It is absurd to me that the NBA removed the All Star game for Charlotte for the bathroom issue (which is a real issue) but plays multiple games in China which imprisons millions while stealing their organs

I agree with you for the most part.

I hate borrowing a term from the far right, but I truly believe that a certain level of "virtue signaling" exists

It's interesting how the right wing uses the verbiage of social movements and twists them for it's own use. Social Justice Warrior was a term used in leftist circles by activist to make fun of self righteous keyboard warriors, now it's a term that the right uses exclusively to denigrate anyone slightly to the left of them. I wouldn't be surprised if virtue signalling has the same history. I simply don't use it because it makes the right so happy. I once used the term while arguing about social justice with my friend's roommate and she high fives me like we were in agreement or something. The term virtue signalling confuses the criticism most left leaning people are trying to make. Virtue signalling not only means superficial moral grandstanding, but it also tends imply that the issue being discussed is frivolous. Nowadays it means "to take up a pointless frivolous issue for the sake of gaining favor in the public eye." The problem with the term virtue signally is that it tends to make the issue being debated sound like a "non issue" that's been turned into an issue for the sake of clout. This is I don't agree with. The issue in Charlotte was/is a matter of basic human decency and rights, the same can be said about the issues with China (but on a much larger scale). I think it is very important that we remind people that we must do more than just pay lip service to an issue for things to change. However, I'm not a fan of falling into right wing traps by using their words and thus perpetuating their ideas.

/r/nba Thread Parent