Governor Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Legislature have enshrined in state law the idea that we should not do business with evil foreign governments. The Governor has said we don’t want evil foreign governments investing in our land and food production resources.
Saudi Arabia is not on South Dakota’s official list of evil foreign governments [SDCL 5-18A-1(19)], but funding terrorism, killing journalists, subjugating women to men, and working with Russia to keep the world hooked on fossil fuels ought to put them on some naughty list. But Republican Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson seems to think the naughty Saudis’ investment in American institutions, like its hostile takeover of the PGA Tour, can be a net plus for the Saudis and the U.S.:
And, you know, I would also argue if Saudi Arabia – if investing in global sports, including golf, if that helps them modernize and offer more rights to women, I mean, isn’t that a good thing as opposed to a bad thing? So, listen, it’s a complex world. You have to deal with the realities that you face. I’d rather have the Saudis invest their oil wealth in America as opposed to adversaries like Russia or China [Senator Ron Johnson, interview with A Martínez, “Senate Hearing Will Scrutinize PGA Tour’s Deal with LIV Golf,” NPR: Morning Edition, 2023.07.11].
It would seem that Johnson and Noem can’t both be right. If I buy Noem’s thinking, letting the Saudis acquire and control professional golf in America is bad. But if I buy Johnson’s thinking, allowing the Chinese to invest their cash here in South Dakota and across the U.S. boosts our economy, keeps other nations we don’t like from getting their hands on that wealth, and entangles China with our economy and culture in ways that may help liberate the Chinese people.
It would appear Noem and Johnson can’t both be right on this question of accepting evil foreign governments’ investment in American assets. So which one is wrong?
South Dakota’s greatest male combat sports prize fighter and sports entertainer, Webster’s Brock Lesnar, now works for the Saudi Government as they’ve purchased World Wrestling Entertainment from Vince McMahon.
So does South Dakota’s greatest female combat sports prize fighter and sports entertainer, Sioux Falls’ Shayna Baxzler.
grudznick once made a drunken Verne Gagne, with his boy, Greg right at his side, back down in a bar in White Bear Lake. Brock Lesnar has nothing on the younger me. I can’t speak to any comparisons to Ms. Baszler.
This ‘so-called’ governor (by title only) would do well to just ride her little palomino horse off into the sunset (or the northern lights) and hide her shame in obscurity. She favors large corporate investment (even from foreign interests of which she really has no clue whether it’s Chinese, Russian or Saudi (meat/bone saws) money!) If it pertains to green currency, her ears pop out like an elf’s and she’s picks the side of money (to her or her supporters).
Witness, for example, the 500 or so agriculture people (landowners) that all traveled to Pierre (MSM keeps saying 250 but cops said 500) to seek help from this absentee governor to call the legislature in to deal with the carbon pipeline eminent domain issue and she “stiffed” them with not even an appearance in the rotunda to talk with them . Her disdain for them and their issue on eminent domain was clear: “I’m not to be bothered by such things as I’m concentrating on being trump’s running mate as vice-president, or? So don’t bother me with trifling things like a large corporation running all over your rights of private property. Just remember out there , South Dakotans, that Joe Biden’s policy’s
are going to ruin America even though the millions-if not more- of federal money has really helped South Dakota’s bottom line the last 3 yrs so your taxes would stay lower! (and I will look good!)
and that’s important to this subject-and how, grudz?
Isn’t LIV already trademarked?
How can they use this name in the US, if it’s already being used? LIV Hospitality/LIV Hotel Group, has been in South Dakota for many years. LIV owns many hotel, motels, and restaurants in Rapid City and Deadwood. They also own some of the largest, newest casinos in Deadwood, SD.
Is LIV Hospitality related to LIV Golf?
Also, LIV Hospitality used to go by the name ISIS Hospitality. The company changed from ISIS to LIV when the ISIS terrorist group became prominent.
Do they own other casino/hotel groups in other parts of the country?
LIV is a whole step above their old moniker ISIS.
Interesting that you mention Liv Hospitality in Rapid City, Linda. That company only capitalizes the L, so maybe by capitalizing all three letters, the Saudis avoid trademark infringement? ;-)
Interestingly, when I check Liv Hospitality’s website this morning, the first banner image that pops up shows the company’s logo on a golf ball, in all caps:
Who’s infringing on whom there?
But the question remains: should we be doing business with “evil foreign governments” or not? Do we want the Saudis owning pro golf and being able to muzzle political speech of pro golfers? Who’s right, Noem or Johnson?
Grudz…
Did you mix a little Gera Speed in your beer?
Vern would have claimed that after you ponded him.
Which, both, or neither are most like South Dakota?
Discriminatory practices against women in Saudi Arabia include:
– Limited legal rights
– Gender-based violence
– Limited access to education
– Gender segregation and dress codes
– Restricted participation in public life
Discriminatory practices against women in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) include:
– Gender inequality in education and employment
– Gender-based violence and sexual harassment
– Family planning policies
– Traditional gender roles and expectations
– Limited political representation
After 9/11, then after the murder and dismembering of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi government should have been wiped off the face of this earth. Before 9/11 the Saudi government were useful idiots. Post 9/11 the Saudi government is merely evil incarnate lacking rationale to exist.
Kinda rich for Ron Johnson to worry about the Russia after he and John Thune visited in 2018 on the 4th of July, no less.
