Thanks for the post Eli. The real issue with China is that they figured out that doing business with the West would co-opt us. They realized that OUR values would change as we foolishly hoped that their engagement with us would change them. From tech companies helping the CCP with surveillance technology to NBA players falling all over each other to criticize executive Daryl Morey for standing up for Hong Kong, we go through one shameful episode to another and certainly shame is what Mayer Brown should feel. Obviously, there is no shame! Taiwan is done. And it is not the fault of the US Government, it is the fault of all of these private enablers and apologists for a repressive and immoral regime.
It may be a case that these modern day corporatists (or mercantile capitalists) were and are simply amoral to begin with, and sold the masses of us the delusion of behavior modification - where any analysis post Tiannemen would have told a reader the CCP was NOT going to change it's ways or be in any way malleable.
From that moment on any who had truck with the Beijing regime were collaborators.
How very quaint to think international law firms have “morals”. They are whores and will service any customer. On second thought I have more respect for the oldest profession as they meet real human needs.
Ironic that firms such as Mayer Brown prosper precisely because of the American system of justice and due process and then shill and whore for a regime that has worked for 70 years to destroy any semblance of that. Makes one think again of the adage of capitalists and rope.
A small quibble: you slander the neanderthals when you use them as a metaphor for the Taliban. Our best evidence is that neanderthal women were fully equal members of the tribe, participating in hunts on an equal basis with the men.
Could the citizens of all free countries with a better record of keeping treaty obligations than we Americans have, please unite in condemning China's treatment of Hong Kong? (I'm not sure after the way we Americans "kept" our treaties with various Indian tribes we have a basis for complaining.)
While I don’t know the details beyond what Eli Lake includes in the article, China is a signatory to the Berne Convention and also the sculptor retains certain “droit moral” with respect to his work. I wonder whether that is why Mayer Brown is setting this case up as one of “abandoned property” if the sculpture is not removed from the University’s premises within the designated number of days … which also raises the issue of what conditions the parties agreed to when the work was first placed at the University.
These considerations would be important if they could be presented before an independent judiciary but, given Xi’s inability to abide by the agreement with the UK that Hong Kong’s democratic system of government could not be abolished until 50 years after retrocession (so not before 2047), such an eventuality no longer appears to be the case.
As to Mayer Brown itself, the firm has made a business determination that its overall billings from China are too important a bottom line to jeopardize over some work of art. The firm speaks of the University as its longtime client yet the client it originally took on bears about as much resemblance to today’s as the Hong Kong legal system of 1997 does to today’s.
FYI Bari, when I clicked the link under the word “arrested” in this line of text:
“Most alliance members have been arrested for illegally commemorating Tiananmen,” I was taken to a page advertising the benefits of obtaining a Gmail account. Does this mean I need to be signed in to Gmail in order to access the information in the link, or that the link has been hacked?
What I wonder is how deeply China has penetrated the establishment in this country. We know that Wall Street is fond of them. They had the spy in Eric Swalwell's office. Look at the gift to Hunter Biden. Who knows how much of it we don't know about, but we know corporations like Disney and Apple are compromised on the issue of China. It just makes me wonder how much of the negative direction that this country is on might be due to Chinese influence behind the scenes that we may not know about.
Of course many would claim it is 'racist' to suggest such a thing, which is absurd. A government can be bad without it meaning the people in that country are too; but it's a convenient tactic to avoid a tough conversation.
and there be the problem . Many don't see beyond skin colour and race they blame ordinary hard working people that happen to be from China for the crimes of a corrupt government . I is a shame many people cannot see this , it's about time to stop judging people by race , religion, skin colour and judge them as individuals
Yes I agree. But there's a lot of people who assume that if you are critical of a person of color or different religion that you are doing so BECAUSE of their skin color or religion. And that's possible but many don't even allow for the possibility of criticism of them for a legitimate reason.
Psst! Much of that mineral mining will occur - drum roll, please - in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are newly installed with much help from the Chinese Communists.
Since all of these people are the same, I’m surprised Mayer Brown didn’t advise the CCP to pronounce
“At this point, what difference does it make? Come on man, that was 4 or 5 days ago.”
