For several years we’ve noted how most of the calls to ban TikTok are bad faith bullshit made by a rotating crop of characters that not only couldn’t care less about consumer privacy, but are directly responsible for the privacy oversight vacuum TikTok (and everybody else) exploits.
Rubio’s Bill To Ban TikTok Is A Dumb Performance That Ignores The Real Problem
Related:
American taxpayers must prepare to foot the bill.
The powerful military-industrial complex, with generous campaign contributions funneled via K-Street lobbyists to both parties, celebrated a huge victory yesterday. By getting overwhelming majorities in both chambers to approve a whopping, unprecedented $856 billion Pentagon bill, America’s defense industries are assured of continued prosperity for years to come. Pentagon budgets are rarely cut year after year and generally only rise with time.
The “Nation Rebuilding Industry” Salivates Over Ukraine
Congress’ Best Idea to Save Local Journalism Would Actually Hurt It
Meta reported $114.93 million in ad revenue in 2021, whereas Google reported $209 billion. But determining how much of that publishers should get is difficult—and the JCPA doesn’t even try. One version of the JCPA proposed platforms and publishers negotiate an agreed-to payment, and if they couldn’t come to a consensus, they’d enter forced-arbitration with no formula for what is fair. But whether the money would end up being vast or a modest bump to the bottom line, not every publication stands to benefit if the JCPA becomes law. While the JCPA’s alliances allow for partnerships, exclusionary elements of the JCPA would encourage big brands to unite selectively at the expense of smaller ones and shut out niche independent journalistic outlets altogether.
Related:
JCPA Update: The Dangerous Link Tax That Still Won’t Save Local Journalism
The original text of the JCPA already authorized print media companies to form one or several cartels and collectively bargain with the largest online platforms—defined in terms that single out Facebook and Google. Although the bill hinted at these news cartels being able to demand payment for merely linking to their content, or hosting snippets like the results you get from Google News, the mechanism by which they would be paid was left vague. However, the fact that the bill allowed news companies to withhold content strongly suggested a claim to some sort of property right, or ancillary copyright, that the targeted platforms would owe for hosting links and snippets.
Some Temporary Good News: None Of The Really Bad Internet Bills Seem To Have Made It Into The NDAA
This would also hurt independent media and bloggers (you would have to pay a ‘link tax’ to corporate media for linking to their articles—see below image)! So far, it hasn’t passed (it was attached to the NDAA) but there’s still the omnibus spending bill and the next session of Congress!
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is formally under investigation by the House Committee on Ethics.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Under Investigation for Ethics Violation
Newsweek claims that American Accountability Foundation is non-partisan. According to Wikipedia, it’s a “conservative opposition research group”. I suppose that Newsweek would deny that PNAC was a neoconservative think tank, as well.
More About American Accountability Foundation:
Read More »A crucial function of a free press is to present perspectives that critically examine government actions. In major articles from the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal discussing the escalation of the war in Ukraine, however, such perspectives have been hard to come by—even as the stakes have reached as high as nuclear war.
NYT, WSJ Look to Hawks for Ukraine Expertise
In 1961, Dwight Eisenhower famously identified the military-industrial complex, warning that the growing fusion between corporations and the armed forces posed a threat to democracy. Judged 50 years later, Ike’s frightening prophecy actually understates the scope of our modern system—and the dangers of the perpetual march to war it has put us on.
The Tyranny of Defense Inc.
The former disinformation czar for President Joe Biden’s administration has apparently landed on her feet after resigning amid controversy earlier this year. She has registered as a foreign agent representing a UK activist group that advocates for censorship of speech it finds objectionable.
Biden’s ex-disinfo czar registers as foreign agent
H/T: Unorthodox Truth
Related:
Intelligence operative confirms British gov’t is targeting The Grayzone
The fallout from the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX and its missing billions of dollars of customer funds has, finally, galvanized some members of Congress to push back against the swarms of crypto lobbyists whose activities are clearly impacting the safety and soundness of U.S. banks.
Evidence Grows that Crypto and Federally-Insured Banks Are a Combustible Mixture
Nov 22, 2022 – As the US proxy war against Russia in Ukraine destroys a nation and destabilizes a region, similar meddling that preceded the 2014 coup in Kiev is unfolding across Southeast Asia and in particular, in Thailand.
Who is the “Zelensky” of Thailand? Documented evidence exposes the Thai opposition as a product of years of US interference all in a bid to pivot Thailand aways from its largest economic and trade partner – China – and transform it into a belligerent proxy against Beijing on Washington’s behalf.
References:
Anti-China Protests in Thailand: Who is Behind them & Why? Searching for Asia’s “Zelensky” (Odysee) via The New Atlas
Previously:
Thailand: US-backed Opposition’s Violence Intimidates Critics, Paves Way for Regime Change
According to data at the Federal Election Commission, Bankman-Fried sluiced $36 million on the campaign coffers of Democrats during the latest campaign cycle. Ryan Salame, the Co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets, the Bahamian subsidiary of FTX, dumped $23 million into the campaign coffers of Republicans and a Super PAC he created to support them, American Dream Federal Action.
S.4760 was introduced by a Democrat and has both Democratic and Republican cosponsors. S.4356 was introduced by a Republican and has one Democratic cosponsor. FTX Digital Markets’ (Bahamian subsidiary of FTX) Co-CEO donated to Republicans, but all we’re hearing about is Sam Bankman-Fried’s donations to Democrats.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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