The Face Of America To The World?
Imagine if Trump, after his election, had allowed giant corporate mega supporters of his campaign to basically declare war on a foreign ally. Do you think we'd be hearing about it from the Dems?
And yet that's pretty much what has happened. Facebook has declared war on our Five Eye ally Australia. That actually happened after days of digital saber rattling from Google, as well. Big Tech is outraged because the government of Oz want to require them to pay local Aussie publishers for using their content. Via Zerohedge:
Furious Aussies React To "Zero Warning" Facebook Ban On News Content
The pushback and reaction to Facebook's drastic 'retaliation' on the Australian government has been fierce from both officials and the broader public in the hours following the Wednesday decision of the US-based social media platform to block all news sharing on the continent.Australian officials are warning that Facebook's actions are severely damaging the ability to combat the COVID-19 pandemic .
The Facebook announcement came a day after on Tuesday the current session of parliament vowed to implement the so-called "News Media Bargaining Code" by end of next week. The controversial legislation will force major US-based internet companies to begin paying local Australian publishers for use of their content. Aussies are now barred from posting, sharing or even viewing news content on Facebook whatsoever in a move that Google had previously threatened with its search engine.
Where is the Zhou Baiden regime on this? Is this the Face(book) of America to the world--the face of a bully nation that's run by rapacious Deep State connected corporate giants? For better or worse--very much worse, in my view--that's the reality. Not a good look, for the supposedly most powerful democracy in the world--it's not as if other countries aren't watching and taking note of it all. Of course, they're all probably wondering who to talk to, since Zhou himself is, apparently, snoozing in front of the OO fireplace with his dogs.
Who's running this clown show in the Imperial City on the Potomac?
ADDENDUM: Via TGP here's the statement from the Australian government:
Facebook’s actions to unfriend Australia today, cutting off essential information services on health and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were disappointing. I am in regular contact with the leaders of other nations on these issues.
These actions will only confirm the concerns that an increasing number of countries are expressing about the behaviour of BigTech companies who think they are bigger than governments and that the rules should not apply to them. They may be changing the world, but that doesn’t mean they run it.
We will not be intimidated by BigTech seeking to pressure our Parliament as it votes on our important News Media Bargaining Code. Just as we weren’t intimidated when Amazon threatened to leave the country and when Australia drew other nations together to combat the publishing of terrorist content on social media platforms.
I encourage Facebook to constructively work with the Australian Government, as Google recently demonstrated in good faith.
That bit in red is somewhat diplomatic. By referring to "BigTech companies who think they are bigger than governments," Australia seems to be tacitly asking, Who's in charge? Should we be looking to talk to Zhou or to Zuck? Is Uncle Zuck in charge, or Uncle Zhou?
Is the face of America to the world the face of a nation in increasing disarray? Recall that France's Macron, of all people, has spoken out criticizing our "woke" PC culture:
Top French politicians, journalists, and intellectuals are warning that “woke” social science theories “entirely imported from the United States” regarding race, gender, and post-colonialism are a serious threat to France.
“Emboldened by these comments, prominent intellectuals have banded together against what they regard as contamination by the out-of-control woke leftism of American campuses and its attendant cancel culture,” The New York Times reported this week.
There is little going on in the US these days that can be reassuring to the rest of the world. They undoubtedly see us slipping into a form of the Corporate State, i.e., Fascism. Or worse.