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LeBron James Denounces Pro-Hong Kong Support By Morey As “Misinformed”

It appears that social justice causes have a strict geographic (and financial) limit — at least for NBA player LeBron James. James, who has defended such protests as the NFL kneelers, ridiculed the tweet by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey in supporting protesters in Hong Kong fighting for the most basic human rights and democratic power. James said that Morey was “misinformed”  and an example of being “not informed about something.” What was Morey misinformed of? The denial of free speech, democratic rights, or basic human rights? How about the threat of Chinese President Xi Jinping to fill the streets with “crushed bodies and shattered bones“? The view of the NBA, and James, appears that Morey was not informed about the billions of dollars to be made in China or the price of supporting people fighting for freedom.

Of course, the NFL kneelers are millionaires who (with the exception of Colin Kaepernik) have suffered no professional cost to their protests while the people of Hong Kong are risking their lives for the most fundamental human rights.

Yet, James had nothing but contempt for a manager who would send out a tweet repeating the slogan “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” Moreover, James was careful not to criticize the league which has been denounced for not only kowtowing to an authoritarian regime but forcing the curtailment of free speech. James insisted “I’m not here to judge how the league handled the situation.” Perish the thought, LeBron. He then added

“I just think that, when you’re misinformed or you’re not educated about something – and I’m just talking about the tweet itself – you never know the ramifications that can happen. We all see what that did, not only did for our league but for all of us in America, for people in China as well. Sometimes you have to think through the things that you say that may cause harm not only for yourself but for the majority of people. I think that’s just a prime example of that.”

Harm what people? The people fighting in Hong Kong or the wealthy players and owners in the NBA who desperately want to sellout to a brutal regime?

James quickly saw that his groveling statements might come back to cost him as people rose up to denounce him and his motivations. He then pivoted with a bizarre reframing of his earlier comments. He insisted that he was only talking about the timing: “I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it.” Yes, the tweet can support people fighting now for freedom without a thought to the profits of the league. Of course, those people in Hong Kong risking years in prison make virtually nothing and attract few crowds. However, they have formed a crowd of people who are willing of risk everything for a fraction of the freedoms that James enjoys.

James has shown with other super-wealthy players like Rockets player James Harden that a social cause is only as viable as it remains profitable.

93 thoughts on “LeBron James Denounces Pro-Hong Kong Support By Morey As “Misinformed””

  1. I think we already know communist (far leftist, socialist, fascist) hate freedom. Anything new in the world of law? or are we relegated to Sensationalism?

  2. While I want to stand for freedom and the protesters in Hong Kong, this bill, I think, goes about all wrong.

    https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/3289/text

    ““(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall annually certify to Congress, in conjunction with the report required under section 301, whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous to justify special treatment by the United States for bilateral agreements and programs, in accordance with this Act, including the degree to which Hong Kong’s autonomy has been eroded due to actions taken by the Government of China that are inconsistent with its commitments in the Basic Law and the Joint Declaration and the impact of such erosion on specific areas of cooperation with the United States, including on political rights, civil liberties, rule of law, freedom of information, religious freedom, and democratic governance in Hong Kong.”

    Rather than take away Hong Kong’s special status if China interferes with Hong Kong’s autonomy, shouldn’t China’s special status be the target, as the aggressor? Sort of dares China to interfere and just completely bring Hong Kong into its fold.

    I am not certain the protesters see this likelihood.

    The House already passed this bill, probably with only knowing the summary. I barely knew of the bill before they passed it. I had no time to call my rep, which is another issue. This issue is not so urgent as to give people no time to read and consider what is being voted upon.

    1. Just saw that the bill was initiated in June. Regardless, I just heard about it.

  3. Gee. One would almost think that athletes may not be fountains of wisdom on global politics or even, dare I say, domestic politics.

    Why does fame give people’s opinions weight in totally unrelated topics?

    1. Karen S – LeBron went directly from high school to the pros. That should settle all of your questions. 😉

      1. “LeBron went directly from high school to the pros. That should settle all of your questions.”

