A lot of people are upset by Blizzard’s seeming capitulation to Chinese diplomatic interests, but I would caution against reducing this to a simple black and white summation of Jesus-like Democracy versus Evil Empire Tyranny.
In the micro, and the short term, it sure looks bad: Blizzard sacrificing American principles and American values in the name of juicy Chinese Yuans. Is that a factor? Absolutely. Would you want the company that makes the games you plan on enjoying tomorrow to stay financially viable and look forward to a stable future? I know I do. 35% of ActBlizz’s revenues come from Asia accounting for over $2.6 billion. You don’t piss that away overnight and expect to wake up in the morning whole and healthy.
On the macro level, and playing the long game here, think about what it means to have Blizzard stories told in China. How many totalitarianistic regimes have we seen overthrown in the past four WoW expansion packs? How many of our own values are exemplified in the stories behind Overwatch, Diablo, or Starcraft? Think about it, Acturus Mengsk attempted to control the galactic narrative through state sponsored media. How’d that work for him? Back during the Cold War western culture was feared for its seductive and infectious nature, and with good reason. Sometimes standing as a silent example can be infinitely more powerful than obvious brash obstinacy. I know “obvious brash obstinacy” probably features prominently somewhere on the USA wikipedia entry, but maybe it’s time we took a page out of Sun Tzu’s book. The dude did know an awful lot about fighting in China.
The question here is whether any Chinese will look at Blizzard games where we take down these regimes and make a relation to the one they currently live in. It’s easy for us looking from the outside to make those relations, because we can make these comparisons using broad strokes.
I’ve been to China, the overwhelming majority of the people there, men, women, and children, are good, decent folks trying to live life as best they can. Things get messier when you start looking at their political elites, but I challenge you to name me anywhere ever in all of recorded human history where that isn’t the case.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom - go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!
…which has what to do with what happened?
Are you saying someone has to be perfect, in order to protest an action in others?
Are you seriously dragging strawman like that into an argument of a company knuckling under to a foreign power’s wishes?
Yet, The mainstay of that infectious nature was respect for human rights. The Soviets got very little in the way consumer products from the U.S. (they did get grain and machinery parts) but the Russian populous learned much of our culture through Radio Free Europe, etc.
I’m suggesting that that which does not yield, eventually cracks, while that which is flexible, can more reliably bare burdens, productively. Diplomacy consists of more than violence.
And the thing I quoted was something I accidentally deleted in my first reply thread. I am touched you thought it quote-worthy though : )
Why is there so much Sinophobia recently, like I can understand people putting their national interests first, but I see it crossing the line from simple concerns about national interests into outright racism, what’s with that.
