It Was Never about Privacy| It Was about Preventing Americans from Knowing the Truth!!

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, where truth matters. I kind of draw a blank. Anyway, anyway, excited to be with you on this January 18th here, the weekend. I hope you are— your weekend is going well. So, and thank you for being here, by the way. I mean, you could be doing something else, whatever, and you decided to come and listen to what I have to share with you, uh, regarding what's going on with TikTok. So usually I don't address this kind of topics. I am not a type of social media stuff, whatever. I mean, I have some, but, uh, but this one has different dimensions to it, and I need you to see that angle that rarely any other mainstream media will talk about. That's where the surprise for me is. In addition to highlight to you how— what does it mean when it comes down to the struggle of major powers between the United States and China. So some might think, oh, this is just social media stuff, but no, there is another angle that I felt compelled yesterday to just make a decision and do the stream for you. So, so this is what we're going to be talking about. Uh, two things I need to share with you. Yesterday, uh, during my conversation with Malo I don't know what happened to the sound. My system was working fine. I was hearing in the background some chatters, whether it was some entity listening in, whatever. I mean, I know when one is listening in, I know how those things work. That's what I was hearing yesterday. So it wasn't on my end. I was like surprised even for that. Second thing is I made the mistake, by uploading the wrong video that I was supposed to release tomorrow. So I'm— I went ahead and removed that, uh, uh, from the, the, uh, the, uh, YouTube. So I'm gonna re-upload it sometime this afternoon. So my apologies for that. I just had a chance to take a look at that and find out. So anyway, let's see who's here, our, our wonderful community as always. Willie Homan, good to see you. Timeline Dunkley, Amanda from BC, British Columbia. I don't know if I did say, Amanda, thank you very much for my birthday gift. So I, I, I don't remember if I did say or not, but if I didn't, I want to say thank you for my birthday gift. So, so kind of you. Phil from Ottawa, good to see you. Muhammad Mazhardine, Fareed Amal, good to see you, uh, as well. Won Casey, Abdoufal, Wan Laiin. Good to see you. Hanging G, as always. Hairless Abe, here you are. I haven't seen you for a while. I hope, hope everything is okay with you. Jimmy C, also I haven't seen you for a while, so good to see you, Jimmy. Rumples L1, and who else is here? Alex Talokin, as always. Athene Wu, as always. So excited to be with you guys here on the weekend. All right, let's, let's get into our conversation because there is a lot to cover on this. So I'm going to start with these questions. What is really at the heart of all this? Is this about just banning TikTok? I don't think so. So second question is, should China— which by the way, we did a survey for you and 79% of you said no— so should China sell TikTok to Elon Musk? Because it was Elon Musk that wants to buy it. And if even hypothetically, guys, we go with this arguments, what is the value? The proposal for the sale, to my knowledge, was about $100 million, which is a drop in the bucket if you know the value of TikTok. So if you guys know what the value of TikTok, uh, monetary one, please type in in a chat box for the community to know. I will share with you. I know the numbers because I accessed stuff last night, uh, to read up on the co-founder of TikTok, so I have an idea about where the value of the company is. But just in your opinion, just, uh, share with the community, what do you think the real market value of TikTok? And the fourth question is, is Red Note, which is now the one that is a lot of Americans are migrating to is a Chinese app. Is it the next TikTok? Very fascinating how you're looking at about 300 million people just subscribe to it so quick, in no time, which highlight to you that now you got the Chinese people and the American people are conversing. And guess what comes with it? It comes the truth. Now Americans are finding out Really? Is China like this? When they see images on the Red Note from supermarkets, for example, in China, when you hear conversation between Chinese— I, I already checked one, and one of the Chinese citizens shared a question with an American by saying, hey, do you know what happened to that guy who shot that, uh, CEO, the healthcare, you know? And the guy was clueless. The American guy was clueless that a Chinese individual know about this story? So, but it's not a— it's, it's fascinating. This is what prompts me to go ahead and, and, and to do this, uh, live stream for yourself. So as you know, as of tomorrow the 19th, so the TikTok's Sunday deadline, which is tomorrow, to either divest or face the US ban, uh, uh, uh, as, as it approaches tomorrow. Well, already the corrupted Supreme Court already made the decision on this, which I will get into, into this one. So now, right after this, as it's getting closer, hundreds of thousands of Americans, users of the popular TikTok, moved into another Chinese social media app. It's called Zhanhongxiu. I hope I pronounced it correctly. I have pictures here, guys. I'm gonna be