        Steve Cur graduated from Arizona and Greg popovich has a degree in Soviet Studies from the Air Force Academy. That hasn’t immunized them from being blathering morons.

        So Karen’s question is not settled by LBJ’S relative lack of education.

      2. The thing a college degree helps most is the college not the graduate that runs up a huge debt for that degree. now they want the government to pay it off. What about the tax payer whos son didn’t go to college does he get a couple hundred thousand too.

    2. Why does fame give people’s opinions weight in totally unrelated topics?

      Karen,
      The economics of information, or thought supply and demand. As long as we have an abundance of intellectually lazy and ignorant consumers of information, we’ll have an abundance of suppliers ready and willing to provide it.

  4. Read a f..king history book mespo, We already lived this once.

    As this blog’s marky mark would sometimes offer; Pro tip: if you ever find yourself recommending mespo read a history book, you are 100% certain to be wrong…again. And after the last 3 years, you’re not showing any signs that you’re about to have that aha moment.

    2. Yeah…I tried to explain to a sports nut that they gave him the name, “King James” like the Bible and the mockery coding…23 and 6… I am sure he is throwing gang signs too…But you will get crickets from most ppl. A sideways look.

      But some like Gematria and some don’t and some have no idea what you are talking about…

      1. Have you ever seen those tidal wave pools, waves can be dangerous if too many ppl are in the pool, but mesmerizing to watch…just a giant wave crashing down.

  7. “LeBron James ‘is not a Muhammad Ali,’ boxer’s ex-wife claims”

    https://nypost.com/2019/10/15/lebron-james-is-not-a-muhammad-ali-boxers-ex-wife-claims/

    ‘…she insisted that “you have to stay [the] course when it comes to human, respect, human rights, human liberty.”

    “In Lebron’s shoes, I would stand up for the people in Hong Kong,” she said.

    “You cannot stand aside and not, you know, be a part of somebody who’s fighting for their rights, fighting for their freedom.”’

  8. LeBron James’ comments re China are simply parallels to how the U.S. pharmaceutical industry operates, and what the U.S., the U.K., France, and Canada did re the Saudi murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi: placing money ahead of morality. (In the case of Khashoggi, those countries didn’t want to forfeit lucrative weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, so they just tut-tutted a bit, nothing that would jeopardize business).

    What’s on view in all these cases — is simply “capitalism”. Perhaps time to rethink your general support of unfettered capitalism, Mr. Turley? The so-called “free market” has no morality, and by definition it never will have any. It doesn’t care what (weapons, opiods, whatever) it sells to who, whether it has to curtail Constitutionally-guaranteed free speech because of Chinese objections, or whether necessary products (i.e. cancer medications) get produced and are affordable. All it cares about is maximizing profit. That’s why weapons get sold to the Saudis, opiods were provided like candy to drug addicts, and why there is currently a shortage of the cancer drug vincristine, vital to treat leukemia and other cancers in children.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/health/cancer-drug-shortage.html

    Capitalism might be made to work adequately for human needs if strongly regulated and taxed — but we’ve had nearly four decades of selfish, greedy Republican conservatism intent on reducing regulations and taxes, and almost-as-bad Democratic neoliberalism colluding with them on that, so no wonder why this and numerous other countries of the mis-named “enlightened West” are falling apart.

    1. Kashoggi had the disadvantage of being credibly accused of not being an innocent himself. Additionally he was one person as opposed to an entire state. If you are going to self micturate over Kashoggi, you need to be screaming for the person or persons who ordered the killing of the Al-awlakis, to be tried for murder. If not, then shut up.
      As for Lebron, he simply exposed the vacuity and hypocrisy of many SWJs. Not to worry though, he’ll issue a few anti Trump Tweets and remarks and all will be forgiven.

