Time for a history lesson:
1492: Columbus discovers America.
1776: Declaration of Independence signed.
1918: America wins the Great War.
1945: America rescues world, again.
1991: Third time’s a charm. America saves world by winning the Cold War, securing human rights and religious freedoms for hundreds of millions, and inspiring billions to fight for liberty.
2000s: Political correctness sweeps a complacent nation, allowing falsehoods to demonize those who built America into the world’s beacon of light.
2019: P.C. morphs into the Wave of Intolerance. The Betsy Ross flag is banned by Nike and a Major League Soccer team, yet the Chinese flag is flown at Philadelphia City Hall, fans are ejected from a 76ers game for signs supporting Hong Kongers, and the NBA kowtows to China at the expense of American freedoms.
My, how soon we forget.
China’s ascent is coming at the expense of America’s decline. The People’s Republic (PRC) is a growing superpower hellbent on challenging America’s hegemony at every turn. In addition to its military buildup, China gains influence by throwing money at countries and institutions. And, not surprisingly, the National Basketball Association sits on that list, as the League’s nauseating kowtowing demonstrated.
It started when Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for embattled Hong Kongese. His seven words (“Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”) set off an international firestorm that saw the NBA praise China; the PRC slam Morey; Morey retract his statement; American fans ejected for expressing an opinion; and Lebron James condemn Morey while seemingly supporting China’s regime.
This is so foul that laying out the facts is a slam dunk in exposing the NBA’s hypocrisy.
Naturally, Morey apologized: “I’ve had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives.” But why apologize? What “other perspectives” are there? Does anyone, Chinese or American, really believe that Morey had a genuine about-face, and now truly believes that it’s all rainbows and unicorns in Hong Kong, and that the Chinese government isn’t repressing the people?
Apologies have become meaningless. They don’t offer remorse, but instead show that the apologizer is controlled by a more-powerful entity that will publicly humiliate anyone bucking the establishment.
How do people not understand that courage is rewarded by the American people? But instead of holding fast, the “offenders” almost always “walk back” their statements, getting the worst of all worlds because their scripted apologies satisfy no one.
The NBA is playing both sides. Commissioner Adam Silver seemed to back Morey, citing freedom of expression. Yet the NBA released a statement calling Morey’s comments “regrettable” because they “deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China.” Further, the NBA used a Chinese media company to make the same statement, but, according to reports, it translated very differently: “Extremely disappointed in Morey's inappropriate statement. No doubt he's severely hurt the feelings of (Chinese) fans.”
So which is it?
China’s response was swift: its Houston consulate stated that it “was deeply shocked by (Morey’s) erroneous comments,” and urged the Rockets “to correct the error and take immediate concrete measures to eliminate the adverse impact…Anybody with conscience would support the efforts…to safeguard Hong Kong’s social stability.”
What a relief knowing how much China cares about Hong Kong’s “social stability.” Of course, if it hadn’t reneged on its legal agreement guaranteeing Hong Kongers freedoms for fifty years, there wouldn’t be social instability.
Additionally, China removed Rockets’ merchandise from stores, cut sponsorships, and canceled events. All because of seven words.
But the worst response belongs to Lebron James. Playing geo-political strategist extraordinaire, James condemned Morey, stating, “…at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you're not thinking about others, when you only think about yourself…I believe (Morey) wasn't educated on the situation….people could have been harmed, not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually.”
Sorry, but Lebron can’t have it both ways. He can’t fight racial injustice and police brutality against blacks, but turn a blind eye toward Hong Kongers facing potential annihilation — and then criticize those who support the freedom fighters. Instead, he should be asking Hong Kongers and mainland Chinese alike if they’ve ever been “harmed financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually” by their government. Ignorance is bliss, huh?
It might interest Lebron to learn that there were Americans who had fortunes greater than his, yet didn’t worry about offending oppressors. Instead, they risked it all for the right to be free, and many lost everything: fortunes, homes, families, freedom, and even their lives. They were America’s Founding Fathers, and as a direct result of their courage, people like Lebron James got the opportunity to live a peaceful life of privilege and prosperity.
May the wings of American liberty never lose a feather.
Chris Freind is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, Freindly Fire Zone Media. Read more reports from Chris Freind — Click Here Now.
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