sharing some pictures with you. Uh, this is, of course, we're talking about the ban of TikTok that enters into effect tomorrow because the Supreme Court already upheld the decision. Now, here is a picture of the Shanghanxu, or the, uh, Red Note, as it's known, uh, for when you translate it, the Little Red Book or Red Note. And by the way, this one traces back to Mao. Very fascinating. So, well, it behooves us to at least understand what is Changhongshu. What is it? It is one of the most popular social network in China now. It is not a TikTok dupe, okay? Which means— that means it, which is also owned by TikTok parent ByteDance. Now you can see the idea of where things are headed. So that's to me, that's how I see it. So Chang Heng Shu, or, or a layer rate book that is, is more frequently compared to Instagram. It is the reason why. Why? Because the app, the Chang Heng Shu, the app offers an infinite scroll feed which is powered by some sort of an algorithm recommendations. So the users of this app, most of whom are young women, commonly used the app in exchange for tips like travel, shopping, and other lifestyle topics. And that's why it was boosted by about 300 million monthly active users. So, so the— and by the way, I found that the, the, the simplified, the Chinese version, and the traditional Chinese version. And please, please, to those who speak— to my viewers who speak Chinese, please correct me if this is wrong, because I wanted to provide both the simplified Chinese version and the traditional Chinese version. When I do the, uh, by the way, when I do the videos, guys, and, and if I talk about Asia or China, whatever, I do the headline, the, uh, subtitle in the traditional Chinese. So, and this is what I wanted to just to share with you guys for this one to note. So the idea that the question that we all ask, like I put in the title, why politicize TikTok? So because you need to understand the background story, and the background story is not about the Chinese having access to the US data and so forth. That's baloney. I'm gonna tell you why. So So the way I'm gonna go about this, just to give you a layout of how I structure this live stream here, is I want to provide you some explanation to certain key questions beside what we talked about. Then we'll go into, uh, talking briefly about the Red Note. Then, then, then we'll close this with some— if you have some questions, I'll answer those on the, uh, uh, uh, what you call them I draw a blank. I couldn't think now. So many things running through my head. So, uh, by the way, before we move an inch on this, I'm going to show you a picture. And by the way, I give credit of this picture to, uh, uh, let, let me get the name because it's important, to Susan Walsh. That's where the— this picture of President Xi and President-elect Donald Trump, but this picture was taken in Japan in June 2019 when he was at a meeting over there. So that is the picture. So why am I sharing this with you? It's because President-elect Donald Trump made a phone call yesterday to President Xi. So makes you wonder, even though the headlines here in the US is saying, oh, Trump spoke with President Xi saying leaders will make world more peaceful. Well, how can you say that when you are— you, in this case, president-elect, you want threatening to use force to acquire Greenland and Panama Canal? You know, that just doesn't make any sense. But here is what I found very, very, uh, uh, uh, sort of my own analysis is that even though President Trump, uh, President-elect Trump said, and I quote, "It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together," the coming US president says after a call to President Xi. End of quote. So what a bunch of baloney! You want to solve the problems, right? And you are going ahead with full tariffs on the Chinese. What, what does it mean? You know, here is my take as to why the call. I think President-elect Trump wanted to test the water and feel to see what the mood is in China, because President Xi ain't flying for the inauguration. So, which is a big blow in its own right. China sending its own subtle message. Second thing is the call came right after the Supreme Court made the decision regarding TikTok. And this is why leads us to that key question. And again, this is not about just social media, guys, stuff. This is about an understanding the dynamics. This is why those who say, well, maybe China should sell TikTok to Elon, others saying hell no, they shouldn't, let alone for what they are, what they— meaning the Americans are asking for the value of that. So, and this is why I believe the call was about testing the waters. So It was a, an email. I got an email from, uh, Chang, and I'm gonna share it with you guys. He wrote, and I quote, there was a question, and I would like you guys to also take part in answering this question if you feel like it. And here's the question: do you think the million users from TikTok that goes over to RedNode will create a movement in North America? Apparently Many users now have firsthand interaction with the Chinese in China and see what life like in China. End of quote. Thank you very much, C. Cheng, who, who shared this with me. So, so, and I wanted to share it with you. And this leads me to, as I said earlier, I'm going to do this a little bit different by providing key questions into the background