      1. Seth Rich, Joseph Rago, etc., the list is as long in America as it is in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. For crying out loud, Allen Dulles, J. Edgar Hoover, Carlos Marcelo, the CIA, FBI, Mob, Intel Agencies, Texas Oilmen et al. took out John F. Kennedy. Kashoggi is but a drop in the bucket; an absolutely inconsequential affair. Google Mena, Arkansas.

        https://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2016/08/10/the-list-of-clinton-associates-whove-died-mysteriously-check-it-out/

        Here’s my favorite:

        “VEROPHARM”

        Joseph Rago –

        “Wall Street Journal Reporter Asks Russia For “Clinton Information” —-Turns Up DEAD 2 Days Later”

        “A Wall Street Journal Editor who was investigating how a Russian
        Pharmaceutical firm could have been purchased in 2014 by an American
        Pharmaceutical firm while Sanctions against Russia existed against such
        business transactions, has been found dead in his New York City
        apartment. The crux of the dead journalists investigation was how
        then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton influenced the transaction to be
        finalized, but only AFTER her husband Bill was paid $500,000 for giving
        a speech in Moscow.

        The Russia Consulate General’s office in New York City was contacted
        by Wall Street Journal reporter/editor Joseph Rago who requested a
        Thursday (20 July) in person interview with consular officials regarding
        an upcoming article he was preparing on Hillary Clinton and her links
        to Russia. Rago failed to attend the meeting and was later discovered
        dead in his apartment of as yet “unknown causes” just hours prior to
        this meeting occurring.”

        http://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news/world-news/878-wall-street-journal-reporter-asks-russia-for-clinton-information-2-days-later-turns-up-dead

      2. AL Awaki was involved in and inspired numerous acts of terror against the US which resulted in scores of dead Americans. Anyone defending him is a n American hating traitor.

    2. Thous shalt not covet.

      Thou shalt not promote a covetocracy.

      Thank God for scientists who work for money making pharmaceuticals that save lives and cure people. I don’t care about your condition or what you think. I and many others have benefited immensely from pharmaceuticals and I absolutely love pharmaceutical scientists and companies. You need to spontaneously curtail your freedom of speech. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Your problem is jealousy. If you’re simply jealous of the success of pharmaceutical companies, the solution is to buy their equity and participate. Let me disabuse you here and now of your imagined superiority. You have nothing to complain about except your own failures. Oh, my bad. You have tons to complain about.

      Caveat Emptor is a subset of Freedom and Self-Reliance, the American thesis.

      1. So, George, you like the priorities and economic model of the pharmaceutical industry, such as charging $500 for insulin that costs $5 to produce, and failing to produce vital cancer drugs for children in adequate quantities, while cranking out lifestyle drugs in abundance?

        Is there anything that they, or unfettered capitalism in general, could do that you wouldn’t be an apologist for, George?

        There might be pharmaceutical treatment available for your state of mind. Or perhaps not.

        1. I absolutely love freedom, free enterprise and the free markets of the private sector. You know what it allows? Competition. If you can build a better mouse trap; do a better job, go out and open your own pharmaceutical or any other type of company. Americans, by their Constitution, are free. Go take advantage of your freedom and acumen and create the products you advocate for. Don’t be jealous. Don’t covet. Don’t criticize. Compete and beat the competition.

          It’s easy, right. Making efficacious pharmaceuticals is cheap and easy, right?

          You go, boy.

          Alternatively, you could say thank you to the pharmaceutical companies for effectively treating your diseases .

          1. You wouldn’t love the 19th century after being spoiled in an America with hard won workers rights and health and safety standards.

            PS I’ve stayed in business competing for many years. That’s not a platitude to me.

        2. Biologist:

          What blockbuster drugs or novel therapies have any of the 100 or so failed Socialist states put out? Venezuela give their patients a plastic water bottle and prescribe for them to go find a clean water source, and that’s the extent of their free healthcare. The former USSR had long bread lines. Do you think they were cranking out INDs?

          You specifically targeted capitalism…the economic system that encouraged private innovation, resulting in electricity, the light bulb, the automobile, the airplane, the personal computer, the telephone, the smart phone…

          Socialist countries are not technological or pharmaceutical innovators. And before you start, the PM of Denmark had to come out and say this: “I know that some people in the US associate the Nordic model with some sort of socialism. Therefore I would like to make one thing clear. Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy.”

