But I could also see this as straining US influence within its own sphere because of how unpopular such a ban would be, and expose faultines like the Chinese EV trade war is doing.
Within the Global South, plenty of people are rallying the masses against the USA and Israel. Antimperialist sentiment is increasing at a great pace in the Global South and this is in great part thanks to Tiktok and other social media like Telegram. HOWEVER, US influence is still undeniably strong and the unfalsifiable doctrine explained by Michael Parenti is still active in plenty of the propaganda that the US spread through their vassals. From my perspective, this action was the best that China could have taken so far.
Fortunately, for Usonians, you still have the chance to move to Rednote. I checked rednote and the number of usonian is increasing. So… This outcome is not that bad.
I think the most likely outcome is that people leave TikTok as it gets enshitified in the US, which does still raise the contradictions as USAmericans will look outside their country and see what their government took away from them. It’ll go the way to Twitter and become a hellhole of reaction, people will leave for alternatives, and its relevance will plumet.
I still think a ban would have been better, but you’re right that it wouldn’t be without risks. This might buy time.
But they’re going to come for Rednote, and they’ll come for the fediverse too, and even liberal institutions like Wikipedia. They’re idealists and don’t believe political opposition comes from material forces; they are certain if they can just control all the cultural levers that they can turn back the tide that’s flowing against them.
Within the Global South, plenty of people are rallying the masses against the USA and Israel. Antimperialist sentiment is increasing at a great pace in the Global South and this is in great part thanks to Tiktok and other social media like Telegram. HOWEVER, US influence is still undeniably strong and the unfalsifiable doctrine explained by Michael Parenti is still active in plenty of the propaganda that the US spread through their vassals. From my perspective, this action was the best that China could have taken so far.
Fortunately, for Usonians, you still have the chance to move to Rednote. I checked rednote and the number of usonian is increasing. So… This outcome is not that bad.
I think the most likely outcome is that people leave TikTok as it gets enshitified in the US, which does still raise the contradictions as USAmericans will look outside their country and see what their government took away from them. It’ll go the way to Twitter and become a hellhole of reaction, people will leave for alternatives, and its relevance will plumet.
I still think a ban would have been better, but you’re right that it wouldn’t be without risks. This might buy time.
But they’re going to come for Rednote, and they’ll come for the fediverse too, and even liberal institutions like Wikipedia. They’re idealists and don’t believe political opposition comes from material forces; they are certain if they can just control all the cultural levers that they can turn back the tide that’s flowing against them.