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ok123456 | on: TikTok goes dark in the US
As demonstrated by this ban, we're objectively worse now.

The true threat to our democracy is a foreign power. It's just not China.

neither_color | parent | next
What's your objective metric? I would say one side has way more websites and apps blocked than the other. So if we go by that measure then I'd say the one with more websites and apps blocked is objectively worse.
ok123456 | root | parent
Civil rights aren't a zero-sum game. America must lead by example by not silencing 170 million people because of some "intelligence" that's likely less reputable than Saddam having WMDs or the Marty Rimm report.
infecto | parent
Yes banning TikTok is a threat to democracy.
383toast | root | parent
Unironically it is
sanderjd | root | parent | next
How so? The law was passed by democratically elected representatives in the US government.
ok123456 | root | parent
AIPAC (foreign lobby) money.

They also profited heavily from picking favorites. Senator Cotton mysteriously increased his net wealth by 2 million in the past year.

sanderjd | root | parent
This is silly. Yes, there is a lot of money in American politics. No, that does not mean that any particular lobbying entity, even the AIPAC believe it or not!, controls what happens.

This isn't a battle of moneyed interests vs. penniless altruists. There is plenty of money on TikTok's side here.

If you find yourself buying into a simplistic narrative about a single organization buying the exact law they want, you've been had. It's never that simple.

ok123456 | root | parent
In this case, it is this simple.

AIPAC wanted this.

They threaten congressmen who buck them with being primaried. They reward compliance with money. This is not behavior we see routinely from other special interests.

sanderjd | root | parent
No, it isn't. It's obvious to anyone without their head in their ass that the current setup with the Chinese government having control of a media platform that is dominant in the US and presents content to people based on an inscrutable algorithm.

It has nothing to do with the AIPAC besides that they happened to support the "well duh" position on this.

I get that "it's the jews" is the preferred cope of people on TikTok who don't want to think about this too much, but it really has nothing to do with this. This all started years before the middle eastern omnicause du jour.

infecto | root | parent
Just because you say it does not make it so. Oh the irony.