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by slg 789 days ago
People's positions on the bill are the one thing that is known. The problem is that it allows politicians to avoid accountability on the individual issues within that bill. A vote on this doesn't tell you directly whether a politician supports banning TikTok. It doesn't tell you whether they support aid to Ukraine. It doesn't tell you whether they support aid to Israel. It doesn't tell you whether they support aid to Taiwan. It just tells you whether they support this specific bill.
1 comments
JumpCrisscross 789 days ago
> A vote on this doesn't tell you directly whether a politician supports banning TikTok. It doesn't tell you whether they support aid to Ukraine. It doesn't tell you whether they support aid to Israel. It doesn't tell you whether they support aid to Taiwan.

In the House, these bills were individually voted on. (In TikTok's case, twice.) In the Senate, pretty much everyone has made their views known on at least Ukraine, Israel and TikTok. (Taiwan hasn't been particularly contentious.)

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slg 789 days ago
>In the Senate, pretty much everyone has made their views known on at least Ukraine, Israel and TikTok.

There is a reason I used the word "accountability". There is difference between talk and action and accountability is about making sure the two align. "Made their views known" by itself is just talk that can easily be obfuscated. A voting record is an action and we shouldn't allow politicians to distance themselves from that action with a simple "it was part of a larger bill".

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JumpCrisscross 789 days ago
> we shouldn't allow politicians to distance themselves from that action

Again, we have an actual case on hand. Who is distancing themselves from anything? Whose position—in talk and votes—on each of these issues isn’t abundantly clear?

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slg 789 days ago
>Again, we have an actual case on hand.

Which is the disconnect here. I criticized a general practice of which this is an example while you are focusing exclusively on that one example.

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JumpCrisscross 789 days ago
> I criticized a general practice of which this is an example

But it’s an example that clearly disproves the point. The accountability you describe is a communication, not vote structuring, problem.

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slg 789 days ago
Politicians lie which is why communication alone can’t be trusted the way actions like voting can.
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