of all this, because I don't assume everybody knows. So So what is the reason for why TikTok— uh, where's the picture? Right here. Why TikTok was, uh, sort of is being banned? Well, the reason is that TikTok is facing a US ban over— this is what they are writing here in the US— over concerns for users' privacy and national security. But the app could stick around if Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance agrees to sell TikTok to US owner. So, well, first of all, let me just decipher all this, because by the way, this one is written right here in Washington. So, and I'm going to provide you the link, you can take a look yourself. Uh, first of all, the idea of the privacy and national security, let's just start with that first. If you are an American watching this, you know how much the government knows about your text, your emails, your surfing, you whatever. So where is this privacy that we're talking about? And I'm gonna share something with you that I know for a fact, you know. Do you know when sometimes, uh, for example, when sometimes you send, uh, uh, I just want to show, when sometimes you send the text, okay, when you text, you text your, your mom, husband, wife, whatever, there is someone else in Maryland is looking at it in the screen like I'm looking at you, as clear as it can be, with the coordinates of where that picture was taken. So where— you know what I'm referring to here. What am I referring to? Which entity in Maryland will have access to that? If you guys can type in that in the chat box. All right, let me, uh, okay, I don't see it here anyway. Anyway, I gotta move on. So it's NSA. So, so the idea, National Security Agency, the idea that they look at, so what is the privacy? So when the argument is made about TikTok because of the privacy and national security, it's flat lie. Simple as that. Second question we need to ask is, what is the real purpose of TikTok? Okay, well, here's the thing. For TikTok, which if you hear its owner, he described their missions is to provide the platform where people, users that is, can watch, can create, uh, and share short videos online. You know, I don't have a TikTok account, uh, you know, I'm not a 20-year-old, so it's kind of, uh Um, but when I was in China, for example, I was able to do the Shorts on YouTube, for example. Well, to me it was a nice way of communicating with my community here, with sharing where I am and all that stuff. And you see TikTok does the same. So, so that is one of the purpose. And the app was launched, by the way, in 2016 by the Chinese technology company ByteDance. So now It is available in more than 150 different markets. So TikTok has offices, of course, in Beijing, in LA, Los Angeles, Moscow, Mumbai, Seoul, Tokyo, and other cities. And by the way, when the Supreme Court made the decision on Friday, our neighbor to the north, uh, with all my respect to my viewers from Canada, Phil and Amanda and all the You all know, guys, I, I love you dearly, all Canadian citizens, but the damn government— Canada is also banning TikTok. That, that just shows you right there. So this is what I always say about the sovereignty of Canada. So, so now the other question is why Gen Z is sort of focusing on TikTok. You know, the, the argument or the article use the term addiction which is a strong word in my opinion. I don't know, is there right or not? I don't know, I can't say that. Other ones use the term obsessed, whatever the term might be. So, well, the reason being, this is according to their own, uh, uh, analysis, is that it caters to the lowest of attention span. In other words, you don't need to be thinking too much. Because thinking is very hard, you know, exercising your brain, your muscle, your brain, it's challenging. That's why some of us, and I shall not generalize, with all my respect to all Americans, some of us are not willing to think. We don't want to think. So you got the media that presents the arguments, the facts, whether they're right or not, and reach a conclusion for you. Why they do that? Why do you think they do that? They do that because they don't want you to think. They want you just recline on your chair— recliner chair, that is— with a bag of chips and Coca-Cola, if you drink soda, which I highly recommend stay away from all type of junk food. Stay away from that for your own health. And that's it. They want to just keep scrolling, and because they don't want you to think. Because here is the— what's at the heart of it. Is that if you start to think, you become a threat to the government. Right here, this is what TikTok is all about, and I'm gonna get into that. So, so the other thing why Gen Z likes it, because there are hardly ever, almost no ads whatsoever. And the third thing, which is crucial, psychological one, that is it keeps them in their comfort zone. Now whether you agree with this or not, I, uh, I— it's your, it's your, it's your decision. So now why does everyone like TikTok so much? Well, here is the thing. Researchers, they conduct research on this and claim that TikTok, like other social media platform, which I disagree with that because you can't compare TikTok to Facebook. You know, Facebook, the back door of the government. But Facebook also can censor. Same here. So here is— but again, you reach your conclusion. I'm sharing the facts with you and you decide. It