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It’s crucial that we allocate blame for shutting down TikTok

Democrats voted last year to shut down TikTok, but when the deadline became imminent they got cold feet and tried to backtrack.

On the other hand, Democrat Joe Biden let it die. It's Republican Donald Trump promising to keep it open.

On the third hand, Republicans in Congress are still gung ho to shut it down.

So who's to blame for shutting it down or keeping it open? I'm confused.

Or does none of this matter because Donald Trump is all that matters and he has heroically changed his mind and saved TikTok? Pay no attention to why he changed his mind, of course. He's a hero. Donald Trump is always the hero.

25 thoughts on “It’s crucial that we allocate blame for shutting down TikTok

  1. n1cholas

    Trump respects the wealth and power of others when it is amenable to his own usage. Once the wealth and power has been transferred, his vassals will be left to fend for themselves.

    That's the long and short of it.

    TikTok is probably Chinese spyware, and people who use it don't seem to care. I've become exhausted contemplating whether I should care.

    1. cld

      Shutting it down for being Chinese Spyware while not shutting down all the other things that might be Chinese or Russian spyware makes it seem not serious.

      1. MF

        There is no significant app in the US that seems likely to be Russian spyware.

        I agree we need to look at Temu and probably restrict WeChat but TikTok is clearly the biggest threat.

    2. memyselfandi

      "TikTok is probably Chinese spyware" You'd have to be the stupidest person on the planet to believe something that stupid. And note, it is black letter law for the NSA to record everything anyone outside the US does on the internet. And the US pays the other 4 I's to do the same thing to every American.

  2. rick_jones

    The legislation to shut-down TikTok had to pass the Republican-controlled House, the Democrat "controlled" Senate, and be signed by the Democrat in the White House. So, who is to blame? Every Representative and Senator who voted for the Legislation, and Biden for signing it. And sure, it passed the House at least with > 2/3 - 80%, and 79% in the Senate, but if Biden thought it was Bad Law he could have still vetoed it and made the Legislative override. Yes it was tied to an Ukraine support bill - I don't think we want to say that Biden put horse-trading for Ukranians over Americans though do we?

    https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/politics/20240313-congress-tiktok-ban-bill-vote-dg/index.html

    I haven't found the per-Senator version for the Senate. https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-1c48466df82f3684bd6eb21e61ebcb8d

  3. OldFlyer

    Wow-, within a couple of weeks all security concerns of a Chinese owned social media - evaporated !

    Im just curious which donation to who’s PAC fund sparked the big turnaround

    Several checks to congressmen on the fence ?

    Or one big check to Donnie ?

    Either way, a fine display of legislating what’s best for Americans by

    The best government money can buy

    1. ADM

      There is something better than a PAC now. It would be nice to know how much recent Chinese investment there was in funny trump crypto. The two main underwriters exclude US participation, so all we know is that it came from "somewhere else" and probably not wearing a MAGA hat. Just my imagination, but it is rather easy to envision a "pro quo quid" exchange to save tiktok. Just wondering... as they say. But there are other good candidates, too.

  4. MF

    Allocate blame?! Allocate credit!

    The abject cowardice and political opportunism of Trump and Congressional Democrats is disgusting.

    Ban TikTok permanently starting now.

  5. kenalovell

    It's the tiniest of green shoots, but the most popular comment on the story at the New York Post is this:

    Xi is officially the most powerful person on the planet. We lost! Last hope was Trump standing up to China, that hope is now gone. Hopefully he doesn't cower out on his other promises.

    It has 111 upvotes. It's far from the only comment on the site today basically saying "Trump's a fraud after all".

    I don't suggest his supporters are suddenly going to abandon him en masse, but it would not be a surprise to see a steady decline in his current mediocre job approval leading up to the mid-terms. If the mob turns surly and "Trump's broken promises" becomes a meme, internal MAGA brawling could get serious even before Trump leaves the scene.

  6. D_Ohrk_E1

    This wishy-washiness of the American political class has turned the country into the laughingstock of the geopolitical world.

    It's a fucking simple question: Is TikTok a natsec threat right now?

    There is no prevarication, no nuance, no obfuscation on this, because if there is, then you're saying TikTok is not a natsec threat and you're just fucking around.

    1. memyselfandi

      "Is TikTok a natsec threat right now?" Absolutel not. The sole basis for the ban of tiktok has always been flatout racism.

  7. memyselfandi

    "but when the deadline became imminent they got cold feet and tried to backtrack" When did that happen? Appears to be a figment of Drum's imagination. Biden certainly never got cold feet.

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