rule:
Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player’s prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and Blizzard’s Website Terms.
Tencent, a Chinese company, owns 25% of Activision-Blizzard, so it's no surprise that AB would condone pro-HK speech through one of their properties.
Epic put out a statement supporting freedom of speech for players and creators, and they are 40% controlled by Tencent.
Maybe reconsider making a single Chinese company out to be some sort of Machiavellian puppet-master making everyone dance to their tune, rather than considering that all corporations are amoral machines that care about profit more than what is just or correct.
Yes, I recognize this means the companies speaking out in solidarity or support of freedom of speech are also doing it as a calculated move.
Epic put out a statement supporting freedom of speech for players and creators, and they are 40% controlled by Tencent.
Maybe reconsider making a single Chinese company out to be some sort of Machiavellian puppet-master making everyone dance to their tune, rather than considering that all corporations are amoral machines that care about profit more than what is just or correct.
Yes, I recognize this means the companies speaking out in solidarity or support of freedom of speech are also doing it as a calculated move.
Epic is still majority held by Sweeney, though. Tencent does not have a controlling interest. They can sell their shares, but Sweeney calls the shots.
And if the Chinese government asks Tencent to do something, they do it.
XBL: Bizazedo
PSN: Bizazedo
CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
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reVerseAttack and Dethrone GodRegistered Userregular
Seeing how it's been reported that Trump himself has been keeping quiet about Hong Kong because he's desperate for a win in the tariff wars and wants to appease the Chinese during negotiations, I don't really see that Rubio thing going anywhere.
But then again, Trump is a huge narcissist, so if he feels like he can get a win by being even tougher with the Chinese, he'll probably jump on the chance.
So, over the course of this week, we've seen two American organizations blatantly kowtow to China over the HK protests, trying to silence people within the organization. First up, we have the NBA going after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for the protestors. The Chinese response was swift and punative, targeting not just the Rockets (a well liked team in China since the days of Yao Ming), but the NBA itself. The NBA's official response was the sort of split the baby nonsense that leaves nobody happy - China isn't buying it, and US critics across the spectrum are decrying the NBA for supporting the censorship of Morey in the pursuit of sweet, sweet yuan. The mess has even pulled ESPN in, with the network refusing to talk about the politics involved.
Next, we have Activision Blizzard, and their using their control over the Hearthstone pro circuit to blatantly punish HK player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai for openly supporting HK protesters on stream. While not involving the same amount of money as the NBA fiasco above, the actions were more direct and blatant with ABlizz both banning Ng Wai in and withholding prize money he had won, citing the following competition rule:
Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player’s prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and Blizzard’s Website Terms.
Tencent, a Chinese company, owns 25% of Activision-Blizzard, so it's no surprise that AB would condone pro-HK speech through one of their properties.
Epic put out a statement supporting freedom of speech for players and creators, and they are 40% controlled by Tencent.
Maybe reconsider making a single Chinese company out to be some sort of Machiavellian puppet-master making everyone dance to their tune, rather than considering that all corporations are amoral machines that care about profit more than what is just or correct.
Yes, I recognize this means the companies speaking out in solidarity or support of freedom of speech are also doing it as a calculated move.
Agreed. But if push comes to shove, do you think Epic will hold to their current position and potentially lose the China market? And do you think Tencent would allow them to lose the China market?
So, over the course of this week, we've seen two American organizations blatantly kowtow to China over the HK protests, trying to silence people within the organization. First up, we have the NBA going after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for the protestors. The Chinese response was swift and punative, targeting not just the Rockets (a well liked team in China since the days of Yao Ming), but the NBA itself. The NBA's official response was the sort of split the baby nonsense that leaves nobody happy - China isn't buying it, and US critics across the spectrum are decrying the NBA for supporting the censorship of Morey in the pursuit of sweet, sweet yuan. The mess has even pulled ESPN in, with the network refusing to talk about the politics involved.
