Zlatan tells LeBron James to stay out of politics...

JPRouve

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Well in a nutshell because people are stupid and fickle.

Not to mention the sportsman/famous person doing the influencing could also be stupid and or misinformed.

For example if you have somebody spreading Covid conspiracies and that influences even a few hundred/thousand people think of the effect that can have.

Also it can lead to ultimately the wrong person getting elected. I mean if Rashford were telling people to vote Labour because he didn’t like the Conservative policy because of this one issue he’s been dealing with would you agree with that?
That doesn't answer the question, people are stupid and fickle regardless of who makes the influencing. Also 100% of what you just wrote applies to career politicians and media, the wrong persons are elected more often than not based on the influencing that is currently done publicly and privately. It's also worth mentionng that national level career politicians are effectively celebrities, who are more often than not glorified lobbyists that are perfectly happy to professionaly influence the mass with the benefit of publicists.
 

dpansheth

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https://lakersdaily.com/zlatan-ibra...peak-about-politics-do-what-youre-good-doing/

Zlatan's quote:


Couldn't disagree more with him to be honest. If Rashford stayed out of politics we'd have (even more) children starving. They aren't experts on politics of course, but they can make a positive difference and maybe inspire the mind of an expert on politics.
100% disagreed with Zlatan. Lebron is a tax-paying citizen like any one else. He's a professional but also votes. He has all the rights and I might add responsibility to talk about politics. By Zlatan's logic, I have to be a politician to be able to talk about politics, that's not how it works. It would be wrong if Lebron was inciting violence etc and should be held responsible for his words.
 

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Depends on what you think politics are.

He had to appeal to politicians, spoke to the leader of the politicians in this country and had to liaise with them to get this done.


Edit: on the rest of your post, it can be dangerous. As youve evidenced with your examples.

But if a celebrity knows what they're talking about, and does the work, why can't they talk about politics? You mention Trump and The Rock but then you have Schwarzenegger and Glenn Jacobs (Kane from WWE) who've gone into politics and done decent jobs (I'll admit on them, I'm no expert, just from where I'm sitting.)

Also, Ronald Reagan was an actor first. But I can't say whether he was a good president or not. Just showing there are other examples.
He was a horrible, horrible president.
 

AkaAkuma

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Its not a great opinion when placed without any context. Who lead the interview, whats the source and what was the question?

I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt, maybe he just wanted to say that he as a player doesnt like to speak politically for fear of making a mistake. The LeBron part may have been part of the question.

if anybodies upset the genocide thread stands at 5 pages last time I checked.
 

432JuanMata

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So Politicians are the only people allowed talk politics ? If that is the case imagine the state of every country.
Is Ibra that dumb ? Politicians make decisions that affect everyone
 

RUCK4444

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That doesn't answer the question, people are stupid and fickle regardless of who makes the influencing. Also 100% of what you just wrote applies to career politicians and media, the wrong persons are elected more often than not based on the influencing that is currently done publicly and privately. It's also worth mentionng that national level career politicians are effectively celebrities, who are more often than not glorified lobbyists that are perfectly happy to professionaly influence the mass with the benefit of publicists.
Surely you should be influenced only by your own opinion when electing people into power.

Listening to the opinion of a basketball or football player, who neither know very much about what policies/parties suit their followers needs nor does it affect them directly due to their privileged position, is a rather silly thing to do.

It’s like asking a busker for mortgage advice.
 

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Zlatan is an idiot.

You can criticize a specific stance held by a public figure like an athlete. It's fair game to criticize LeBron for what he said about Morey and China (he was best off not saying anything). Using that to invalidate all the good work he's done and continues to do is stupid. Saying that athletes should just shut up and dribble is stupid. The United States has a long history of athletes who've used their influence to advance social causes, imperfectly yet effective. It's your right as an athlete to sit back and count your money. Just shut the feck up about what others decide to do
 

RedDevilzFox

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Zlatan worshipping was always a bit of a mystery to me. Great player but too full of himself, even if the narrative was that he's just "joking". He is no one to be saying what someone else should be doing with their money or time or thoughts. Little wonder Raiola attracts certain segment of players. ;)
 

The Firestarter

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Surely you should be influenced only by your own opinion when electing people into power.