          By all means, find funding for R&D for orphan disorders, but if you destroy capitalism, it will plunge us into the dark ages of medicine.

    3. Biologist:

      “The so-called “free market” has no morality, and by definition it never will have any. It doesn’t care what (weapons, opiods, whatever) it sells to who, whether it has to curtail Constitutionally-guaranteed free speech because of Chinese objections, or whether necessary products (i.e. cancer medications) get produced and are affordable. All it cares about is maximizing profit.”
      *****************

      Proof yet again that experts in one field can be fools in others. A cursory reading of the father of capitalism, Adam Smith (who wrote the “Wealth of Nations” (abb.)), discloses nothing of the kind bleated out above. His later and greater work (by his own assessment) “The Theory of Moral Sentiments” expressly set forth the moral foundation of capitalism far different than “Biologist’s sophomoric talking point understanding of the system that buoyed him but that he obviously deplores.

      Here is Smith in TMS (pp. 132-3) explaining the necessity and existence of altruism in a capitalist system:

      𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓𝑖𝑠ℎ, ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑜𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒? 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑒𝑛; 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠, 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦, 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠? 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑓𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓-𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟, 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛, 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒, 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛ℎ𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑠, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑢𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒, 𝑖𝑛 𝑛𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑡; 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑜 𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑤𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑎𝑏ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓-𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑦𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒; 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑏𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑛𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑟, 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑑, 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑠 𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑒𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒, 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠; 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒, 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑢𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠.

      Not really Biologist’s or his Leftist clan’s fault as notions such as honor, dignity, grandeur, dignity and superior character are an anathema to them.

      1. Fine platitudes by mespo’s muse but I think the biologist understands survival in the jungle more clearly, or maybe mespo just didn’t get around to slavery, child labor in factories, and other grisly exploitations of labor in the 19th century until labor fought back,

        Mespo’s pose of intellectual and moral superiority is a bad joke.

        1. Anon1:

          Like most of the savage Left you know nothing about that which you hate. I don’t claim superiority. I simply claim I understand the concepts I either like or dislike. That means some work in research of the topic.

          Biologist proves he is neither versed in the history nor the literature. My guess is that you’ve read neither WON nor TMS. Yet you dismiss monumental works by your real intellectual superiors as “platitudes.” You ought to stick to what you know — talking points, lies, deceptions and intellectual dishonesty.

          I await the Left’s dismal day of reckoning. It’s the fate of all know-nothings.

          1. I made my point and see no need to repeat it, except to note I have owned a business and made payroll now every Friday for 41 years and I also know the history of the 19th century which was an age of unbridled capitalism. I don’t need to read books by theorists on the morality of capitalism when examples abound in that history and in the present. It is no reflection on the overall character of those i- like me – who enter business to note that relying on that character alone and without constraints will result in mirroring the best and worst among us, and the public will bear the fruits and the horrors.

            1. “I have owned a business and made payroll now every Friday for 41 years ”

              Not only that but Anon did his own taxes. Give this guy a medal. He has repeated this so many times one has to wonder about the strength of his ego.

              “I don’t need to read books…”

              You don’t need to do anything, except perhaps stop spouting nonsense.

            2. Anon1:

              “I have owned a business and made payroll now every Friday for 41 years and I also know the history of the 19th century which was an age of unbridled capitalism. I don’t need to read books by theorists on the morality of capitalism when examples abound in that history and in the present.”

              ******************

              I’m betting you couldn’t finish a work like either of those. You making payroll for 41 years qualifies you precisely to make payroll, not challenge Adam Smith (who in one sitting thought better and deeper than you could in a lifetime) on economic theory. Your knowledge of the 19th Century is equally skewed and skin-deep ignoring the massive outbreaks of altruism throughout the period — which btw was when the word was coined by Auguste Comte. Andrew Carnegie mean anything to you? How about the Red Cross (1863)? Peabody Trust (1862) and the Guinness Trust (1890)? There are scores more.