Next, we have Activision Blizzard, and their using their control over the Hearthstone pro circuit to blatantly punish HK player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai for openly supporting HK protesters on stream. While not involving the same amount of money as the NBA fiasco above, the actions were more direct and blatant with ABlizz both banning Ng Wai in and withholding prize money he had won, citing the following competition rule:
Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player’s prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and Blizzard’s Website Terms.
Tencent, a Chinese company, owns 25% of Activision-Blizzard, so it's no surprise that AB would condone pro-HK speech through one of their properties.
Epic put out a statement supporting freedom of speech for players and creators, and they are 40% controlled by Tencent.
Maybe reconsider making a single Chinese company out to be some sort of Machiavellian puppet-master making everyone dance to their tune, rather than considering that all corporations are amoral machines that care about profit more than what is just or correct.
Yes, I recognize this means the companies speaking out in solidarity or support of freedom of speech are also doing it as a calculated move.
Agreed. But if push comes to shove, do you think Epic will hold to their current position and potentially lose the China market? And do you think Tencent would allow them to lose the China market?
Tencent can't push Epic around and has no ability to "disallow" them from losing the Chinese market. That's the point.
Tencent has fingers in a lot of pies, but they aren't magic, they can't make companies dance on a whim.
Tencent has fingers in a lot of pies, but they aren't magic, they can't make companies dance on a whim.
This week's events suggest otherwise, as Tencent was leading the charge to rebuke the Rockets, offering Chinese Rockets fans who paid for one team streaming to switch teams at no extra charge; and was very likely part of the decision to ban Ng Wai. The fact that they have so many connections both in and out of China gives them a good deal of power.
Posts
He should use it as an excuse to leave NYT
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Someone needs to hit the provost with a rolled newspaper, then explain that we do not reward thin skinned bullies for playing dominance games.
Unfortunately, the evidence - including the current part-time occupant of the White House - is that "we" do.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Tweet has been deleted. This is why you should quote the text itself.
Some people are arguing that they're trolling Stephens, but if they are, it's subtle.
On the most substantial issue, Forrest Maltzman did exactly the correct thing--which is too infrequently done in this situation--which was to respond to pressure over its professor's extramural speech by categorically telling Stephens that Karpf has academic freedom and speaks for himself, not the institution, and so the institution has no interest in either policing or apologizing for him
Remember, the whole reason this came up is because the Times has been dealing with an actual bedbug infestation in their press room, and a professor riffed off that.
The bit where he cited evidence to support his argument but forgot to clear the search that showed he literally just googled "Jews as bedbugs" is especially hilarious.
This guy is paid more money than anyone on this forum to come up with the equivalent of a low-effort post in a 2006 forum flame war every couple of days. It is hard to imagine an easier job.
The pull quote really says it all.
i want you to know i appreciate this
hitting hot metal with hammers
Next, we have Activision Blizzard, and their using their control over the Hearthstone pro circuit to blatantly punish HK player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai for openly supporting HK protesters on stream. While not involving the same amount of money as the NBA fiasco above, the actions were more direct and blatant with ABlizz both banning Ng Wai in and withholding prize money he had won, citing the following competition rule:
The response to this has been swift and negative from the community, and with BlizzCon only a few weeks away, things are not going to get better.
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
A lot of those super stars are in China right now. It's probably not super safe for them to say things while over there.
Maybe Western governments can counterbalance China’s use of incentives by threatening countersanctions on firms that comply? I don’t know. I would be very interested if anyone has seen discussion of potential policy responses.
It's not just market power, but their business relations, most notably with Tencent. Tencent is business partners with the NBA in China. They own 5% of Activision Blizzard, 40% of Epic, and just outright own Riot entirely.
But it doesn't feel like it is yet and ESPN is banning discussion because of how deep they're involved in the NBA.