Listening to the opinion of a basketball or football player, who neither know very much about what policies/parties suit their followers needs nor does it affect them directly due to their privileged position, is a rather silly thing to do.

It’s like asking a busker for mortgage advice.
Bullshit. LeBron is not musing over the finer points of the strategic arms reduction treaty, he is speaking for social justice. It is a distinctly understandable topic.
 

JPRouve

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Surely you should be influenced only by your own opinion when electing people into power.

Listening to the opinion of a basketball or football player, who neither know very much about what policies/parties suit their followers needs nor does it affect them directly due to their privileged position, is a rather silly thing to do.

It’s like asking a busker for mortgage advice.
How do you form your opinion? Where knowledge and beliefs come from in general and in particular regarding policies?

In general, none of us know everything about everything, we all need some sort of support/crutch to understand or be aware of certain topics, so no you shouldn't only be influenced by your own opinion, not if you intend to live with more people than yourself.
 

Jam

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People with limited knowledge but a public platform are dangerous.

Plus the argument that we should all be engaged in politics is a nice idea but ultimately a floored one. We have no say and no matter who you vote for you get the same result of robbing from one section of the population to give to another, depending on what benefits you most and vice versa.

Look at the damage high profile celebs can do when influencing the population regarding Covid restrictions, wearing masks etc.

Edit: Scratch that just remembered all the good Rashford has done. I suppose it depends on the celeb and what exactly they are trying to influence. :D
LeBron has limited knowledge on the black experience in modern America?

Bloody black people talking about black issues; how dare they. They should stick to sports.

I get you’re trying to say, but it comes across as the above. It’s a case by case basis. If people are saying things detrimental to society I.E. Gina Carano by all means tell them to shut the feck up. If they’re speaking on issues they know, experienced and can advise on them more power to them.

Black lives do matter.
Children shouldn’t starve.
 

starman

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I get wheres he's coming from, by rule of thumb you should probably not be using your established platform to wonder off into a world you know little about, but in Rashford's instances its a clear cut case of preventing of kids going hungry, thats universal, he also sticks on point to what the issue is.
Lebron has be dabbling in some questionable areas, like the China debacle. There's obviously exceptions to the rule and can cross over but whenever i hear Lebron speak he just comes across as a celebrity speaking on issues, (like how does this benefit me and my image) rather then his heart actually being concerned with humanitarian issues, and the deeper he goes and the more complex
the issues become he'll get chewed up.

People seem to be interpreting this as politics are not for everyone, no thats not whats he saying, its when you become famous, and exposing yourself to issues you barely understand. If redcafe was not anonymous, I doubt the majority of people in the CE would be saying the things they do knowing they need to own their opinions in regular life.
 

SwedishFish

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I get wheres he's coming from, by rule of thumb you should probably not be using your established platform to wonder off into a world you know little about, but in Rashford's instances its a clear cut case of preventing of kids going hungry, thats universal, he also sticks on point to what the issue is.
Lebron has be dabbling in some questionable areas, like the China debacle. There's obviously exceptions to the rule and can cross over but whenever i hear Lebron speak he just comes across as a celebrity speaking on issues, (like how does this benefit me and my image) rather then his heart actually being concerned with humanitarian issues, and the deeper he goes and the more complex
the issues become he'll get chewed up.

People seem to be interpreting this as politics are not for everyone, no thats not whats he saying, its when you become famous, and exposing yourself to issues you barely understand. If redcafe was not anonymous, I doubt the majority of people in the CE would be saying the things they do knowing they need to own their opinions in regular life.
Nail on the head.
 

RUCK4444

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Bullshit. LeBron is not musing over the finer points of the strategic arms reduction treaty, he is speaking for social justice. It is a distinctly understandable topic.
Yes bud, I’ve said as much further back in the conversation.

I’m isolating an area of celebrity influence I think is dangerous in a general sense. It’s a broader discussion and I’m not referring to Lebron.
 