              You’re the classic Leftist know-nothing who thinks they know everything. You aren’t erudite; you’re pathetic to any of us who spent our time examining our views in the context of history rather than reading talking points. It’s too bad, you might have had a chance to be educated. Your only established point is that you haven’t done the work to be listened to or believed.

            3. I also know the history of the 19th century which was an age of unbridled capitalism.

              Actually, an age of farming, small-scale manufacturing, and small merchantry for the most part.

                1. In 1880 in this country, about 40% of the heads of households in this country listed their occupation as ‘farmer’ to the census enumerator. There were a small number of others (low single digit %) who listed other agricultural occupations (e.g. fishing, timber harvesting, share cropping, planting &c). About 12% listed themselves as ‘laborers’. The remainder listed some sort of trade or profession in the non-agricultural sphere. About 2% listed themselves as as a miner. About 1.3% listed themselves as working in mills or working as foremen. Less than 1% listed an occupation specific to railroads. About 1% listed themselves as clerks. One of the more common occupations was carpenter (2.8% so listed).

                  1. True enough. The census bureau listed those living in rural areas between 1801-1900 as ranging from 80-65%. That number shrunk as time went by. I chose the mid-range.

            4. Anon1, your Marxism is showing. Americans are free. They engage in free enterprise. The term, capitalism, was engendered by Marx as a pejorative. The only thing that matters, Sunday notwithstanding, is producing goods and services that generate revenue which, in turn, creates wealth. Marx could commandeer and expend wealth but he had no inclination or capacity to create it. Without the creation of wealth by free people engaged in free enterprise, there is nothing; no pie to slice. Parasitic communists are not only unconstitutional, they are complete failures until they subsume and enslave people who create wealth through the conduct of free enterprise.

          2. mespo – one thing I learned about those in science is that some can have a very narrow focus of expertise, that gives them delusions of grandeur on all topics which, strangely, they do not research.

            The absent minded professor is a real phenomenon. In addition, there are biologists who have an astounding grasp of the mating habits and distribution of the North American gray tree frog, but have absolutely no idea how capitalism works, or that socialism is bad. A surprising number of people in the sciences think socialism is just grand. If only they, the elites, were put in charge, why socialism would finally work! Sure, they don’t know anything about economics, human nature, or clearly the murderous history of socialist regimes, but they can file grant proposals, so how hard could it be to run the world???

            I have no idea if “Biologist” is anything of the sort, but Professor Turley has discussed the growing Leftist bias in academia through the years. It’s certainly possible.

            https://thinkprogress.org/why-are-these-american-academics-helping-a-sanctioned-russian-oligarch-1d1fa57c98e1/

        2. “Fine platitudes by mespo’s muse but I think the biologist understands survival in the jungle more clearly, or maybe mespo just didn’t get around to slavery, child labor in factories, and other grisly exploitations of labor in the 19th century until labor fought back,”

          quite a bit wrong with this. You and the biologist need to do more reading. For one thing, slavery has nothing to do with capitalism, you can read marx on this point, if you need to have it clarified for you. You’re not smart enough to realize that you cut the legs out from under the biologist’s semi-coherent post. He said: “The so-called “free market” has no morality, and by definition it never will have any.” Well, child labor and the other exploitations of labor which you yourself indicate are limited to the 19th century are gone, but market capitalism is still here.

          What’s up with that?

          1. Exploitative practices by capitalists continued into the early 20th century when it came under more and more control by progressive government practices. Of course capitalism is still here, but under those controls and restrictions. Beyond the benefits to workers we have also managed to minimize the extremes of boom and bust cycles inherent in it’s nature.

            1. “Beyond the benefits to workers we have also managed to minimize the extremes of boom and bust cycles inherent in it’s nature.”

              Well, I’m glad you’ve come around to our way of seeing things.

