I agree with Professor Reich 100%. These influential platforms should be public utilities and not platforms for billionaires to siphon off even more information about me or anyone who utilizes a platform to communicate.
Dr Reich, I agree 100% but I think that the conversation needs to be widened. A signal feature of the US of the past 40-45 years is the yawning inequalities that have opened up between the very rich and the rest of us. Of course, it is not a problem just for the USA but increasingly for the world. But as in so much, what happens in America often starts trends. Hence, reversing a negative trend would be a positive good for both America and the world. Basically, taxes need to be re-progressivized. Biden is talking about some steps (the billionaire tax) in the right direction and that is great but this needs to become a movement, to make sure it happens. And somehow it has to become a world movement, so that the super-rich cannot simply flee from high tax countries to those with more regressive (low taxes for the rich) systems. How all this can be done is super-difficult but it needs to be done and the first step is having big conversations about it. Dr Reich, do you agree and if so can you devote a column or two to it?
I agree 100% Professor Reich. So how do we get them to have this conversation?! We've known since before "Citizen's United" came down that we were losing the fight against big money and special interests.
I'm trying so hard not to get discouraged but it's difficult. Keep up the great work!! You're one of those who helps keep me going. Thanks again for all you do every day!! You are much appreciated.
Agree. Government policy should protect the people and the nation from predators, foreign and domestic. Instead gov't policies, particularly GOP ones, far too often have helped our (and foreign) oligarchs exploit and weaken the American people and our nation. This of course, as we can see, isn't sustainable for a Democracy. Perhaps we are already an Oligarchy and the Biden Admin is trying to revive Democracy but the GOP keeps kneeling on and destroying the life-saving devices.
I've been saying this all along! Thank you Robert! It makes absolutely no sense to ban tiktok and not address the same issues we have with American based social media platforms. They're all destructive in one way or another, and Twitter/Facebook are even arguably worse, in aggregate, than tiktok is. Besides, this just feels like a distraction and a waste of time when there are a thousand actually solvable problems that could be being addressed.
While we are directed by our "Leaders" to cry "Havoc" over a Chinese video site, we have the GOP whole heartedly promoting a seemingly racist, homophobic, holocaust denier to be Governor of North Carolina. Are we being led around like a pig with a ring in its nose? Surely our government and news establishment would not do this to us? Frankly I am a heck of a lot less worried about losing my liberty to Chinese media than I am worried about American extremists who seek power over me and to crush the democratic ideals I hold so dearly.
Look homeward, angels...the devil is at our very doorstep. Worry about the close and very present threats immediately at hand . It is not from without that we risk losing everything...it is from within.
Probably not at all possible, but what if shares of popular Social Platforms (right from the start) would not be available except in very small batches, so very wealthy buyers could not purchase huge quantities of stock. That way there would not be any powerful stock holders who would therefore have powerful influence. No person, or entity could own more than a fixed number of shares.
Just more evidence of how the GOP has supported the fascism and anti-democratic beliefs of the far-right. Democrats are only a little better. America needs to be like many western European countries and move toward Socialism where businesses are owned by workers. BTW, even though German nazis and Russian communists had the word "Socialist" in the names of their countries, neither was a Socialist nation. They were fascist and communist. America's domination by capitalists is barely better. I try to buy products and food only from companies owned and operated by the workers or from businesses that treat their workers with generosity and respect.
I noticed that some of the Democratic members of Congress against this bill banning TikTok include some of the most progressive, including Raul Grijalva, Pramila Jayapal & all of the Squad. The connection with the Chinese government does make me a bit uneasy, but so far it seems to have had a less deleterious impact on the country, at least politically speaking, than some of the other social media like Facebook & X.
Agreed. The best way to fight them is to not use them, but the kids can't hear that message because their headphones, ear buds, and other devices are noise cancelling. I find it incredibly peaceful to work in a garden with no radio, cell phone, or other noise generating device (including internal combustion engines of any scale). Just me, a shovel, a hoe, a rake and the occasional cardinal competing for a nesting site. The billionaires don't know sore muscles. Perhaps that is their problem. Without sore muscles they get a ache in their brains for more money/power. Anybody else notice an increase in tufted titmice this year?
The Putin model tells me (lethal) dictator power rules even billionaires. China is quite coy and manipulative . They push our weak buttons and stoke are fearfulness and fighting amongst ourselves.
Fund the IRS. Fair tax obscene wealth.
Keep nut cases out of Congress, executive branch and supreme court.
Because I, too, believe we must seek an alternative to handing TikTok over either to China or to billionaires, and because as one person I don’t have a shot at impeding the trend of fewer and fewer distinct voices committed to meaningfully engaging in public service and nurturing the public trust, I continue to seek organizations involved in this effort that I can support.
I agree with Professor Reich 100%. These influential platforms should be public utilities and not platforms for billionaires to siphon off even more information about me or anyone who utilizes a platform to communicate.
