Billionaire investor and co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, Chamath Palihapitiya, drew ire when he said nobody cares about the Uyghurs. Palihapitiya has issued a tweet to clarify his statement, saying that he recognized his comments lacked empathy. However, his comments raise an interesting question of how ethics apply in a business setting. The NBA's partnership in China has many questioning the league's willingness to speak out on civil rights issues in the United States but remain silent on issues in China.
"To me, this is what the NBA has been saying with their actions," said Annie Frey.
It is a false choice to imply that one must either care for the plight of the Uyghurs or the struggles of African Americans. Human rights issues are important regardless of where they are occurring. What makes Palihapitiya's statements so disturbing is their connection to the Chinese Communist Party. To hear Annie and Ryan discuss this topic further you can find the podcast here or listen to the embedded audio above.