  9. All Americans should be demanding the rights and freedoms of their Constitution and Bill of Rights for all citizens of the world. Nature and God are unlimited, universal and infinite. If it’s natural and God-given, it is everywhere. The American Founders understood that citizens enjoy all conceivable, natural and God-given rights and freedoms and that government shall be severely limited and restricted to the role of simply and merely facilitating the rights and freedoms of individuals through the provision of security and infrastructure (i.e. general Welfare) while leaving regulation to each particular private industry and establishing courts for redress (constitutional “redress of grievances” does not mean amendment of the Constitution). Freedom (i.e. absolute private property), free enterprise, free markets and self-reliance with governance that exists only to support it.

    The Communist Manifesto is a warrant for enslavement and dictatorship.

    .

  10. Here the SCMP shows an angry Chinese granny scolding the young protesters for blocking streets, stopping regular people from going to work, attacking police, and plotting violence. very eloquent!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPYuGYLesx0

    the overzealous protesters are completely losing whatever sympathy they had among mainland Chinese, though, apparently they are oblivious to the opinions of their countrymen in that place’s version of “Flyover”

    I too find it embarrassing that they’re festooning the red white and blue alongside their now violent protests

    America should not embroil itself overmuch with the internal domestic affairs of other nations. There is a principle of international law called “sovereignty” which from the time of peace of Westphalia several centuries ago, has stopped a lot of trouble and the US government should certainly be respecting it in HK. if there is a bill to interfere in this in Congress I think it’s a fool’s errand.

    I say this even as I encourage the US to continue aggressive trade negotiations, maintain its defensive agreements with Taiwan, to push back against PRC over-reach in the South China sea, and to moderately increase criticism of the detention camps in Xinjiang.

  11. I was full of sympathy for the HK protesters in the beginning and impressed with their large and peaceful demonstrations. The mainland courts are corrupt and nobody there wants to be subject to removal to those venues.

    However since then they have engaged in many acts of criminal mischief and felonious bad conduct:

    countless acts of vandalism of government and private buildings
    arson of public and private buildings
    hurling molotov cocktails at police
    physically attacking police including a knife attack to a policeman’s neck over the weekend
    blocking subways and public right of ways so people can’t get to work

    and over the weekend this bad act– first homemade bomb used

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/world/asia/hong-kong-bomb-ied.html

    the HK police have been VERY restrained.

    in America they would have rolled out MRAPs and done every thing the HK police have done and a lot more

    the Chicoms are treading very lightly in HK, because obviously somebody has transitioned this from a large peaceful protest into a destabilization posture.

    I wonder who? Same experts in destabilization that planning coup in America? just guessing
    mmm, “christians in action” perhaps?
    maybe they should be called “Chaos Inc Associates” instead

    I’m not sure the world will be a better, safer place if HK degenerates into open violence.

    You would not expect the US to put up with this kind of riotous disorder so why should we expect it of the PRC?

    and yes HK is part of the PRC like it or not

    1. Mr Kurtz – when the Hong Kong police shot a 12 year old in the chest at 5 feet, they lost my support. The video is unnerving.

      1. Paul, I think that Kurtz is trying to draw a type of moral equivalency but the Chinese leaders are despotic and those in Hong Kong are trying to maintain the freedom they are used to.

      2. Oh no!!! I hadn’t heard. I only heard about the protester who was shot while swinging a metal rod at the police, but that was an adult.

        Hong Kong should have joined the UK. In the rush to distance itself from colonialism, the UK gave back land that had been granted it in perpetuity by the former dynasty, in addition to the land leased for 99 years. Instead of worrying about the country’s own reputation as colonizers, those in Parliament should have considered the fate of those in Hong Kong, used to Western freedoms. They should have either incorporated HK into the UK, or granted the people of HK the option of citizenship in the UK, and a ticket to leave that island. That kind of in between status of a British National is not citizenship.

        1. Karen S – as of last night, there were roughly 2 million protesters on the streets of Hong Kong. They have now declared martial law. BTW, they are selling shirts with LeBron in a Mao Revolution outfit.

            1. David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me thirty-eight citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, after forty-six weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. – which stuff?????

