The recent Morey incident has rekindled my long-lost curiosity about current affairs.
Initially, my thought was to be a bystander, as I didn't have much understanding of the situation in Hong Kong at the time. I only saw various reports indicating that Hong Kong seemed to be unstable.
By the time I returned to fill this gap, it was already 2020. The reason I didn't continue writing was that, after starting, I put it down for a while, and my feelings weren't as strong anymore. Additionally, I didn't want to bring overly sensitive topics into my blog.
First of all, my basic stance is that I love my country, oppose all forms of foreign interference in our domestic affairs, and oppose all self-righteous individuals who take the opportunity to express views detrimental to stability.
Secondly, I have some of my own opinions on the direction of this public opinion.
First, his remarks are definitely wrong.
As a management team of a club that heavily relies on the Chinese market, it can be understood to have such thoughts in its limited public opinion environment, but publicly expressing such views on social media is absolutely wrong.
Second, it is reasonable and correct for domestic media to condemn him.
Domestic media has the obligation to correct his erroneous views in the international public opinion arena and the responsibility to explain our views on issues related to Hong Kong internationally.
Third, the extensive reporting domestically, guiding public opinion, is not entirely without reason.
In this incident, compared to direct reporting on the situation in Hong Kong, it may be more appealing to some people. This reminds more of the public to actively understand the situation in Hong Kong, which has its positive effects.
Fourth, the "public sanctions" from various sectors of society related to his business.
The most direct impact is that the Rockets' broadcasts have been gradually canceled on various platforms. Following that, various platforms no longer report news related to the Rockets, and the NBA has also implemented related measures, treating Rockets players and jerseys in a special manner.
Throughout this entire process, it feels like one can no longer accept it as calmly as before, because some logic is very awkward.
First, regarding the broadcasting issue, the Rockets' manager made remarks, leading to the suspension of the Rockets' games. At first glance, this seems reasonable. However, another point is that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's statements did not actually oppose Morey's remarks. If the influence and severity of the error are comparable to Morey's, then why are other NBA games not suspended? Is it because the relationship between other teams and Morey is not as direct? Or is it simply because there is a larger overall interest at stake that cannot be suspended?
Secondly, those involved certainly stand on the side of the country and scoff at Morey and others. But do they have to sacrifice their economic interests to express their feelings? Further, can we be tolerant enough to grant these individuals the decision-making power over their personal actions? The reality seems to suggest otherwise. Public opinion praises those who loudly declare their separation from him (and their economic interests). Public opinion will find those who are concerned about their economic interests; not everyone, but there will always be some who will question their feelings towards the country. These "public sanctions" indeed affected the earnings of Morey and others, but the losses of related professionals among compatriots are much greater.
Thirdly, these "public sanctions" are superficial. In forums, one cannot call out the team name, but discussions still happen; it's not difficult to come up with alternative names. In community-driven news reports, one cannot directly mention the team name, but there are always other ways to report. Official channels do not broadcast, but there are always other ways to access the content. Players' jerseys in the game have changed, the team names on cards have changed, but for the sake of making a living, the game continues to operate, and for leisure, players still click on various cards.
In summary, I sincerely hope that when public media guides everyone to express patriotism, the methods and approaches should be reconsidered. The country should be loved, but it should also try to understand its compatriots. Sacrificing one's interests to express one's attitude should be seen as a normal personal behavior. It should not be promoted as a model to implicitly coerce others. This way, it would also avoid the superficial public sanctions mentioned above.