[ericmay]

I think the main issue is this:

The US views Chinese social media apps as being able to spread criticism (and most likely propaganda) and the US can’t do likewise in China, so they’ll just not let Chinese social media companies operate in the US until that changes.

There will be 0 official, influential Chinese social media companies operating in the US on a permanent basis until the CCP let’s US social media companies operate in China. This has bipartisan support.

[echelon]

Have you seen the anti-US sentiment being stoked on TikTok among our nation's zoomers?

"All buildings matter" and "all days in September matter" are just two recent memes from the past month.

TikTok is doing a lot of harm to our national image. Zoomers that I know don't think it's important for the US to have a lead in tech and that we commit atrocities worse than China.

It's pretty alarming that we're being manipulated whereas China and Russia are impenetrable.

Social media in the hands of state actors may be one of the greatest dangers to democracy yet.

[1986]

TikTok might very well be helping spread this sentiment, but this generation has lived their entire lives in the post-9/11 era and all of the attendant fear culture, American quasi-imperialism, Snowden disclosures, etc. We invaded Afghanistan as they were starting to be born, almost 2 decades later this very weekend we're negotiating with the Taliban, again, for peace. Is it really that difficult to believe that a good chunk of them might have ended up with politics that reject a hegemonic US that hasn't seemed to do much for them, while still carrying on foreign entanglements that stem from an event they don't even remember?

[ericmay]

You’re probably right based on the amount of downvotes you’re getting. I don’t use TikTok or much in the way of social media, but if you’re saying it’s true, with a reasonable conjecture and you’re getting downvoted I think the probability of you being correct is increased.

It’s not so much that you actually are right, but that you’re exposing a contrarian idea that doesn’t align with either CCP apologists or certain leftists in the US, so they’ll try to silence comments like yours (and mine) to make it appear that they aren’t popular or worth discussing.

(you’ll see a subsequent increase in downvotes for me too for expressing interest).

[echelon]

All of my posts critical of the CCP get heavily downvoted before eventually climbing back into the positive. They're usually not countered with an argument, or if they are, they're usually nuanced and appreciate that this is a complex issue.

Too much nationalism is dangerous, but I fear we've slipped into a state of disaffection that will cause us to lose the lead.

I think there is a lot at risk if China's tech sector and export industry eclipses the West. Our jobs, standard of living, and strong democracy might be eroded.

Not everyone in America has the same experience or opportunity. But I felt like we were getting better. I can't see that progress continuing in a world dominated by a totalitarian regime.

Covid, extreme partisanship, and the growing threat of China make the future seem bleaker than it did half a decade ago.

[teclordphrack2]

"that will cause us to lose the lead." Good.

[lowiqengineer]

Are you advocating censorship? So much for the tolerant right!

[ericmay]

Me? I voted for Obama both times, wanted Bernie to win the Democratic nomination both times, and will be voting for Biden this time around, albeit reluctantly.

[b-etran]

That's not anti-US sentiment, it's satire critiquing the "all lives matter" crowd. Everyone who posts that message still thinks that 9/11 is a national tragedy - in fact, that's why the comparison to "all lives matter" is apt.

[jhardy54]

> "All buildings matter" and "all days in September matter" are just two recent memes from the past month.

What do you think these mean? I'm confused at how you would read those words and think that it has anything to do with "national image".

[christophilus]

Presumably, he sees it as a flippant or disrespectful use of the 9/11 tragedy to make a point.

[newen]

Zoomers have not been living under decades of Cold War propaganda. Maybe older folks should re-evaluate all of their assumptions about geopolitics hammered into their brain through decades of propaganda before venturing into criticism about the Zoomers and their view on things.

[teclordphrack2]

"Zoomers that I know don't think it's important for the US to have a lead in tech and that we commit atrocities worse than China."

And we haven't? You could look at race relations, organized labor, communist party. Any of these, and more, could be looked at internally historically to the usa and show hypocritical views.

[brandonmenc]

It's not just Zoomers.

A significant number of my fellow American, Millennial friends want to see China overtake us in all areas including economic and military.

Partly because they believe we need to be punished, and partly because it shocks boomers.

[gruez]

>A significant number of my fellow American, Millennial friends want to see China overtake us in all areas including economic and military.

>Partly because they believe we need to be punished, and partly because it shocks boomers.

Yeah but by doing that, you're letting an oppressive authoritarian regime grow in power, making the world worse off. It's essentially "cutting off the nose to spite the face".

[JonathanFly]

>I think the main issue is this: >The US views Chinese social media apps as being able to spread criticism (and most likely propaganda) and the US can’t do likewise in China, so they’ll just not let Chinese social media companies operate in the US until that changes.

Then why force them to sell to a US company specifically. Why wasn't Germany or any EU company with strong privacy laws allowed to buy them?

[TMWNN]

>Then why force them to sell to a US company specifically. Why wasn't Germany or any EU company with strong privacy laws allowed to buy them?

There is no one outside the US with both the tech skills and the cash to buy something the size of TikTok. Heck, there are very few in the US (adding the third requirement of no antitrust concerns).

If TikTok were a Canadian, British, French, German, Korean, Japanese, or Taiwanese company, the US government wouldn't have intervened in the first place.

[ericmay]

Hmm. I don’t seem to recall them trying? If a German (or EU) company wanted to buy that probably would have went through if it was the best deal.

But naturally they don’t want to offend China so why take the risk when you can try to play both sides as long as possible?

[smabie]

Like what company? No European company would make that acquisition. Europe doesn't even have any tech companies that are remotely as large as American tech.

[Marsymars]

SAP is on the same scale as Oracle and makes about as much sense.

[ericmay]

Why didn’t they bid?