  12. OK, I think we are looking at this thing all wrong.Obviously China has a lot of influence, sooo:
    ——–
    Dear China,

    How are you? Fine I hope. Hey, I was wondering if you guys could do us a solid??? You have a lot of influence over sports teams and league. so maybe you could use your position to encourage these players to quit taking a knee for dead black criminal thugs. II know that law and order is very important to you. And, on this whole trannies-in-the-ladies-room thingy – I mean that is sooo outside The Way. Plus, the whole pro-Gay stuff itself. I know you guys do not let gays pretend to be married, or adopt children, or even have those atrocious Gay Pride parades, so maybe you could put a bug in the ears of our virtue-signalling folks, The Baizuo???

    Plus, we have a really bad illegitimate kid thing going on with our black women. Can you believe this – 77.3% of black Americans are born outside of marriage! I know you guys take a really dim view of this, and do not reward them in any way in your country. But here in America, we actually support these ghettopotamii financially! We pay their rent, and their food, and other stuff. And the more b*st*rds they produce, the more we pay them! If America did not have to pay for these losers, just think of all the stuff we could buy from you!

    Sooo, I am hoping you will help us out, because it will also help you!

    Thank you,

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

    1. Old Joe Biden actually said (with a straight overly Botoxed face) that when he is president, he will ‘build on the squeaky clean transparent environment we had in the Obama Biden White House’….

      Hey Squeeky, have you thought about changing your handle to: “Squeeky Clean (Like the Obama/Biden White House)”….Hahahahaha!

    2. The Greeks created democracy with restrictions on the vote which the Romans perpetuated. The American Founders required citizens to be “…free white person(s)…” (de facto vote restriction) and voters to generally be Male, European, 21 with 50 lbs. Sterling or 50 acres. “Crazy Abe” Lincoln understood that oil and water do not mix as he favored compassionate repatriation for the benefit of the freed slaves:

      “If all earthly power were given me,” said Lincoln in a speech delivered in Peoria, Illinois, on October 16, 1854, “I should not know what to do, as to the existing institution [of slavery]. My first impulse would be to free all the slaves, and send them to Liberia, to their own native land.” After acknowledging that this plan’s “sudden execution is impossible,” he asked whether freed blacks should be made “politically and socially our equals?” “My own feelings will not admit of this,” he said, “and [even] if mine would, we well know that those of the great mass of white people will not … We can not, then, make them equals.”

      To forcibly mix the oil and water, America now requires the emulsifiers of irrefutably unconstitutional generational welfare, affirmative action, quotas, food stamps, forced busing, unfair “Fair Housing” laws, “Non-Discrimination” laws, rent control, WIC, TANF, HAMP, HARP, HUD, HHS, etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

      The American Republic has been mortally betrayed.
      ___________________________________

      “O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!”

      – Sir Walter Scott
      ___________________________

      We gave you “…a republic, if you can keep it.”

      – Ben Franklin, 1787
      ________________

      We gave you ” …a republic, if you can take it back.”

      – Ben Franklin, 2019 (paraphrased)
      ____________________________

      “If you’ve got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.”

      – Theodore Roosevelt
      __________________

      So get ’em! George Washington and the American Revolutionaries did!

      1. P.S.

        “Crazy Abe” Lincoln was an abject electoral aberration-cum-crime and a national atrocity.

        “Crazy Abe” un-won 1860 with 38.9% of the vote and he won 1864 with brute military force.

        – “Crimes and Cover-ups in American Politics: 1776-1963” — Donald Jeffries

  13. The structural problem with entertainment figures is that now and again they conjoin an inclination to display themselves with a very spotty storehouse of things to display. Most of them have a sense of what their vocation is and stick to it. (A few make a positive contribution to public discussion, or at least one worth responding to).

  14. I just think that, when you’re misinformed or you’re not educated about something – and I’m just talking about the tweet itself – you never know the ramifications that can happen.

    If only he had the self-awareness to take his own advice. He, like so many others, lives in a bubble that protects him from being an average participant of the everyday world. It reminds me of the Chicago teacher’s union group that toured Venezuela and found no evidence the socialist regime was doing harm to its people.

