On the other hand, Lebron James' statement last week sounded he was reading directly from something written by a CCP propaganda minister.

"When you're misinformed or not educated about something, you never know the ramifications of what can happen."

https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols/status/11839322750727208...

Is it within the realm of possibility that the vast majority of Americans are in fact uneducated and misinformed about what daily life in China is like? Or even the broad strokes of history there?

What % of Americans could even tell you the names of the last 3 dynasties?

> What % of Americans could even tell you the names of the last 3 dynasties?

What percent of Chinese could name the first 3 American Presidents? Who cares and how does that have anything to do with the modern political climate? The average American does not need to be aware of the country's history to disagree with the actions and posturing of the current government.

I wouldn't say that Chinese should hold strong opinions on how we run our country, either.

But for what it's worth, the average educated Chinese knows far more about America than vice-versa. These threads are great evidence.

You _absolutely_ should have an awareness of culture and history in order to offer meaningful criticism.

Flip it around with gun control.. The rest of the world by-and-large does not agree with American gun policy. But how seriously are Americans going to take the criticism of people who don't have an understanding of American revolutionary history? If you actually care about effecting change you definitely need to understand the context.

Sure, lets flip it around for gun control. The same argument applies. The rest of the developed world is absolutely correct not to agree with American gun policy. It's dangerously antiquated and has failed to adapt to changing times and improvements in technology. Other western countries have experienced revolutions and years of conflict far exceeding that of the US, yet the US is the only one to cling to guns so tightly.

History is meant to be studied so that we do not repeat past mistakes. It is not meant to be used an excuse to continue to make them.

Also, you absolutely do not need to be versed in Chinese history to disagree with forced organ harvesting, forced abortion, "re-education" (read internment) camps for Muslims, mass government surveillance, social credit systems, etc.

what is the rationalization for why that quote is so terrible to you?

I believe you're either misinformed or not really educated on the situation. When you say things or do things, you know people that can be affected by it, and the families of those individuals and everyone that can be affected by it. Sometimes things can be challenging as well.

( see, this works as a nonsense dismissive remark to anyone or anything )

I don't see.. I genuinely believe that people should not be so eager to form opinions, that issues are always more complex than they seem, and that people should be mindful of the consequences. That's what the quote means to me at face value, so I am interested in seeing why it is being singled out as "something written by a CCP propaganda minister."

Additionally, it's the hypocrisy of a global icon. There is a cinematic in the video game NBA2k that truly puts it into light [1]. James' production company helped write and produce it, they're his words.

It hurts, and is terribly disappointing.

[1] https://streamable.com/jxkz0

I guess it comes out so terrible because Lebron has been very vocal on many other civil matters, and has labelled himself as someone who speaks his beliefs.

From his past positions people would have expected him to be pro-HK, instead he’s asking people to basically shut up. Him bringing warnings that all of this could hurt financially is the most unexpected angle to most of his followers.

I recreationally troll the wumao "50 cent army" on social media, and his statement sounds eerily similar to the arguments I often see from them on the subject of Hong Kong: both in content and language choice.