operates on random reinforcements and rewards users with increased dopamine level. If you know dopamine, remember Dr. Stewart was talking about the need for— it's a, it's a, it's a chemistry in your brain. Dopamine. So, so each time a viewer sees a post displaying something they find delightful, they get a little dopamine hit in the brain's pleasure center. This is what's interesting about it, because like I said, it's more than just about TikTok, you know, social media. That is the other thing, has to do with the criticism of TikTok. So I'm going to provide you one pro and one con, and you decide. Once again, here is the number one con. Uh, one: TikTok is no more a threat— here is the one— but they say is no more a threat than American-owned social media sites that also collect and sell users' data. Simple as that. That's what I'm saying. Most Americans do not, and you know The reason why the government, our government, is concerned and they want to hit to move with the ban is because they are concerned about people waking up and understanding what's going on politically speaking. Because in TikTok, you will be able to— it became a political hub for younger generations to really exchange political views. The government is concerned about that. Because that will expose the corruption, that will expose their incompetence. And now it's becoming clear. So what they end up doing is to hide behind the national security. You all remember when the US government said, oh, Chinese garlic is a national security threat. And I'm not joking. So, and here is the pro: TikTok is rife This is what they're saying. TikTok is rife with dangerous misinformation that the government can and should rightly ban. You know how different this is from Facebook? I mean, come on, you know, you see where this is going. Now you come to the question, to my viewers in Canada, why is TikTok banned in Canada? You know, I mean, can Canada make its own decision? I don't think so, knowing what I know. I lived in Canada. I am very familiar with that society. So I don't think so. There are certain matters Canada has no say. I say it straightforward. No different than Japan, no different than South Korea, no different than Australia, no different than Philippines, uh, even to a point India, Germany. France, UK, Holland, Spain, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. So Canada quickly followed with its own ban. Quickly, that's your keyword right there. Siren, here is the vague concern. That Canada said about privacy and security. So then he hurriedly, meaning very fast, initiated and concluding the Investment Canada Act review and ordering TikTok to close its Canadian offices. My reason, guys, for wanting to do this is to show you the other political side to this equation for you to understand. When the government comes and say, oh, this is for your own protection as far as your privacy, it's baloney. So, and here is the kicker for why it was banned, or it is to be banned in 2025, because the conversation has been US officials have worried that the Chinese government could pressure TikTok or its parent company ByteDance into handing over the personal information of its US users, so which could then be used for the Chinese intelligence operations or the spread of Chinese-backed disinformation. That's just, uh, you know, I'm just shaking my head when I read the article and saw this there. That's just how much brainwashed some of us Americans are when you hear this narrative like this. To those, and I consider you one of those guys, you are now in a position to not be sort of manipulated by some vague language. Why? Because you spend a long time with me now to develop that intellectual lenses by which you can read between the line. You can decipher facts from fiction, truth from falsehood. I feel comfortable saying this to you, and I'm not saying it to be Mr. Nice. You don't know. So, and this is why the US is saying so, so, so what is the law that is banning this TikTok? Because you need to understand on this. So starting tomorrow, as this moves forward, the Protecting Americans from Adversary Control Application Act, which basically— what does it mean? It means that it will make it unlawful for companies in the United States to provide services to distribute, maintain, or update the social media platform TikTok unless US operation of the platform is sever— severe— is severed, rather, rather, is severed from Chinese control. You all know what this is all about. It's about the struggle between the major two powers, China and the United States. And one way for us to control that narrative of the hegemony or the global dominance, you know, I, I have an article for you that I'm gonna, uh, post a link. I need you guys to take a look at that. And there is a graph there. As a matter of fact, I'm going to share it with you soon for you to see. There is one graph Or it shows the, the which countries, uh, uh, doing collaboration regarding AI, artificial intelligence. And you see where China is vis-à-vis the United States. What's at the heart of it all is that the government, the, our incompetent government does not want people to become aware of its incompetence. Look no further than the outgoing idiot president. I'll say it. So what a shame that looking us on a screen wanted to give a farewell address to the Americans. Who gives a damn