[mindslight]

> Why does this have to be a political issue the TP-Links hardware and software can be examined

Because while people are really frustrated with these issues in general, effective reforms require principled regulation (eg anti-trust unbundling of software/hardware, personal data protection) and are directly opposed by the US surveillance industry. So instead people channeled their built-up frustrations into the siren song a fascist demagogue promising to simply make it all better with the snap of his fingers, while he was actually backed by the surveillance industry eager to consolidate its power. So now the battle lines we've gotten are the US surveillance industry pitted against the Chinese surveillance industry, with US citizens losing either way.