Comment on US lawmakers vote 50-0 to force sale of TikTok despite angry calls from users
Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 months agoThis has nothing to do with skin color. It has everything to do with controlling access to data gathering tools. I don’t think either nation has the best interests of the people in mind, but don’t strawman this. Is very easy to criticize the actual thing that’s happening.
radiofreeval@hexbear.net 3 months ago
This is in the process of trying to fire up another Yellow Peril. Access to data and profit might be the driving factors, but so is creating a new enemy class to scapegoat. Just look at how the media talks about China and how anti-Asian hate has been rising in recent years. Of course race is a factor because you need race to create a racial enemy.
Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 months ago
It’s about power, not about race. International politics is always about power. I don’t get how some people don’t understand that. You’re right that many people are creating a scapegoat out of China, but (the intelligent and influential ones) aren’t doing it out of racism. It might be racist, but they don’t buy it, they’re only selling it. It’s about solidifying power and controlling means and methods. That’s always the case for governments, no matter when or where.
frauddogg@lemmygrad.ml 3 months ago
Power and racism are inextricably bound together when it’s the Americans doing things.
Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 months ago
It’s about soft power. I don’t think it has to do with people of the western world seeing what’s being done either (they don’t and won’t if Tic-Tok is the thing they’re using). It’s just about gathering data and also having control over a service that could be used to influence people. It wouldn’t matter if it’s China or Russia (mostly white) in control of it.
Is it? Many people saw through the racism of slavery and yet still used it, because racism was an excuse, not a reason. Usually racism is an excuse. It’s something that’s easily sold to the masses, and for some reason people still buy it, and people like you buy that that’s still the reason and not seeing what’s really being played. Sure, there are a lot of racist people, but even that is only because some people use it to gain power. Racism has the same purpose as religion. It’s a method of control, by defining “the enemy”. Usually if anyone is defining an enemy it’s a form of control for that matter. There are plenty of bad people, but it’s hard to say any group is bad by default. There are bad systems though.
SSJ2Marx@hexbear.net 3 months ago
If TikTok was owned by a German or English corporation, would it be facing this kind of scrutiny? Of fucking course not, don’t be dense.
Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 months ago
No, because they’d share the information with the US. Just like China doesn’t allow US corporations into China. Don’t be dense.
sooper_dooper_roofer@hexbear.net 3 months ago
like pottery
Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 months ago
And you’re better, right? No. You aren’t. I’m on hexbear fairly frequently. I don’t have any issue with hexbear or lemmygrad. I’m just not ignoring the fact all these nations do this. China has an almost exclusive ecosystem, yet somehow when the US does it it’s racism? No. It isn’t about race. It’s about control. This apiea to China, Russia, and the US, and any other power in the future or past. Anyone who has the capability to gain control also has disposition to exploit their control. You don’t gain control without that.
AdlachGyfiawn@lemmygrad.ml 3 months ago
Racism is an action word. Not “believing” in it doesn’t make it suddenly not racist.
Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 months ago
Sure, but they’d do it with Russia too, and they’re “the same race”. It has nothing to do with race. Race is just a convenient way to criticize the US here without examining the actual issue. China has their own ecosystem for fucks sake. If any nation is being racist it’s them, but it’s not because of race that they have that.
ToxicDivinity@hexbear.net 3 months ago
Yes it’s about power. And the powerful use racism to get or keep power. So it’s about both.