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You don't understand how things work in China. It has nothing to do with ethics. You give up free speech so you can make a few bucks in China. But in the lo
by dear 7y ago
You don't understand how things work in China. It has nothing to do with ethics. You give up free speech so you can make a few bucks in China. But in the long run they will only let their own companies thrive. Those the communist party can control. You will be eaten alive.
- discoverfly 7y agoHow do you know how things work in China? It's not about free speech. It's about boycotting the support of splitting a country. If a company says that American Civil War and Lincoln is evil and illegal. It's free speech. How American think about it?
- powerapple 7y agoI don't think that's a good example. No one cares about Lincoln. Culture difference. You cannot offend America as a whole, but definitely many chances to offend groups of Americans. And the consequences would be similar to this. Offending other countries is free of speech to all Americans, because no one inside America would complain. All media care about is the complaint letters, phone calls to their call center and politicians.
- seanmcdirmid 7y agoChina isn’t really that different. The people getting offended just have lots of power.
- neverartful 7y ago'No one cares about Lincoln.' Really?!! I beg to differ. He is considered the greatest president our country has ever had. He did everything he could to keep the country together during a very tenuous time. I do think that some people care about Lincoln.
- Knove 7y agoright! It's not about free speech. It's about boycotting the support of splitting a country!!!
- thawaway1837 7y agoLol. South Park has made fun of America and Lincoln many times. They’re still making videos and broadcasting them on national TV in the US. But a comparison to Winnie the Pooh is apparently something The Chinese premier can not handle.
- mrkstu 7y agoGreat question! The interesting thing is that President fought that war, in part, to fight for America’s highest value, freedom. So, in point of fact, China is treading upon the one area that is offensive to us almost unanimously, our freedom, in this case, of speech.
- powerapple 7y agoHow is China take away America's free speech? Yes, it is taking some money away, so what? You can still say whatever you want anyway. Why do people care about China anyway, China is not your mum. Just say what you want. Yes, you lose a few bucks. Also people shouldn't judge on others when they prefer bucks over a few statements. It is a free country anyway. Not a free-as-long-as-you-agree-with-me.
- yellowapple 7y ago> If a company says that American Civil War and Lincoln is evil and illegal. It's free speech. How American think about it? Well it's not like Americans have a long history of television, movies, music, and literature that are harshly critical and even outright mocking of past and current US presidents. Nobody ever depicts Donald Trump as an orange-skinned combover-wearing loon, or Michelle Obama as a health-fascist, or George W. Bush as a big-eared warmongering idiot. That would surely be unacceptable to any American!
- dragonwriter 7y ago> If a company says that American Civil War and Lincoln is evil and illegal. It's free speech. How American think about it? Plenty of Americans would agree with that, hence the popularity in America of the banner of the losers of that conflict.
- wutbrodo 7y agoOh sure, we've seen that pattern play out enough that I totally buy it. But "operating in China for some period of time" is still more profitable than "not operating there at all/leaving early for ethical reasons". The claim that kowtowing to their illiberal demands is short term gains and long term losses doesn't make any sense.
- yellowapple 7y agoYou're only addressing one side of the equation (i.e. the Chinese customers) and ignoring the other side (i.e. the non-Chinese customers). That's where the long-term death happens; if you alienate US customers in favor of Chinese customers (which is exactly what's happening right now), and then China shoves you out anyway in favor of Chinese businesses (which they inevitably will), then congrats, now you're worse off.