about what the idiot is going to say, let alone the, the waste of our tax dollars that took place? Now this issue of TikToks is about making sure the control aspects of the government that you do not know about its shortcomings, incompetent, uh, how incompetent it is, and the waste of our tax dollar. That's what— that's at the heart of it. It's not about China's stuff. They're just making that up, this up. So, and here is the one last thing I'm gonna share with you about how much is TikTok worth. So I'm gonna go back to the chat box to see what you guys put in. Uh, I'm gonna have to scroll, Joe, so bear with me, guys, because we got a lot, a lot of viewers here on the, uh, uh— oh, oh, Kurt, Kurt, you shared this one. I'll share it with you guys. TikTok is a symbol of Chinese success and superiority, and, and I will have to second that. Otherwise, why would you have thousands and thousands of subscribers jumping ship all the way to the— right now, another Chinese app. It's just common sense. So, so, uh, let me, uh, say, uh, uh, thank you to, uh, Stephen Hayes. Thank you very much, man, for your super sticker. Truly appreciate it. You wrote, US Navy and Air Force launch false flag targeting China before end of 2024. Yeah, I won't be surprised. There is— I'm gonna tell you guys once again, thank you, Stan, for your Super sticker, appreciate it. Uh, I am gonna do, uh, either a live or scripted for you regarding what the statements of the maybe the appointed, uh, Secretary of State, the incompetent, an idiot. He's an idiot, that's all I can say. And I tell him to his face, Marco Rubio, about what's saying about why you need to upgrade AUKUS. This has to do with what, uh, uh, Hayes, uh, what, uh, Stephen Hayes mentioned about the false flag. So, so be on a lookout for that down the road. So let me see the price. How much is it worth? Uh, Lloyd Johnson, you put $200 billion. Kurt, you put $50 billion. Uh, let me see who else. Okay, $200— that's all I saw. I saw the 2 there. So, but anyway, let me, let me share with you right here. How much is TikTok worth? So it is an analyst who estimated— some analysts estimated that TikTok is worth north of $100 billion. That's, as a matter of fact, with the potential to reach $200 billion. So you're aware who said the $200 billion? I wanna, I wanna just highlight this one here. Uh, which one said $200 billion? Because I did see it. Oh, right here, Lloyd Johnson. So you, you hit the mark, man. You hit the mark. So, so $200 billion, uh, and this is at least for now. So, and when you look at the owner or the co-founder of TikTok So, and I got a picture from which, by the way, he's a very— Zhang Yimin, he's a very private guy. He, he hardly ever show. The only reason, and I'm going to share this with you, the only reason you are seeing his picture is because he made it to the top billionaires in China and they disclosed his name on the list. I think that's the norm in China, there they do so. So now what happened with, with, with Zhang? Zhang Yimin. Let me put a picture again just for you to see. He has built a $49.3 billion fortune since co-founding ByteDance. So this is the Chinese tech giant behind TikTok. And as I said, uh, uh, Mr. Zhang is highly private, and, and, and it is little that is publicly known about his personal life. And there is a reason for that. And you know what that reason is, guys? Most of the Chinese wealthy people, at least my observation when I was there, they don't flaunt their wealth. They don't, uh, it's, it's like even to the point that you never know whom you're talking to. The person you could be talking to, he might be some millionaires and you wouldn't even know it. They dress modestly, they talk modestly, they walk modestly, and simple as life. That's why I'm not surprised. And here is a guy, a billionaire, I never knew about the guy. So, and it is— and I'm gonna put all the link for you, uh, guys, for you to take a look at this and, and, uh, and all that. So here is the thing, to get into the really at the heart of it also is that Most of the TikTok users are under 30. So, and here is the kicker also, that also they keep up with politics. I had a chance to read an article about the survey was conducted by Pew Center, Research Center, and Pew does have a— P-E-W— it does have a good reputation. I I'm aware, very, very familiar with them. And I, when I read the article by Colin McLean, uh, it's, it's spot on. It is spot on. So because you got 36% keeping up with politics and political issues, so this is why TikTok has been so popular among young Americans, especially during the presidential campaigns. So, so, because they are unfiltered, you find the information on TikTok regarding, uh, politics as is. Now, there are those who pushed back by saying, well, that will be a way for misinformation, because the head of TikTok, he himself said, we will remove any posting that has any misinformation. So, so here's the thing: 48%, almost 50, half of the TikTok users are between 18 and 29 years of age, which is a major reason why they are on the platform and why The, uh, yeah, you know, guys, while I'm doing this, Pure Research Center send a survey whether I found them extremely trustworthy, very trustworthy, somewhat trustworthy, not very trustworthy, not trustworthy at all. And I do say very trustworthy because I've done it before. So, so anyway, I