A fan was ejected from the 76'ers pre-season game against a Chinese team last night -
https://6abc.com/sports/sixers-fan-supporting-hong-kong-ejected-from-preseason-game/5604293/
PSN: Bizazedo
CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
Those numbers make it very interesting that Tim Sweeney and Epic are being so vocal in opposition.
At first I thought this was maybe a pre-season game being played in China, which would still not be great, but at least sort of understandable.
But no, this happened in Philadelphia.
This is fucked.
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
Corporations want to make money in China, so they acquiesce. They alter their games and programs and allow the government backdoors and/or promise to monitor and report certain kinds of activity. It's been going on for years and years.
Gamers just want a convenient boogeyman, and hating on Tencent allows them to be xenophobic and turn Epic into a scapegoat at the same time.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Nobody wants to tip the wagon, because China will end you. The story of Lotte terrifies corporations looking to do business in China, as a blogger for Ask A Korean talks about:
Short version - Lotte, a Japanese-Korean company, made significant inroads into China. Then the US forced South Korea to install the THAAD missile defense system, which they did by repurposing a Lotte golf course.
The Chinese response was swift and brutal, wiping out Lotte's presence in China.
So if a Nazi says, "white people are superiir to black people" at an Epic event, Epic is fine with that?
As long as its not the reverse, probably, yeah.
Noah Smith, who is a Bloomberg Opinion writer, has a link to a reddit thread that's collecting just example after example of companies doing stuff to appease Chinese authorities. From clicking through a couple of the sources the bullet point summaries aren't telling all the details (the Marriot employee fired for liking a tweet supporting Tibetan independence, for example, had liked it while logged into an official Marriott Twitter account), but it's still a long list of egregious bullshit.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Includes a comment with a list of all the companies bending the knee.
And what AngelHedgie said is correct. China will inmediatly kick out of the country any company that doesn't play ball. So far, this hasn't been an issue, until it is. Oh, and there's a NYT article about it.
And finally, pressure is coming from the other side:
Marco Rubio is an US Senator.
So, it appears that companies will have to pick which market they want to operate, once and for all. Good.
Tencent, a Chinese company, owns 25% of Activision-Blizzard, so it's no surprise that AB would condemn pro-HK speech through one of their properties.
*edit* Thanks Dookie!
I assume you mean condemn? Because they sure as hell are not condoning any pro-HK speech from the looks of things.
Oculus: TheBigDookie | XBL: Dook | NNID: BigDookie
Epic put out a statement supporting freedom of speech for players and creators, and they are 40% controlled by Tencent.
Maybe reconsider making a single Chinese company out to be some sort of Machiavellian puppet-master making everyone dance to their tune, rather than considering that all corporations are amoral machines that care about profit more than what is just or correct.
Yes, I recognize this means the companies speaking out in solidarity or support of freedom of speech are also doing it as a calculated move.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Is more strongly associated with Game of Thrones.
And hey, now is simple. Any company that wants to operate under Chinese rules can just relocate to Beijing.
And if the Chinese government asks Tencent to do something, they do it.
PSN: Bizazedo
CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
But then again, Trump is a huge narcissist, so if he feels like he can get a win by being even tougher with the Chinese, he'll probably jump on the chance.
Agreed. But if push comes to shove, do you think Epic will hold to their current position and potentially lose the China market? And do you think Tencent would allow them to lose the China market?
Tencent can't push Epic around and has no ability to "disallow" them from losing the Chinese market. That's the point.
Tencent has fingers in a lot of pies, but they aren't magic, they can't make companies dance on a whim.
This week's events suggest otherwise, as Tencent was leading the charge to rebuke the Rockets, offering Chinese Rockets fans who paid for one team streaming to switch teams at no extra charge; and was very likely part of the decision to ban Ng Wai. The fact that they have so many connections both in and out of China gives them a good deal of power.
"We believe that any speech that challenges national sovereignty and social stability is not within the scope of freedom of speech."
Which means that anything that criticizes China is not allowed.
Simplified.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
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