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JPRouve

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I get wheres he's coming from, by rule of thumb you should probably not be using your established platform to wonder off into a world you know little about, but in Rashford's instances its a clear cut case of preventing of kids going hungry, thats universal, he also sticks on point to what the issue is.
Lebron has be dabbling in some questionable areas, like the China debacle. There's obviously exceptions to the rule and can cross over but whenever i hear Lebron speak he just comes across as a celebrity speaking on issues, (like how does this benefit me and my image) rather then his heart actually being concerned with humanitarian issues, and the deeper he goes and the more complex
the issues become he'll get chewed up.

People seem to be interpreting this as politics are not for everyone, no thats not whats he saying, its when you become famous, and exposing yourself to issues you barely understand. If redcafe was not anonymous, I doubt the majority of people in the CE would be saying the things they do knowing they need to own their opinions in regular life.
People need to understand that what actually happened is that Morey ran his "mouth", fingers, where he shouldn't have. Not because he was morally wrong but because he was wrong from a business standpoint, he dragged the NBA, the players and everyone having a livelyhood around it into a conflict with the chinese government without taking into consideration all these people which is what Lebron was actually thinking, the issue was about business which is totally fair from the NBA and James standpoint, even if I support Morey's message.

While I'm for people expressing their beliefs in particular when it comes to social justice, I also believe that I should be the sole victim of the consequences of my actions which is something that Morey somehow forgot when he made his tweet. Also you noticed that he didn't resign and keep his tweet but deleted it.
 

RedDevilzFox

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People need to understand that what actually happened is that Morey ran his "mouth", fingers, where he shouldn't have. Not because he was morally wrong but because he was wrong from a business standpoint, he dragged the NBA, the players and everyone having a livelyhood around it into a conflict with the chinese government without taking into consideration all these people which is what Lebron was actually thinking, the issue was about business which is totally fair from the NBA and James standpoint, even if I support Morey's message.

While I'm for people expressing their beliefs in particular when it comes to social justice, I also believe that I should be the sole victim of the consequences of my actions which is something that Morey somehow forgot when he made his tweet. Also you noticed that he didn't resign and keep his tweet but deleted it.
So if Morey had prefaced his tweet with "this is solely my opinion" you think that would have been okay with China?
 

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In my opinion it’s all right to be openly political if you’re a celebrity, but you have to bear in mind that you might be idolised and a role model in lots of people eyes. What you say has an impact, if you’re trying to make a difference you have to be well-read, diplomatic and respectful. You have to consider how your fan base will react, you can’t be spreading hate or misinformation (unintentionally or not) that can can inspire bad behaviour in other people.

Politics is a sensitive topic and if you believe in your ideals you should be able to share them, but if you’re not comfortable sharing it’a okay as well.
 

RUCK4444

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How do you form your opinion? Where knowledge and beliefs come from in general and in particular regarding policies?

In general, none of us know everything about everything, we all need some sort of support/crutch to understand or be aware of certain topics, so no you shouldn't only be influenced by your own opinion, not if you intend to live with more people than yourself.
Sure you can take outside influence, of course, but you should be selective.

Like I said you don’t ask a busker for mortgage advice, the same way you shouldn’t form your political outlook through the opinions of rich sportsman.

The problem is a lot of people aren’t selective or educated enough to know you shouldn’t let such people shape your opinions on things like politics. All the more reason for celebrities to understand the weight their opinion holds on areas they have little to no experience in.

When you have young people hanging on the every word of people in the likes of TOWIE or some other illiterate idiots from every corner of the celebrity world that can’t be a good thing.
 

JPRouve

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So if Morey had prefaced his tweet with "this is solely my opinion" you think that would have been okay with China?
I don't think so, the issue is that he wrote what he wrote. The chinese government would have called and threatened his employers no matter what.
 

RUCK4444

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LeBron has limited knowledge on the black experience in modern America?

Bloody black people talking about black issues; how dare they. They should stick to sports.

I get you’re trying to say, but it comes across as the above. It’s a case by case basis. If people are saying things detrimental to society I.E. Gina Carano by all means tell them to shut the feck up. If they’re speaking on issues they know, experienced and can advise on them more power to them.

Black lives do matter.
Children shouldn’t starve.
Oh feck off and read the conversation from the beginning.

Ive said multiple times I’m not referring to Lebron here, I’m talking about the dangers of celebrities weighing in on politics in a general sense. I’ve said Lebron has done himself proud like Rashford.
 

