Thought for the Day

[Stavros]

Exactly!
Democrats come around on TikTok ban, reflecting willingness to challenge China
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tiktok-...ina-challenge/

Can the US ban tik-tok? Surely the only way is to control the internet-?

[MrFanti]

Marvel's Israeli Superhero Poses Huge Headache for Disney
https://www.newsweek.com/marvel-isra...a-haas-1839083

[MrFanti]

Gay Palestinian Ahmad Abu Marhia beheaded in West Bank
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63174835

[MrFanti]

Hamas Executes Prominent Commander After Accusations of Gay Sex
https://www.newsweek.com/prominent-h...gay-sex-432343

[Stavros]

Marvel's Israeli Superhero Poses Huge Headache for Disney
https://www.newsweek.com/marvel-isra...a-haas-1839083

Mr Fanti, why have you used this thread when you could have used the thread on Israel for all three of your posts?

[Stavros]

Still waiting for Mr Fanti or anyone else to tell me what the US is going to do, what it can do if Democrats and Republicans are so offended by tik-tok.

[blackchubby38]

Still waiting for Mr Fanti or anyone else to tell me what the US is going to do, what it can do if Democrats and Republicans are so offended by tik-tok.

While I don't believe in a nationwide ban of Tik-Tok, I have no problems with the following steps that have been taken.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_TikTok_in_the_United_States

Regarding your earlier post about the "obsession with things Chinese". Coming out of the pandemic, I think it would be wise for the United States to start manufacturing some items either at home or closer to it to prevent future global supply chain issues. Adopt a "Made in the USA/The Americas" policy.

I have also never been a fan of the walking on eggshells when it comes to criticizing China because of how many corporations do business there. It’s embarrassing when someone does criticize them, then that person or persons must basically throw themselves on their sword and beg for forgiveness.

Now when it comes to the United States’ overall policy regarding China. Knowing the history of the relationship between the two countries, the latter has been the 800-pound gorilla in the room since the beginning of the Cold War. As I said in another post:

“If you look back through history, there has always been animosity between China and the United States. If anybody is interested, check out the Chinese foreign minister's speech to the United Nations in 1950 before China launched its offensive in the Korean War. A lot has changed since then, with each nation going through its own domestic and foreign issues, but also the fostering of relations with each other both politically and financially.

Having said that, underneath it all, it seems the tension was always still there. Especially with China's rise as a global superpower and some of their shenanigans”.

Now I’m not one of those people who run around all the time going, “Oh my god, China is coming”. But I’m also not naïve to think that China is just misunderstood, and everything is going to be fine between the China and the United States. In other words, while I believe China is "problem". I don’t think they have become a "Problem" yet.

Which brings me to my next point. If I must choose which country was more of a bad actor when it came to collecting people’s personal data and using it for nefarious reasons, it would be China.

As for your response to the concerns over Tik-Tok having a negative effect on teenagers. If other forms of social media are going to fall under scrutiny for causing problems in the world, Tik-Tok should be no different.

Why experts worry Tik-Tok could add to mental health crisis among US teens

http://www.cnn.com/2023/01/11/tech/t...lth/index.html

[Stavros]

[QUOTE=blackchubby38;2079098]

While I don't believe in a nationwide ban of Tik-Tok, I have no problems with the following steps that have been taken.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_TikTok_in_the_United_States

State and Federal authorities banning its use on their networks makes sense. The Covid Enquiry taking place in London has revealed the extensive use of WhatsApp and WhatsApp groups by Boris Johnson, his advisers, and members of the Cabinet. I don't know how secure WhatsApp is -it is one of the few social media apps I use, for a limited number of family and friends- and then the question with all this technology is -can it be hacked? I would have thought, having originated the internet the US Govt could create its own secure App -?

Regarding your earlier post about the "obsession with things Chinese". Coming out of the pandemic, I think it would be wise for the United States to start manufacturing some items either at home or closer to it to prevent future global supply chain issues. Adopt a "Made in the USA/The Americas" policy.

