TikTok unbanning: Accolade and Overreach To recap: The law banning TikTok went into effect yesterday. Just a few hours later, the service was restored, with a gushing message praising our glorious leader-to-be shown to all upon logging in. This is unnerving for two reasons. For one, this law was passed by the Congress, and then upheld by the Supreme Court.… Read More
The TikTok KowTow Challenge Over the past sixteen hours, TikTok has engaged in the ancient Chinese practice of prostration known as 叩頭, usually romanized as kowtow . . . virtually, of course. On background, a law took effect today in the US, banning TikTok. As written, the law would take effect 270 days from the day it is signed… Read More
It looks like we aren’t the only ones to notice this. Political blog Electoral-vote.com has an item up today titled, “Only 4 Days Left for the Media to Preemptively Kowtow to Trump”. Here’s an excerpt: One of the most depressing storylines of the last few months has been the various media outlets falling all over themselves to curry favor with Donald Trump, prior to his re-inauguration.… Read More
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew Tries to Keep Pace with Trump As we’ve noted, Trump picks his stances by the direction green pieces of paper are blowing in the wind. As a law banning TikTok is coming to fruition, we should reiterate he was critical of the social media app as a first-term president. He even attempted an executive order to shutdown the platform. But come… Read More
Meta to Drop Fact-Checking Program Because It’s ‘Too Politically Biased’ Variety is reporting that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and others, is dropping fact checking because it is allegedly too politically biased. Of course we’ve all heard the expression that the truth has a liberal bias. I am not sure that’s true so much as conservatism, and especially fascism, has a falsehood bias.… Read More
Jeff Bezos nixes cartoon depicting his pre-emptive obedience Jeff Bezos is not laughing after a cartoon slated for print in his own newspaper depicted him pre-emptively kowtowing to Donald Trump. Bezos owns the Washington Post, so he didn’t take kindly when his own editorial cartoonist depicted him being owned by Donald Trump. The cartoon, by long-time Washington Post editorial cartoonist, Ann Telnaes, shows… Read More
Trump sues the Des Moines Register Donald Trump has put his sights on yet another media outlet. In his efforts to suppress any media coverage that could be be seen in any way as oppositional, he has put forth a lawsuit against newspaper The Des Moines Register. The suit also targets parent company Gannett and pollster Ann Selzer. Of all things,… Read More
Now CBC news joins the obedience brigade I was listening to the top of the hour news on Canadian broadcast outlet CBC on Saturday, and was disturbed enough by something I heard that I had to go back and check it again. CBC reporter Michelle Song was telling a story about how India has accused a number of Canadian colleges and universities… Read More
Electoral-Vote.com Calls Out Premature Obedience From electoral-vote.com: Sometimes Trump doesn’t even have to threaten a lawsuit to get the media to fawn over him. Publications sometimes comply in advance voluntarily, consider The Wall Street Journal. It is owned by Rupert Murdoch, but was always an independent conservative voice. In the past, though, it had some integrity. It took positions that it thought were… Read More