Dr Reich, I agree 100% but I think that the conversation needs to be widened. A signal feature of the US of the past 40-45 years is the yawning inequalities that have opened up between the very rich and the rest of us. Of course, it is not a problem just for the USA but increasingly for the world. But as in so much, what happens in America often starts trends. Hence, reversing a negative trend would be a positive good for both America and the world. Basically, taxes need to be re-progressivized. Biden is talking about some steps (the billionaire tax) in the right direction and that is great but this needs to become a movement, to make sure it happens. And somehow it has to become a world movement, so that the super-rich cannot simply flee from high tax countries to those with more regressive (low taxes for the rich) systems. How all this can be done is super-difficult but it needs to be done and the first step is having big conversations about it. Dr Reich, do you agree and if so can you devote a column or two to it?
I agree 100% Professor Reich. So how do we get them to have this conversation?! We've known since before "Citizen's United" came down that we were losing the fight against big money and special interests.
I'm trying so hard not to get discouraged but it's difficult. Keep up the great work!! You're one of those who helps keep me going. Thanks again for all you do every day!! You are much appreciated.
❤️🇺🇸💙
Agree. Government policy should protect the people and the nation from predators, foreign and domestic. Instead gov't policies, particularly GOP ones, far too often have helped our (and foreign) oligarchs exploit and weaken the American people and our nation. This of course, as we can see, isn't sustainable for a Democracy. Perhaps we are already an Oligarchy and the Biden Admin is trying to revive Democracy but the GOP keeps kneeling on and destroying the life-saving devices.
I think the rest of us in the working class are just pawns on the chess board who are @ the mercy of these billionaires! How Sad.
Yeah, when I heard today that Mnuchin was trying to put together a consortium to buy
it my first thought was “I think I might trust the Chinese marginally more that I trust you”.
I've been saying this all along! Thank you Robert! It makes absolutely no sense to ban tiktok and not address the same issues we have with American based social media platforms. They're all destructive in one way or another, and Twitter/Facebook are even arguably worse, in aggregate, than tiktok is. Besides, this just feels like a distraction and a waste of time when there are a thousand actually solvable problems that could be being addressed.
While we are directed by our "Leaders" to cry "Havoc" over a Chinese video site, we have the GOP whole heartedly promoting a seemingly racist, homophobic, holocaust denier to be Governor of North Carolina. Are we being led around like a pig with a ring in its nose? Surely our government and news establishment would not do this to us? Frankly I am a heck of a lot less worried about losing my liberty to Chinese media than I am worried about American extremists who seek power over me and to crush the democratic ideals I hold so dearly.
Look homeward, angels...the devil is at our very doorstep. Worry about the close and very present threats immediately at hand . It is not from without that we risk losing everything...it is from within.
Probably not at all possible, but what if shares of popular Social Platforms (right from the start) would not be available except in very small batches, so very wealthy buyers could not purchase huge quantities of stock. That way there would not be any powerful stock holders who would therefore have powerful influence. No person, or entity could own more than a fixed number of shares.
Just more evidence of how the GOP has supported the fascism and anti-democratic beliefs of the far-right. Democrats are only a little better. America needs to be like many western European countries and move toward Socialism where businesses are owned by workers. BTW, even though German nazis and Russian communists had the word "Socialist" in the names of their countries, neither was a Socialist nation. They were fascist and communist. America's domination by capitalists is barely better. I try to buy products and food only from companies owned and operated by the workers or from businesses that treat their workers with generosity and respect.
I noticed that some of the Democratic members of Congress against this bill banning TikTok include some of the most progressive, including Raul Grijalva, Pramila Jayapal & all of the Squad. The connection with the Chinese government does make me a bit uneasy, but so far it seems to have had a less deleterious impact on the country, at least politically speaking, than some of the other social media like Facebook & X.
Maybe George Soros could buy it and make it a left wing media site, like he's doing with Audacy. We sure don't want Mnuchin to have it.
Agreed. The best way to fight them is to not use them, but the kids can't hear that message because their headphones, ear buds, and other devices are noise cancelling. I find it incredibly peaceful to work in a garden with no radio, cell phone, or other noise generating device (including internal combustion engines of any scale). Just me, a shovel, a hoe, a rake and the occasional cardinal competing for a nesting site. The billionaires don't know sore muscles. Perhaps that is their problem. Without sore muscles they get a ache in their brains for more money/power. Anybody else notice an increase in tufted titmice this year?
The Putin model tells me (lethal) dictator power rules even billionaires. China is quite coy and manipulative . They push our weak buttons and stoke are fearfulness and fighting amongst ourselves.
Fund the IRS. Fair tax obscene wealth.
Keep nut cases out of Congress, executive branch and supreme court.
Because I, too, believe we must seek an alternative to handing TikTok over either to China or to billionaires, and because as one person I don’t have a shot at impeding the trend of fewer and fewer distinct voices committed to meaningfully engaging in public service and nurturing the public trust, I continue to seek organizations involved in this effort that I can support.
If billionaires can control our Democracy like they do in Russia, the US will become like...Russia!