Not often I get to talk trademark trivia! Trademarks are registered so that consumers can identify the origin of goods and services. When registering trademarks, the applicant must be very specific as to the word/words/logo/image being trademarked and the goods or services related to those words/images. If a person or company wants to use the same or similar word or logo as another person or company, there needs to be substantial differences in the services/goods so that consumers are not confused as to their origin. For example, “Dove” makes soap and has trademarks for the name Dove as related to soap. A different “Dove” company makes chocolate, and they have separate and distinct trademarks for their name as related to chocolate. Both are Dove, neither are infringing on the other’s trademark.
I did a quick search and LIV Golf has numerous federal trademarks for a variety of goods and services as related to golf, including but not limited to these real descriptions from LIV’s trademarks on the USPTO registry:
1) Clothing, namely, t-shirts, shirts, tank tops, jackets, coats, scarves, pants, shorts, skirts, skorts, trousers, sweaters, underwear, belts, and sweatshirts; headwear, namely, hats, caps being hats, visors and bandanas; footwear; socks
2) Entertainment services, namely, the development, creation, and production of television, radio, digital, and multimedia programs
3) Organizing and conducting professional golf tournaments and competitions; conducting workshops and seminars in the field of golf; golf courses; golf driving range services; golf instruction; providing golf facilities
4) Sporting goods, namely, golf training equipment in the nature of golf swing training aids, swing resistance trainers, golf training cages and golf practice platforms; golf clubs; golf balls; golf bags; golf ball markers; golf tees; golf divot repair tools; foam golf balls; golf club covers; golf accessory pouches; golf bag tags; golf flags; golf gloves
I was unable to locate any trademarks for liv hospitality, but I admit my search lasted less than 1 minute so it was far from comprehensive. It could be that Liv Hospitality never filed trademark applications, or only files state trademark applications, or applied and was denied for one of many reasons. There is no requirement that a company register any trademarks, and most never do. If either Liv Hospitality or Liv Golf thought the other was infringing on their trademark(s), they would have to initiate action to remedy the situation themselves because there are no “trademark police” or any other government resource used to protect trademarks once registered – trademarks are self-policed by the trademark owners. If either wanted to fight, they would have to show that a consumer would likely confuse the origin of the goods or services in question – essentially: “Would people think that the company from the middle east that runs golf tournaments is the same company that runs a hotel collective in western south dakota?” This would not be for you or me to decide, of course, but for a trademark attorney with the US Patent and Trademark Office. For what it’s worth, I think it would be determined that LIV Hospitality is different enough to not cause infringement concerns, but hey, i’m nobody so don’t take my word for it.
With the evil bow our state is often tied in, the exact same names, same spelling, same logo on the website depicting a golf ball, call me dense but I would have to assume they’re the same Saudi-backed business. Liv Hospitality and LIV Golf..? Seems like the same dang thing to me….
People do sometimes inadvertently eat soap and bathe in chocolate, ayup.
Much of Sen. Ron Johnson’s wealth resulted from his company’s dealings with China. Not only did he sell products in China and invest in China, but his family-owned business received investments and loans from the Bank of China, a part of the Chinese government. Don’t believe a word that Sen. Johnson utters.
LIV Hospitality..LIV Golf… golf tournaments are held at golf resorts… resorts are in the hospitality business… it takes no stretch of the imagination to connect the two.. especially since they have identical logos and all. LIV Hospitality even depicts the LIV golfball on its website.
Now for the stretchy part: Trump is in the golf resort business and his son-in-law made around $2 Billion doing some clandestine handshaking in Saudi Arabia… and now the Professional Golfers’ Association of America’s golf tour is merged with LIV Golf, a Saudi entity. Trump golf resorts, LIV Hospitality, LIV Golf, $2 B moved from Saudi’s Supreme Being to Trump’s employee/son-in-law…. that money trail leads to…? SD resorts or trusts or both? Or neither? Shady shady. Don’t mind me, I’m just doing my Ace Ventura ‘Einhorn and Finkle, Finkle and Einhorn’ bit.
That was fun to read!
To P. Aitch’s point, perhaps we should be afraid that good freedom-loving nations will apply our own professed principles against us, declare South Dakota an evil foreign government, and stop doing business with us.
Of course, the question is perhaps mostly academic, since South Dakota lacks the capital Saudi Arabia has to buy golf leagues.
Interesting point from Donald about Johnson’s China-based wealth. Evidently he is consistent in his belief that doing business with evil foreign governments is not the problem Kristi Noem thinks it is.
As an Isolationist, grudznick abides South Dakota being considered an Evil Foreign Government by out-of-staters.
Grudz, old man. Rank these deviant disorders from most to least responsible for your perceived isolation.
Fear or mistrust
Social anxiety
Insecurity or low self-esteem
Perceived control of an out of control lifestyle
Difficulty forming social connections
Of course an individual’s isolationist tendencies significantly impact their daily functioning and overall well-being.
It may be beneficial, grudz to seek professional help from a mental health professional.
We’re here for you because you’re always here. Perceive the paradox in that?
I know this article is more than “just” about golf; I’ve known people who lived and breathed golf. I knew a crazy woman in Denver who fractured her golf instructor’s right forearm over golf.
Seriously, though. Twenty three comments and an image about golf. ffs. Now I’M being tedious about golf. How about quoits, or curling, or jai lai.
You might say the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gave an arm and a leg found in the Turkish embassy just to suck up to Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, in serious drought stricken Arizona, the Saudis made a deal with Guv Douchey ro rent land to grow tons of alfalfa dor export back to Arabia for the country’s dairy cattle and they can pump all the water they want and magat officials have no idea how much water tbhey take. Douchey surrendered the water because he is a gutless magat and didn’t want to offend a large corporation.
Local farm laborer’s water supply has become a trickle. The state has water restrictions for the masses, not the wealthy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/16/fondomonte-arizona-drought-saudi-farm-water/