answered that survey quickly while I'm talking to you. So, and here's the thing, By comparison, 36% of those ages 30 to 49 and even smaller share older users say the same, meaning that this portion, okay, the 36%, they are using TikTok as the majority is the 48% between the age of 18 and 29, and the 30% is between the age of 30 and 49. You all see what it means right now. And this is where the concern for the government about banning, because you're gonna have a people that's gonna become well-informed. I had also a chance to read another article by Kevin Collier and Kat TenBart, and I'm gonna put the links for you guys, you know. So this is why they disclosed that, uh, the uncertainty was hovering over TikTok's now ban, which could— which will enter into effect tomorrow. This still, I can assume, I'll say the possibility of it. I don't know, even though Supreme Court, uh, still, uh, upholding the, the ban. So, but users are flocking to another Chinese app, Red Note. And this is to me where it's gonna be the kicker. Why I went to China— I went to China personally to see with my own eyes and share with you guys, because I was on the ground. And you know me, you know my credibility is in line, and I will not compromise on that no matter what. And if anybody thinks I will, try me. That is the reason why I went there, and I am willing to go back again. In different locations because you need to know the truth. The problem here in the US— here is the problem with the government— does not want the American people to see the development and progress and advance— advancement, that is— that China has reached. Because if the American people become aware of that, it shows the incompetency of our government. And do I need to remind you that just a few days ago China posted a surplus of a trillion dollars? For us, we reached a heron— uh, we reached a trillion dollars in 100 days in debt. This is what's at the heart of this ban. I need you to understand this one here. So, so, and this is why And here is what the— now the politicians in Washington are saying. You know, I, I— you know, the authors of this article, they just reporting the— what they, they interviews, whatever. It's not their problem. I want you to know that authors usually report. It's where the source of the information. Well, I'm going to share with you word for word and put the link for you later on in the description. It is what it says. And I quote, the app allows users to upload short-form videos and post, uh, photos like on TikTok, but technology experts and government insiders worry that Red Note poses more of a threat to security and privacy than TikTok does. The primary reason for the potential ban— and here is what the, uh, uh, idiot of, uh, uh, Mark Warner He's a senator in— he said, and I quote, I am concerned that Americans are flocking to a number of adversary-owned social media platforms, end of quote, said Senator Mark, uh, Warner. He's a Democrat of Virginia— from Virginia, rather. So it shows you, it really, really, really— it shows how bad and Now the political party, in this case the Democrat, what a bad— so, so what you're gonna be hearing is the influence now of the narrative because the media and the government, especially with the, with the, uh, uh, uh, members of the, of the Senate or Congress on the Democratic side pushing this narrative. So, and here is what it said, it says also, uh, on, on, on about this one here. We still need a comprehensive and risk-based approach to assessing and mitigating the risks of foreign-owned apps, end of quote. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It is about having over 150 countries willing to have TikTok, and you don't want to lose influence on dictating the terms to those countries. That's what's at the heart of it also. And this leads me to my other key points. And the key points has to do with none other than— and I give credit to Aaron Schaff for this picture. You all know what this is, another corrupted institution. This is the Supreme Court of the United States. I don't shy away from saying it, and I'm saying it based on facts. This is, this is not an emotional reaction, whatever. I give a damn about Supreme Court. But I will not shy away from disclosing the truth, how corrupted the Supreme Court. Well, first of all, let me start with the first thing, and the first thing is why the heck are they there for lifetime appointment? So you look at, for example, we're not comparing ourselves to Europe, but I am aware of how the judicial system in Europe— Europe, a Supreme Court, uh, uh, judge will serve 12 years and that's it. So why are we having a lifetime? Well, the Constitution— no, it's the damn corruption. That's what allowed that. So if it were up to me, I will force the, the, the, uh, what you call, uh, term limits. You know, one decade is enough. No, you don't need to be there. We're not a monarchy. You can stay there forever. So, so I, I once again, I read an article uh, by Larry Bernhardt. Now I'm gonna put the link for you. Now if you know anything about Larry Bernhardt, he is a novelist and he's known for one particular, uh, thing, is that for the Wag the Dog, if you know what I'm talking about, the, the, the story of it. So I'm gonna put it in the chat box for you guys so you can check it out later on. Uh, yeah, Larry Benhart. And I put the link for you