Tag: Monopolies

Neither Washington Nor Beijing?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Neither Washington Nor Beijing?

Regardless of what one thinks of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, anyone on the left must support China against US-led imperialist attacks and the New Cold War. The prominent Belgian Trotskyist economist Ernest Mandel was by no means a supporter of Soviet socialism, but he insisted firmly that the Soviet Union must be defended against imperialism. Arguing against Tony Cliff’s slogan of Neither Washington nor Moscow, he wrote: “Why, if it is conceivable to defend the SPD [German Social Democratic Party] against fascism, despite its being led by the Noskes, the assassins of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, is it ‘inconceivable’ to defend the USSR against imperialism?”111

Related:

[2018] Is China Still Socialist?

Facebook’s news censorship in Australia: A battle between monopolies

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Facebook’s news censorship in Australia: A battle between monopolies

However, socialists and progressives in the country are wary of taking any sides in what they see as a battle between monopolies. Media outlets owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp hold a monopoly of over 70% of the national print readership. Murdoch is also one of the biggest advocates of the bargaining code, which has also inspired other media corporations around the world.

UK: New Bill Threatens Future of Free Expression and Civil Liberty

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Big Brother Watch has warned that the recently proposed Online Harms Bill is yet another piece of legislation designed to deceive us into thinking the government is protecting us all when something more sinister is likely. Free expression and civil liberty are at stake. The result is a piece of proposed legislation which is as BBW says is “blunt in its force and will have severe unintended consequences”. Think back to the Regulatory Investigations Powers Act 2000, designed to catch terrorists and high level wanted criminals – eventually used by the BBC to catch licence fee dodgers and local authorities to catch underage sunbed use. There are many laws that the government have brought in since the late 1990s now being used against civil liberty and basic human rights.

UK – New Bill Threatens Future of Free Expression and Civil Liberty

Apparently Trump Refuses To Allow The Government To Do Anything At All Until The Open Internet Is Destroyed

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Apparently Trump Refuses To Allow The Government To Do Anything At All Until The Open Internet Is Destroyed

Section 230 protects working Americans more than it protects “big tech.” It protects us posting on social media. It protects us forwarding emails. It protects us when we retweet nonsense. It makes the open internet possible, and enables the next generation of competitors to “big tech” to exist. Lindsey Graham’s weird grandstanding about this is nonsense. Taking away 230 wouldn’t rein in big tech, it would lock in big tech. They have large legal teams and can handle the disruption. This is why Facebook already supports major 230 reform. Zuckerberg knows that it would harm upstart competitors way more than Facebook.

More About Section 230:

Communications Decency Act – Section 230

Is Trump protecting Big Tech from competition or does he really want more censorship?!

Will the New U.S. Trade Rep Be Hobbled by Lobbyists?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Will the New U.S. Trade Rep Be Hobbled by Lobbyists?

Tai could represent a new era in Democratic trade policy, replacing both “free trade” scams on one flank, and the incoherent economic nationalism of Donald Trump on the other, with careful, substantive policy that serves America’s economic interest.

But the way these things work, Tai is at risk of having corporate types imposed just below her, in the key deputy USTR slots. There is a revolving door between USTR and powerful corporations, notably Big Tech companies, which have much to gain or lose from trade deals. As I’ve written, the next round of trade deals will resolve significant questions about e-commerce, privacy, the use of algorithms, and much more.

Related:

Joe Biden’s US trade chief pick ‘unmatched’ on China issues, would not be soft on Beijing

[Clete] Willems said she would “share Lighthizer’s hawkishness on China and has a tonne of direct background on China’s industrial policy from her days at USTR”, adding that “having someone who can directly converse with China in their own language is going to command respect”.