Thanks for the post Eli. The real issue with China is that they figured out that doing business with the West would co-opt us. They realized that OUR values would change as we foolishly hoped that their engagement with us would change them. From tech companies helping the CCP with surveillance technology to NBA players falling all over each other to criticize executive Daryl Morey for standing up for Hong Kong, we go through one shameful episode to another and certainly shame is what Mayer Brown should feel. Obviously, there is no shame! Taiwan is done. And it is not the fault of the US Government, it is the fault of all of these private enablers and apologists for a repressive and immoral regime.
It is the fault of us all. We are responsible to stand against the CCCP in any and every way possible.
It may be a case that these modern day corporatists (or mercantile capitalists) were and are simply amoral to begin with, and sold the masses of us the delusion of behavior modification - where any analysis post Tiannemen would have told a reader the CCP was NOT going to change it's ways or be in any way malleable.
From that moment on any who had truck with the Beijing regime were collaborators.
How very quaint to think international law firms have “morals”. They are whores and will service any customer. On second thought I have more respect for the oldest profession as they meet real human needs.
Ironic that firms such as Mayer Brown prosper precisely because of the American system of justice and due process and then shill and whore for a regime that has worked for 70 years to destroy any semblance of that. Makes one think again of the adage of capitalists and rope.
The important thing is: Are the folx at Mayer Brown using correct pronouns . . .
A small quibble: you slander the neanderthals when you use them as a metaphor for the Taliban. Our best evidence is that neanderthal women were fully equal members of the tribe, participating in hunts on an equal basis with the men.
Could the citizens of all free countries with a better record of keeping treaty obligations than we Americans have, please unite in condemning China's treatment of Hong Kong? (I'm not sure after the way we Americans "kept" our treaties with various Indian tribes we have a basis for complaining.)
That we have done evil in the past does not absolve us of calling out present evil and trying to go forward in a more just manner
Mayer Brown has earned a spot of its own on a pillar of shame.
While I don’t know the details beyond what Eli Lake includes in the article, China is a signatory to the Berne Convention and also the sculptor retains certain “droit moral” with respect to his work. I wonder whether that is why Mayer Brown is setting this case up as one of “abandoned property” if the sculpture is not removed from the University’s premises within the designated number of days … which also raises the issue of what conditions the parties agreed to when the work was first placed at the University.
These considerations would be important if they could be presented before an independent judiciary but, given Xi’s inability to abide by the agreement with the UK that Hong Kong’s democratic system of government could not be abolished until 50 years after retrocession (so not before 2047), such an eventuality no longer appears to be the case.
As to Mayer Brown itself, the firm has made a business determination that its overall billings from China are too important a bottom line to jeopardize over some work of art. The firm speaks of the University as its longtime client yet the client it originally took on bears about as much resemblance to today’s as the Hong Kong legal system of 1997 does to today’s.
FYI Bari, when I clicked the link under the word “arrested” in this line of text:
“Most alliance members have been arrested for illegally commemorating Tiananmen,” I was taken to a page advertising the benefits of obtaining a Gmail account. Does this mean I need to be signed in to Gmail in order to access the information in the link, or that the link has been hacked?
What I wonder is how deeply China has penetrated the establishment in this country. We know that Wall Street is fond of them. They had the spy in Eric Swalwell's office. Look at the gift to Hunter Biden. Who knows how much of it we don't know about, but we know corporations like Disney and Apple are compromised on the issue of China. It just makes me wonder how much of the negative direction that this country is on might be due to Chinese influence behind the scenes that we may not know about.
Of course many would claim it is 'racist' to suggest such a thing, which is absurd. A government can be bad without it meaning the people in that country are too; but it's a convenient tactic to avoid a tough conversation.
I’m afraid we are deeply compromised. To many people have sold out to the Chinese
You got that right . From heath care to insurance and education China has a strangle hold on the US
and there be the problem . Many don't see beyond skin colour and race they blame ordinary hard working people that happen to be from China for the crimes of a corrupt government . I is a shame many people cannot see this , it's about time to stop judging people by race , religion, skin colour and judge them as individuals
Yes I agree. But there's a lot of people who assume that if you are critical of a person of color or different religion that you are doing so BECAUSE of their skin color or religion. And that's possible but many don't even allow for the possibility of criticism of them for a legitimate reason.
Sad but true , it's an easy out for the person being criticized , cry racism . Seen it plenty of times , it is an easy and fast way to get results
Psst! Much of that mineral mining will occur - drum roll, please - in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are newly installed with much help from the Chinese Communists.
So true. Our elites and media are corrupt liars