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How do you form your opinion? Where knowledge and beliefs come from in general and in particular regarding policies?

In general, none of us know everything about everything, we all need some sort of support/crutch to understand or be aware of certain topics, so no you shouldn't only be influenced by your own opinion, not if you intend to live with more people than yourself.
Exactly. How can you form an opinion if your are only influenced by your own thoughts and no external influences?

Thats a very strange idea. You can surely only gain insight by listening to the experiences of other people.
 

JPRouve

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Sure you can take outside influence, of course, but you should be selective.

Like I said you don’t ask a busker for mortgage advice, the same way you shouldn’t form your political outlook through the opinions of rich sportsman.

The problem is a lot of people aren’t selective or educated enough to know you shouldn’t let such people shape your opinions on things like politics. All the more reason for celebrities to understand the weight their opinion holds on areas they have little to no experience in.

When you have young people hanging on the every word of people in the likes of TOWIE or some other illiterate idiots from every corner of the celebrity world that can’t be a good thing.
To be selective you need to have sources of influence to select from. And let me tell you that your superficial selection process isn't convincing, I will judge a rich sportsman opinion on the substance of his opinion not based on his status of rich sportsman.
 

RUCK4444

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To be selective you need to have sources of influence to select from. And let me tell you that your superficial selection process isn't convincing, I will judge a rich sportsman opinion on the substance of his opinion not based on his status of rich sportsman.
To judge his opinion you will have to have already made your own...
 

sport2793

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So if Morey had prefaced his tweet with "this is solely my opinion" you think that would have been okay with China?
Not at all but the NBA ultimately took the financial hit without throwing Morey under the bus and even got rid of a relationship with a basketball academy in Xinjiang in the process. For all the flak that certain elements of society wanted to drop on the NBA, they ended up doing more to address the situation than most multinational corporations in China who haven't said a thing, despite the significant revenue loss.
 

JPRouve

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To judge his opinion you will have to have already made your own...
Not necessarily, unless the subject is entirely foreign to you, you can use your own knowledges to judge an opinion by analyzing the arguments. You don't need to have a preconceived opinion.
 

RUCK4444

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Not necessarily, unless the subject is entirely foreign to you, you can use your own knowledges to judge an opinion by analyzing the arguments. You don't need to have a preconceived opinion.
Agreed, but you still need your own base opinion to compare it with to ascertain whether indeed it is agreeable.

The facts on the topic dictate your own opinion on them, through your own moral outlook/beliefs, it should not be dictated by somebody else’s opinion on those facts.
 

jem

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Also, he did the 805 million names thing for the World Food Programme. I don't think he sees basic human rights as politics. As per the OP mentioning of Rashford.

It's a different story regarding food for children in the UK. Probably comes with having a tory government for ages.
Well isn’t basic human rights the main thing Lebron has been advocating for?
 

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If you live in a democratic country why can you not speak about politics? are you supposed to just vote and not be educated on the matter? stupid take. I do sometimes feel Lebron just tows the party line and an obvious narrative but at the same time so what? He may not be super clued up but as a voting person he has every right to speak on shit. Politicians are less like us than Lebron is. They are all from the "higher society"
 

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That is Zlatan's POV. If he believes a person shouldn't talk about something about which they have half or little or no knowledge, than their is nothing wrong in having that point of view. He probably has no idea about what kind of politics or activism this LeBron dude does(I have no idea either), so he must be talking as per the controversies which he sees this dude getting headline on.
 

Isotope

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All people should talk about politics. Also whether we like it or not, lots of people look up to people with a "status". So the later should only talk about "politic" on public platform, when they're 100% informed/educated about the topic.
 

RedDevilzFox

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I don't think so, the issue is that he wrote what he wrote. The chinese government would have called and threatened his employers no matter what.
Exactly!

I don't think people should always be expected "to toe the line" simply because you happen to work for an organization that might face the consequences of your opinion. Chinese may not live in a democracy that allows free speech but Morey does. Nothing would ever change if everyone adopted that attitude. There is no pleasing the authoritarians of this world. Above football or anything else, we are also citizens living in a country that allows free thinking and voicing of concerns. Zlatan is being a dim lightbulb I always suspected him to be.