🤐 Free Speech R.I.P + The TikTok Ban

The Rat Race Lives On

Hello Everybody,

Word from TikTok HQ is that if you live in the US, you’ll face a blank screen when you log in tomorrow.

TikTok has some major issues, but it will be missed.

It’s a home for neurodivergent multipotentialites sharing innovation, philosophy, rebellion, and dumb funny shit.

TikTok is the culture.

What happens on TikTok spreads to other platforms.

"Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance." – Laurie Halse Anderson

This is the problem.

The elite fear rebellious voices, ideas, and critical thinking. Late-stage capitalism wants to control the narrative.

They can’t control free thinkers.

"In times of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." – George Orwell

Censorship stems from fear, but here, greed is the father.

Meta is at the front of the queue.

Zuckerberg is one of the most intelligent and morally bankrupt morons in recent history.

As Meta fully embraces the extreme right-wing rhetoric and suckles on the teat of Trump in the name of stock prices, it feels like we’re on slippery slopes.

The Rat Race ideology is alive and well.

Ironically, I suspect the King Rat himself, Trump will pardon TikTok to boost his ego.

If he does, remember: an evil man doing a decent thing doesn’t make him less evil.

He remains evil.

Trump’s injustice is a constant threat to social justice.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." – Martin Luther King Jr.

And I can’t help but wonder what content suppression sanctions will be placed on the TikTok algorithm should Trump pardon it.

TikTok Cooked Regardless?

Trump will use his power to suit his agenda. TikTok wants to keep making billions.

I hope I’m wrong but I suspect TikTok as we know it is cooked regardless.

Twitter is extreme right-wing, Meta is extreme right-wing, and if Trump forces his agenda on TikTok, well…it begs the question.

"Is mainstream social media destined to become socially unjust media?"

I hope that’s just a dose of paranoia.

Whatever happens to TikTok, the rebel genie is out of the bottle.

It will be fascinating to see what new platforms arise to fill the social justice void.

Many suggest Substack as a good alternative since it has no algorithm.

Over 11,500 of us are between our two Substacks, with 90% from TikTok.

I plan to use Substack differently going forward.

I’ll experiment.

I’m getting back into poetry and philosophy.

I want to write more this year and do fewer short-form videos.

But we’ll see.

I appreciate you for being here.

All the best and fuck the rest.

Jake ✌️

P.S. We’re entering week 3 of the cohort, but normal service will resume soon-ish.