later on, guys. So, uh, all right, here is what he says: the Supreme Court is so corrupt. And I couldn't agree more with him. I couldn't agree more with him. So, so here's the thing: the Supreme Court of the United States is so corrupted that it makes corruption legal. Don't laugh at this, guys, because it's true. And the way you know it is you have to go back to 2010 decision, and I'll get into this. And this is what Larry wrote, and I quote, 'It is so corrupt that it's ruled— it ruled that corruption is the way democracy is supposed to operate.' End of quote. Let me repeat this for you. Quote, it is so corrupt, meaning Supreme Court, that it's ruled that corruption is the way democracy is supposed to operate. So the lawyers have warned me, meaning Larry, he's talking now, warned me to say, to declaim, use the term to declaim, that I am not calling any of the judges corrupt in the law. As it is currently interpreted. That's because they themselves have changed— meaning the judges— have changed what can be charged as a crime so that it moves further and further from the kind of transgressions they and their class are likely to do. End of quote. So to tie this to TikTok, when the Supreme Court all right away says we're gonna uphold the ban, it tells you the story right there, right there. So here is a picture of the Supreme Court decision in 2010. I was very familiar with it, uh, and I give credit of this to, uh, B. Christopher from Almayshak Photo. So because Like I always say, guys, you have to give credit where credit is due. Overturned Citizens United. You all know that decision, right? Citizens United. Who is not familiar with it, guys? So, because here's the thing, how does this decision that was in 2010 still affecting America today? Because here's the thing, Voters. Let me get, uh, uh, uh, one thing I need to share with you here. It's from, uh, uh, the, the CLC, the Advanced Democracy Through Law. That's their article right here. So, so what they're saying is basically is that voters have the right to know which wealthy special interest group are spending big money to influence our vote and our government, to rig the political system in their favor. But looking back on 2024, or you have to go back, but this one has to do with 2010 decision in the case of Citizens United versus Federal Election Commission. The court, Supreme Court, that is, ruled to strike down a prohibition on corporate independent expenditure, which has since enabled corporations and other outside groups to engage in unlimited amounts of campaign spending. To, to break this down for you in a simple language is that they can donate as much money as the— as they want without being disclosed. Their names will not be disclosed. When I used to teach in both the graduate and the undergraduate, and if this issue comes up I will provide them the example of this one and they all will be like, what? Yeah, basically Supreme Court made that corruption legal by allowing unlimited amount of money. Well, of course, to give you a quick example, if you have so much money and I don't, okay, you are in a, in, in, in much an advantage because you can influence the outcome of political decisions to your favor. Not to the average citizen. And this is what the government's supposed to do, to work for the average citizens. And this tied to this TikTok, because in TikTok the conversation is free. You talk, you talk about the political aspects. I mean, we all look at on this platform, come on guys, you all know what happens with this. So, so you all know how it is. This is where the fear is. That's why they wanted to ban it. But now it's creating even more problem for the government because now you have Americans interacting directly with the Chinese citizens, and the conversation is going to be now— and you know what, before I left to China, you used to hear that term, "Be aware of the Chinese," and this and that. I was like, oh my gosh, what are they saying? They were the most friendlier to me. You know, and I mean it when I say that. I haven't failed to think about fear or threat or whatever. I walked at 3 o'clock in the morning in the street, hardly anybody there. There were a few people here and there, they didn't bother with me. It just, it's just the propaganda. That's what I need you to know, to understand. And this is what's at the heart of this TikTok ban. But now it's gonna backfire big time because now Americans will hear directly from their, uh, what you call, from other citizens of another country directly. There is no information being filtered through government channels and all that stuff. It's gonna go directly, which means if Americans are smart enough, they already are shocked to realize, oh my gosh, they have this in China, they have that in China. Yeah, yeah, this is not going to expose the incompetence of our government. And I, you know me guys, I don't shy away, I say what's need to be said. So, so, and this is where the problem is, because in Citizens United, in that case guys, The Supreme Court upheld certain disclosure provisions from the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. So, and the rationale and reasoning for that is that prompt disclosure will not be enough to prevent wealthy special interests from dominating the political process. This is why you realize average Americans have no clue. Things are