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Brian Kibler put it very well: http://bmkgaming.com/statement-on-blitzchung/ http://bmkgaming.com/statement-on-blitzchung/ > I do think that Blizzard was corr

Brian Kibler put it very well: http://bmkgaming.com/statement-on-blitzchung/ http://bmkgaming.com/statement-on-blitzchung/ > I do think that Blizzard was correct in issuing him a penalty for his actions. They do not want to set the precedent for their official broadcasts being used as political tools. The players agreed to particular rules for behavior, and he violated those rules. [..] > All that having been said, there are additional factors at play here. The punishment meted out to Blitzchung is incredibly harsh. I could understand a fine, or even a short suspension from competitive play, but removal from Grandmasters, clawing back the prizes he already earned, and banning him for a full year seems completely overboard to an extent that feels completely unwarranted and unfair. > I won’t pretend to understand either the intricacies of the geopolitical situation in China and Hong Kong or the full extent of Blizzard’s business interests there, but to me this penalty feels like it is deeply rooted in both. The heavy-handedness of it feels like someone insisted that Blizzard make an example of Blitzchung, not only to discourage others from similar acts in the future but also to appease those upset by the outburst itself. > That kind of appeasement is simply not something I can in good conscience be associated with. When I learned about the ruling, I reached out to Blizzard and informed them that I no longer feel comfortable casting the Grandmasters finals at BlizzCon. I will not be a smiling face on camera that tacitly endorses this decision. Unless something changes, I will have no involvement in Grandmasters moving forward. What isn't even mentioned there is that the two casters apparently got fired, too. They didn't know he was going to say that, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe they laughed supportingly, or didn't show enough disapproval, I haven't seen it. But the punishment was extremely heavy-handed and disproportionate at any rate, no matter how you look at it.

rjf72 7y ago
Here is the video [1] with complete context. Unfortunately I've yet to find a complete translated transcript. But from what I've read (from potentially unreliable sources) the casters said 'Go ahead and say those 8 words and we'll wrap up here. There's nothing else to talk about. Let's lower our heads.' He then said 'Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time' while wearing a gas mask. Guessing that's 8 words in Mandarin. They then laugh and clap. This is actually the thing that most frustrates me about these protests and issue in general. Finding complete, in context, recordings of the critical events is so incredibly difficult. This makes no sense since we are now in an era where everything is on camera from 500 different angles. But it is what it is. And of course providing in context video gets downvoted, because it makes the issues look less black and white. But that to me is the clearest example of idiocracy. We should not seek to create Hollywood villains and heroes in how things are presented. People should make judgments based on reality which, almost invariably, is more of a million shades of gray rather than good vs evil, right vs wrong. [1] - https://youtu.be/KyxO0Ea1_kM?t=2152 https://youtu.be/KyxO0Ea1_kM?t=2152
- PavlovsCat 7y ago
  Thank you so much for that! And I agree, even though I do support the protests in HK in their five demands, there is no need to exaggerate or cut away context, ever, and it happens habitually. Yet, trying to be fair, just adding very relevant information, often gets one put onto a "side" and treated accordingly. This, too, needs to be resisted. > Constructive criticism and self-criticism are extremely important for any revolutionary organization. Without them, people tend to drown in their mistakes, not learn from them. -- Assata Shakur > These people don’t see that if you encourage totalitarian methods, the time may come when they will be used against you instead of for you. Make a habit of imprisoning Fascists without trial, and perhaps the process won’t stop at Fascists. -- George Orwell, http://orwell.ru/library/novels/Animal_Farm/english/efp_go http://orwell.ru/library/novels/Animal_Farm/english/efp_go
  - vegan_zaddy 7y ago
    It's ironic that you appropriate two socialists that would most likely support the CPC and denounce the reactionaries in HK.

rjf72 7y ago

Here is the video [1] with complete context. Unfortunately I've yet to find a complete translated transcript. But from what I've read (from potentially unreliable sources) the casters said 'Go ahead and say those 8 words and we'll wrap up here. There's nothing else to talk about. Let's lower our heads.' He then said 'Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time' while wearing a gas mask. Guessing that's 8 words in Mandarin. They then laugh and clap. This is actually the thing that most frustrates me about these protests and issue in general. Finding complete, in context, recordings of the critical events is so incredibly difficult. This makes no sense since we are now in an era where everything is on camera from 500 different angles. But it is what it is. And of course providing in context video gets downvoted, because it makes the issues look less black and white. But that to me is the clearest example of idiocracy. We should not seek to create Hollywood villains and heroes in how things are presented. People should make judgments based on reality which, almost invariably, is more of a million shades of gray rather than good vs evil, right vs wrong. [1] - https://youtu.be/KyxO0Ea1_kM?t=2152 https://youtu.be/KyxO0Ea1_kM?t=2152

PavlovsCat 7y ago
Thank you so much for that! And I agree, even though I do support the protests in HK in their five demands, there is no need to exaggerate or cut away context, ever, and it happens habitually. Yet, trying to be fair, just adding very relevant information, often gets one put onto a "side" and treated accordingly. This, too, needs to be resisted. > Constructive criticism and self-criticism are extremely important for any revolutionary organization. Without them, people tend to drown in their mistakes, not learn from them. -- Assata Shakur > These people don’t see that if you encourage totalitarian methods, the time may come when they will be used against you instead of for you. Make a habit of imprisoning Fascists without trial, and perhaps the process won’t stop at Fascists. -- George Orwell, http://orwell.ru/library/novels/Animal_Farm/english/efp_go http://orwell.ru/library/novels/Animal_Farm/english/efp_go
- vegan_zaddy 7y ago
  It's ironic that you appropriate two socialists that would most likely support the CPC and denounce the reactionaries in HK.