LootHunter: You can repeat that as many times as you want. But that wouldn't make that true.

LootHunter: Then what did you say? What is the reason for GoG not refusing to serve US or China despite their agressive actions against Syria, Turky or Hong Kong?

LootHunter: If censorship is made legal, that doesn't make it good. Just like when slavery was legal that didn't make it good.

David9855: Ban Turkey until it gives back Constantinople!!!!!

TakesReign: You are, so long as they permit it.

Roahin: Canada's Prime Minister suspended civil liberties invoking an act meant to be utilized in times of dire emergencies like wartime invasion. He used this to aggressively attack and punish civilians for political wrongthink. You didn't see the news where people who had supported the COVID protests with cash donations had discovered the government froze their bank accounts and were incapable of paying bills, rent, purchasing food, et cetera? The Act specifically even stated that (I'm quoting) ‘No proceedings under the Emergencies Act and no civil proceedings lie against an entity for complying with this Order,' meaning that there was no legal culpability for any bank or law enforcement agency that targeted these civilians for the "crime" of donating money to a legal political cause.

There actually was condemnation on a global scale over this. Although no one would dare to boycott a founding NATO member like Canada.

As for Australia, I'm not entirely sure what he's referencing there. Probably the same, considering that Australia is only a hair behind Canada in suspended civil liberties over COVID. It could also be the three dozen Afghani civilians they were caught executing in bloodsport, the Aborginese genocide, etc. Australia's always up on some charge with the UN Human Rights Council so it's hard to keep track.

Chedo: Thanks for confirming Captain Obvious.

TakesReign: You're welcome, Irrelevant Boy.

Chedo: Exactly. The world is already piling on sanctions that actually matter and it'll get harder for Russians to pay for stuff internationally anyhow. GOG just saw this as the perfect opportunity to get some Twitter brownie points and get in on the game of virtue signalling.

Chedo: Oh the irony.

TakesReign: Since when was taking a stand only so when it is an action that matters? The vast majority of stands taken have no impact beyond the taking of them whatsoever. They are generally simply openly taking a position, unless those taking it have access to enough power to make it more than.

Taking a stand in matters such as war and others of genuine significance has been around long before "virtue signalling" emerged as a concept and will continue long after that phrase has faded into the obscurity it deserves.

Roahin: You'll be waiting a long time then. You hit the nail on the head by calling this media stunt virtue signaling. Anyone who claims otherwise is either being disingenuous or is just wildly ignorant. People in this very thread will handwave the human rights violations and atrocities of the countries you listed and make some argument that it can only actually count if a country invades another.

Yet where are the sanctions in the Israel-Palestine conflict? Ahh, that one is a little murkier with no clear-cut socially favored side to back. So they duck their heads and avoid it. Well then, there's about eight wars going on in Africa and the Middle East. Why no sanctions over the Yemeni Crisis or the Tigray War? Both of which have had far more casualties than the Ukraine war. But... no. Those aren't fashionable conflicts that have earned the #thoughtsandprayers of virtue signaling bluechecks on Twitter.

But above all the best reason to identify this all as grandstanding and virtue signaling? Russia invaded Ukraine eight years ago and occupied Crimea. GOG was around then. GOG didn't give a single care that it was happening because social media wasn't trying to cancel Russia. The same country invaded the same country twice in less than a decade and GOG only levied sanctions the one time that it was in vogue to clutch your pearls over.

Leevi: Those island should belong to Japan anyway, but you are right, people form far away regions of Russia can't go demonstrating to Moscow. But they can go demonstrating to their local leaders. Demand elections about independence, this would be illegal of course, Russian citizens can't go demanding independence, but what will Moscow do, their army is bogged down in Ukraine. And Crimea is an example they set themselves, people can vote and Moscow will comply. (Crimea voting to join Russia was of course fraudulent and made at gun point, but that is the official narrative Moscow gave).

Chedo: Rohain there said it well:

Magnitus: The truckers was not a good example for Canada. They were being unlawful.

Magnitus: The truckers was not a good example for Canada. They were being unlawful. A democracy doesn't give you the right to do whatever the heck you want and disrupts everyone's lives in whichever way suits you. Order matters.

If he had talked about Native Americans being mistreated in the Canadian schooling system, he would have had more of an argument.

Magnitus: I believe that was the point of reference for Canada and it was unconvincing (based on a very one-sided point of view).

If you want something more cut and dried, I would refer to the treatment of indigenous population in the schooling system instead.