    1. OLLY – I remember the teachers’ union and our wondering which Potemkin villages they were taken too?

    2. Olly, no doubt that Trump’s street cred and keeping it real is what drew you to him.

      1. Anon1 has an amazing ability to turn every single comment and post around to Trump. He really does live rent-free inside your head 24/7, doesn’t he? 🙂

        2. 🙂 I have colleagues that will read this blog from time to time and they are fascinated at just how detached from reality Anon1, Natacha and Hill are. Those three have become there own The Far Side cartoon.

          1. Olly, do your “colleagues” read them while their sign is turned to “SLOW” or “STOP”?

            Safety first!

      2. LOL! Every time you post this tripe, it warms my heart to know you and your ilk will soon have to come to grips with a reality you’ve been in denial of for 3 years. Keep it up, the archives appreciate your continued contribution.

  15. This is an interesting free speech problem. The NBA has shut down its players, coaches, owners, etc. and it all happens at the same time as the Blizzard scandal. And Blizzard is feeling the pain of it’s poor decision to back the Chinese mainland.

      1. I could care less what lebron thinks about anything. including battibaw

        remember the cheech and chong song ? battibaw jones. that’s lebron

        that’s humor in case folks never heard of cheech and chong look it up on youtube

        1. Alachua County, florida is the seat of the University of Florida, the largest state university in all of the SE USA and gets the largest percentage of state funds compared to the other state universities of Florida. Plus UF has the athletic association that can rightly brag about its “Gators” cash cow, a multimmilion dollar revenue maker

          Now what do you think a state university does with so much money? Attract phkk ups to Alachua like Anon1, Planned Parenthood, Left wing anarchist organizations and liberal democrat politicos. The Gainesville Sun is the most liberal newspaper in Florida. Alachua County for the first time in 100 years elected a Republican to the US House in 2013. The reason is because of Black race baiting former Rep. Corrine Brown who is now in prison, Look who is standing with Brown in the video:

          So yes, Anon1 is bat sh!t crazy

          1. Anonynous – one wonders what Anon1’s turn-over is in employees if s/he is batshit crazy.

    1. funny sort of marxism this.

      NIKE shoes bought in china from authorized retailers, not black market, and not “jia de” fake ones, cost about 5 times what they do here. or more.

  19. Another sort of high school educated, woke jockass opining on matters above his pay grade. Self-professed expert on America’s flaws he misses the greatest denier of civil rights on the planet. Hail Commissar James. Keep that ball a bouncin and the checks rolling in while the people of Hong Kong burn. Sports hero? Hardly.. he’s got that Max Schmeling feel to him

    2. “Another sort of high school educated, woke jockass opining on matters above his pay grade.”

      To be strictly literal about it, his pay grade probably exceeds the combined pay grades of everybody who has checked this blog in the past month.

      But it’s true that he’s full of crap. The thing is he’s got a variety of projects that depend on the good will of the chinese authorities. If he wants his upcoming movie to be shown in china, then he’s got some asses to kiss over there. God forbid he should have to get by on his NBA salary and other non-chinese revenue streams.

  20. Why do we assume that because Mr. LeBron has great physical skills, that he has equal mental and moral abilities?

    Let’s admire his physical abilities and then ignore his public statements.

    We should not take moral advice from an athlete.

          1. YNOT, tell us what you thought was stupid or is this just another one of those stupid remarks you always make?

      2. “Agree. Why is this on JT’s blog?”

        It seems to me JT put it on the blog partly for the purpose of making the the point that we should not be taking moral advice from athletes (I would expand the category to celebrities in general.)

        Back in 2016, I was mystified as to why anyone would care that LeBron endorsed Hillary Clinton. I mean, did Justin Bieber make an endorsement? Did Miley Cyrus make an endorsement? I recall that Madonna tendered an offer of oral sex to anyone who would vote for Hillary, which in my book worked like an anti-endorsement, though, to my continuing regret, I voted for hillary anyway.

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