getting so bad. Here is what they are not disclosing to the American people. So if you are an American, listen carefully. Products, the stuff we eat, the stuff we buy, whatever, has been increasing by about 3% every month for, for the last 2, 3 years. The money that's been sent to Ukraine and Israel The billions. And even now, the outgoing administration is putting roadblocks regarding some money that's supposed to be used for infrastructure, whatever. Well, you know, ain't gonna happen anyway, because if it was ever an intention to upgrade the Kremlin infrastructure, would have done it 10, 20, 30 years ago. No. While at the same time, China is rebuilding its country. I saw. If I didn't see that with my own eyes, I'll say, well, maybe. I saw. I was there. I rode those speed trains. I went on maglev. I went on their planes. I saw the airports. I saw the streets. I saw how they observe the law, the respect for it. Yes, there are cameras and so on. So what? How dare you to violate the law? Because they will see you right away. Within the hour, you will be arrested. That's why everybody's feeling safe walking, whether in the morning, early morning, or late at night. But the bottom line is that our government does not want you to become aware. This is what's at the heart of it. So, so yeah, Supreme Court, it's bunch of, uh, actually two of them now are, uh, those last two here on the bottom left Judge Alito and Justice Thomas, they are in hot water regarding some really— some issues. So I'll say put a cap onto how long they can serve. There is no such thing as, as a lifetime appointment. So, and, uh, and I forgot to give you— to share with you rather a picture of, uh, uh, what was it, the picture that I forgot to share with you of Shanghang Xu. This is the picture right here. That's the Chinese app. So anyway, guys, I just wanted to provide you a different insights on this, to understand this is not about just social media, because if they said about privacy and all that, yeah, As I said, like I said earlier, to those who have missed the beginning here— and please, by the way, make sure to subscribe to the channel. I would greatly appreciate your support. You know, it takes me a while to go and dig for all this information so I can provide you something worth your time. So the, uh, what was I going to say? The, the, the, the privacy, that declaiming— it, like I said, you snap a picture, doesn't matter where, you know some entity in Maryland will look at it at the same time like I'm looking at you with the coordinates. I used to work in Washington, so I know what's going on. Anyway, so that's all I have to share with you guys. And let me say thank you to— oh, Stephen Hayes once again, man. Oh man, that's so generous of you. I'm gonna share it with you all, guys. That's so generous of you, and I am very grateful. You guys, it's without your support— you all know how it is. I don't like to beat the dead horse. Your support is what keeping me going on this. So I decided not to go and teach at university, and I made that decision here in the US. I'm not— so, uh, Stephen, you wrote competitive hatchet throwing seasons opens in 2 weeks. My neighbors and I have a team in the mixed ages league. Adults throw and everyone else holds the target steady. Only dodging it, dodging if a wild throw happens, and they happen a lot. Thank you so much, thank you so much for your super sticker. I really can't thank you enough. There is another one here. Uh, uh, while throw happens, team coach screams, mala, mala, mala, in Spanish, bad rocket, bad shot. Everyone dives for cover. Lot of beer spilled. Intense as judges' scores show. Motto: hatches do not keep people, but hatches hitting the head, they kind of. Wow, that is— thank you so much, Steven. Really appreciate your support, man. No, to all of you guys, for those who wanted to support the channel by my Buy Me a Coffee, I will be grateful to you if you decide to do that. Uh, and you all know this go to a good cause regarding to keep the information for you. Like I said last time, uh, uh, I mean, meaning upcoming, uh, content, uh, for, for you guys. Like I mentioned later on, uh, last time, I am working on trying to finalize my upcoming trip to Asia. And once I finalize everything personally, because I have other arrangements I have to make, and I can't just pack and leave and go. And there's a lot of moving parts. Once I finalize on that and lock in the dates, I will disclose that to you, and we'll do a, a funding campaign for that. Because without you, I won't be able to make it. I'll say straightforward, uh, to those who will be willing to support the— you saw my first trip, uh, it was the first one. I had to learn the ropes, ins and outs, and learn a few things. Second time is going to be slightly different, except on my second trip I do have another country in mind while I'm in the region, and for a reason. So, and, and, and we'll just go from there. So, uh, as I mentioned at the beginning, I will do— I will upload the video for tomorrow, guys, and, and, and we'll just go from there. Uh, there is— I'm gonna be arranging some interviews for next week. Hopefully I'll hear back from the individual and we'll just go from there. Hope you find this very informative. As always, remember, geopolitics impact your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys, bye-bye.