The exposure of the weaknesses in global supply chains suggests this is a reasonable alternative, if only to secure means of production and supply. Looked at from a Capitalist perspective, it makes no sense if it costs more, as the whole basis of the off-shoring of production was that American capital could reap fabulous rewards by moving production to Asia. There was also the famous 'China Dream', about which books have been written: access a market of 1 billion consumers, sit back and watch the dollars roll in. Trump seethed for years because he saw rivals making billions out of China which refused him a license to operate in the country-- until he became President, whereupon he was allowed to register hundreds of LLCs, just as his daughter for some time had her products made there (not sure if this still happens).
Following the money, everyone wanted a piece of that action, though China's economy is less attractive now.

Now when it comes to the United States’ overall policy regarding China. Knowing the history of the relationship between the two countries, the latter has been the 800-pound gorilla in the room since the beginning of the Cold War.

We have discussed China, and Xi's ambitions in other posts.

As for your response to the concerns over Tik-Tok having a negative effect on teenagers. If other forms of social media are going to fall under scrutiny for causing problems in the world, Tik-Tok should be no different.
Why experts worry Tik-Tok could add to mental health crisis among US teens
http://www.cnn.com/2023/01/11/tech/t...lth/index.html

I don't get this. People have become obsessed with websites before, staying up all night. Teenagers too, whether it was MySpace -what happened to the 'MySpace Generation'?- or Facebook, Instagram, etc etc. It might have a bad effect if people put too much importance into it, but other than that to me it is just a new version of 'threats to our kids' that have been around forever. At one time it was Jazz, then it became Rock 'n Roll, then parents were convinced if their children went to a rock concert or even worse, a club, they would come back high on and probably hooked on drugs.

Then consider Twitter, and X -has there ever been in recent years a more insidious threat to freedom than these channels of hate and misinformation? I have never used them, and that's the point -as many of these sites disappear behind paywalls, or people get bored with them, or some other site/app comes along, they recede into history -and children do grow up, and move on.

[KnightHawk 2.0]

The Democrats have alot of work to do to convince the African-American,Asian,Latino,Muslim and other communities and younger voters to vote for their candidates in 2024,and give them the reasons on why they should vote.And cannot make the same mistake they did in 2016 by assuming that people were going to turnout and vote for Hillary Clinton,because she had more experience and was more qualified than her opponent Donald Trump,most voters decided to stay home and Donald Trump got elected. A second Donald Trump Term will be a hell of alot worst than his first term,because of all of the cruel,despicable,disgusting and heartless things he's promising to do if he wins the Presidential Election in 2024.

[Stavros]

The Democrats have alot of work to do to convince the African-American,Asian,Latino,Muslim and other communities and younger voters to vote for their candidates in 2024,and give them the reasons on why they should vote.And cannot make the same mistake they did in 2016 by assuming that people were going to turnout and vote for Hillary Clinton,because she had more experience and was more qualified than her opponent Donald Trump,most voters decided to stay home and Donald Trump got elected. A second Donald Trump Term will be a hell of alot worst than his first term,because of all of the cruel,despicable,disgusting and heartless things he's promising to do if he wins the Presidential Election in 2024.

Given that Clinton beat Trump by more than 3 million votes, surely in 2016 Clinton was elected, and Trump was selected? That is, by the Electoral College. He has never won an election in the US, and he never will, his solid voter base never expands, it is what it is. The 2024 election will be fought, not by voters, but by those Republican Party officials in the State who think they can, must and will try to deny any popular majority for the Democrat, assuming Trump is the candidate, which is by no means certain. Whether the changes made in States will be enough remains to be seen, but Democracy in America is fragile, and not to be messed around by someone who calls the American people 'scum' and 'vermin', calls its women 'skanks', as DJT has done.