You ask, "How is it that TikTok is uniquely dangerous among social media apps and platforms?" Simple, it's not yet CIA controlled. Helena Glass had a good take on this angle as well, that I linked on Sunday @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/ Tok Bill: A CIA/Mossad Surveillance & Censorship Agenda - https://helenaglass.net/2024/03/16/tik-tok-bill/
I love the idea of a TikTok ban but I’m not a fan of this bill as written. Always amazed that these bills can’t use specific plain language to achieve their intended effect. Why is it that the TikTok algorithm in the US shows mind numbing videos to our youth encouraging vapid acts but in China it accentuates the benefits of STEM education? This thing is Radio America on steroids…we wish Radio America was this effective in the Cold War.
To your other questions: Are we at war with China? No but I’m stupefied we don’t take a more Cold War approach to them. Why is any Chinese company (much less SOEs) allowed to trade on the NYSE? We know, and can read, their laws that dictate civil companies must share their data with the CCP. We know their laws that mandate civil functions/capabilities must have a military application (civ-mil fusion). Until the CCP allows another party to participate (ha!) or ceases to be in power, we should treat Xi and the rest of his CCP cronies as the pariah they are. Even more (morally) appalling to me are the Western billionaires all too happy to stand up and cheer Chairman Pooh or kiss his hand in order to gain access to their market.
Is China at war with us? I remember reading in my various master’s programs about how the Chinese don’t view war and peace as distinct periods with definitive beginnings and ends; there are only various degradations of war (peace is a part of war). Sure seems like the answer is yes even without a formal declaration (not that they would ever make one).
If you’ve got free time and the inkling, Michael Pillsbury’s “100 Year Marathon”; Ian Easton’s “The Chinese Invasion Threat” & “The Final Struggle”; and Francois Jullien’s “Treatise on Efficacy” & “The Propensity of Things” are all excellent reads. They changed my view on what the CCP is really attempting to do. They’re not 10 feet tall and invincible but they sure seem to be doing a much better job at drafting a long term strategy and actually trying to execute it (while we bounce from sound bite to sound bite in the search for voters).
I appreciate all your insight and writing on the Chinese economy…very insightful!
Anytime some politician starts demanding that legislation be passed “for national security”, “to protect democracy”, or “for the good of the American people” you have to ask yourself just what ELSE is going on here. This proposed TikTok ban raises more questions than I can list.
Do some legislators want to ban Tik Tok because they want ONLY the US government to spy on its citizens, not the Chinese? Do some worry that their OWN transgressions will come to light if China has access to Tik Tok content?
Do some think that actual war with China is imminent, and they want to get in some advance anti-China virtue-signaling for political purposes? Do some have actual sinister plans to extend the ban to other media platforms besides Tik Tok? How many of the legislators have actually read the bill and realize that it would not stand on Constitutional grounds?
Who knows. I am glad to read from the ever-reliable reasoning of Pete Nayland Kust that this is unConstitutional, and will likely fizzle out without passing. Thanks, Peter!
You ask, "How is it that TikTok is uniquely dangerous among social media apps and platforms?" Simple, it's not yet CIA controlled. Helena Glass had a good take on this angle as well, that I linked on Sunday @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/ Tok Bill: A CIA/Mossad Surveillance & Censorship Agenda - https://helenaglass.net/2024/03/16/tik-tok-bill/
Makia Freeman had an interesting video that I linked on Sunday as well - https://thefreedomarticles.com/whos-behind-the-attempted-tiktok-ban/
Linking your article today.
Elon Musk and X (Twitter) will be next, then Rumble, Substack, Truth Social and so on
Peter, have you seen this? Please read to the end, as it may affect your Substack:
https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/stripe-substack-demand-financial?r=z3pgv&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I love the idea of a TikTok ban but I’m not a fan of this bill as written. Always amazed that these bills can’t use specific plain language to achieve their intended effect. Why is it that the TikTok algorithm in the US shows mind numbing videos to our youth encouraging vapid acts but in China it accentuates the benefits of STEM education? This thing is Radio America on steroids…we wish Radio America was this effective in the Cold War.
To your other questions: Are we at war with China? No but I’m stupefied we don’t take a more Cold War approach to them. Why is any Chinese company (much less SOEs) allowed to trade on the NYSE? We know, and can read, their laws that dictate civil companies must share their data with the CCP. We know their laws that mandate civil functions/capabilities must have a military application (civ-mil fusion). Until the CCP allows another party to participate (ha!) or ceases to be in power, we should treat Xi and the rest of his CCP cronies as the pariah they are. Even more (morally) appalling to me are the Western billionaires all too happy to stand up and cheer Chairman Pooh or kiss his hand in order to gain access to their market.
Is China at war with us? I remember reading in my various master’s programs about how the Chinese don’t view war and peace as distinct periods with definitive beginnings and ends; there are only various degradations of war (peace is a part of war). Sure seems like the answer is yes even without a formal declaration (not that they would ever make one).
If you’ve got free time and the inkling, Michael Pillsbury’s “100 Year Marathon”; Ian Easton’s “The Chinese Invasion Threat” & “The Final Struggle”; and Francois Jullien’s “Treatise on Efficacy” & “The Propensity of Things” are all excellent reads. They changed my view on what the CCP is really attempting to do. They’re not 10 feet tall and invincible but they sure seem to be doing a much better job at drafting a long term strategy and actually trying to execute it (while we bounce from sound bite to sound bite in the search for voters).
I appreciate all your insight and writing on the Chinese economy…very insightful!
Anytime some politician starts demanding that legislation be passed “for national security”, “to protect democracy”, or “for the good of the American people” you have to ask yourself just what ELSE is going on here. This proposed TikTok ban raises more questions than I can list.
Do some legislators want to ban Tik Tok because they want ONLY the US government to spy on its citizens, not the Chinese? Do some worry that their OWN transgressions will come to light if China has access to Tik Tok content?
Do some think that actual war with China is imminent, and they want to get in some advance anti-China virtue-signaling for political purposes? Do some have actual sinister plans to extend the ban to other media platforms besides Tik Tok? How many of the legislators have actually read the bill and realize that it would not stand on Constitutional grounds?
Who knows. I am glad to read from the ever-reliable reasoning of Pete Nayland Kust that this is unConstitutional, and will likely fizzle out without passing. Thanks, Peter!
I agree completely, absolutely, and in total.
The things being done to Americans for their security is resulting in having neither security or things, much less protection.
I think one time Ben Franklin said something similar.