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I work on government contracts. The TikTok ban is complicated. Remember when people were identifying secret US military bases from Fitbit and running app data? Like, who is running 10 miles of laps in the middle of the Saudi desert?
That’s what the TikTok ban is about. That, and an ability to remotely switch on cameras and microphones and collect data.
Is it a justified fear? Probably not. I’m sure China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are doing this already with Meta Apps, and definitely Twitter is compromised to hell thanks to only 3 people working there now.
But that is where it started. The social influencing is just political opportunism, but the original ban was due to NatSec concerns.
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They tried to overthrow the previous election. I’d put the probability at 99.999999999% of that being the plan.
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well, they’ll get to appoint a lot more people to the courts, and that’s a major part of how Orban did it, right? Stack the courts with loyalists and make sure they shape interpretation of laws as you wish…
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Pardon the returning to this old point, but remember they tried to overthrow the previous election. Of course, there are conspiracies. That doesn’t mean they’re easy or likely to be figured out by people with insufficient data, but they are assuredly out there.
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I liked Anne Applebaum’s analysis in “Autocracy, Inc.” There’s no global conspiracy, but there is a lot of opportunistic collaboration.
Agreed, but 
does want the upper hand.
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Barf
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And somewhat related…
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250 years seems about right, especially for one trying (and now failing) to keep a republic.*
The end of an empire
Is messy at best.
And this empire’s ending
Like all the rest.Like the Spanish Armada
Adrift on the sea
We’re adrift in the land of the brave
And the home of the free.Goodbye…Goodbye
Goodbye.
– Randy Newman, “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country.”
[* It is fitting that the pre-eminent symbol of this republic, what William Gibson called “the international currency of bad shit”, features Franklin’s cynical visage.]
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Can we at least look forward to the revolution being televised?
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No. It will be live streamed and, ironically, be corporate sponsored via the clicks it generates.
But I’m ever so confident that it will make me look five pounds thinner.
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Still, tomorrow’s going to be another working day
And I’m trying to get some rest
That’s all I’m trying to get some rest…
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Here we go… here is something at least…
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Had to go with Rhea Perlman to show how serious I am.
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They can arrange that. 
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Simon: Do you realize that in 7 years this country will be 200 years old?
Garfunkel: D’you think it’ll make it?
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vaguely wonder what the half-life on the “game over man, game over” mental state is. i think mine is slightly more than average - at least a month. -sigh-
unexpectedly i find i agree with ~14 out of 15 of NYT (yes yes, i know) Nicholas Kristof’s 15 points of his “Manifesto for Despairing Democrats” (uhm… here’ish) But i categorically refuse #5:
- I will try to understand why so many Americans disagree with me. Too many Democrats reflexively assume that any person backing Trump must be a bigot or an idiot. …
nope. they’re idiot bigot misogynists - the lot of them.
Here’re his 15 (sans interleaving text/elaborations):
- I accept Donald Trump’s victory.
- I will be a watchdog, not a lap dog.
- I will back organizations fighting to uphold human values.
- I will subscribe to a news organization.
- I will try to understand why so many Americans disagree with me.
- I will keep my cool.
- I will care for my mental health.
- I will be alert to gender nastiness.
- I will help Ukrainians.
- I will back humanitarians around the world.
- I will push for blue places to govern themselves better.
- I will temper my strong views with humility.
- I will share Thanksgiving with relatives, even if I think they’re nuts.
- I will start planning for recovery.
- Instead of despairing, I will find purpose.
(hmm… not sure about #13 either now that i think on it)
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You could also post this to the survival strategies thread…
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