The U.S. Government Could Have Handled the TikTok matter in a Much Simpler and Better Way
Share a simple and effective tactic I learned in office politics.
As the date of the “TikTok ban if not selling” is approaching, TikTok news dominates headlines. A recent development is that TikTok is planning to take its 100M+ users hostage to threaten an “immediate shutdown.”
This article does not take sides in the TikTok dispute, rather I’ll share some insights I learnt dealing with office politics. I think the U.S. government handled this TikTok matter poorly:
Neglect the big picture.
Respond slowly, and too late.
Play the game passively.
A simple yet much better tactic: Play the ball back
The most important tactic I learned in office environments: Let Others Prove.
Update (2025-01-20): Elon Musk's new tweet, posted two days after this article, aligns with the views expressed in it.
1. Neglect the big picture
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a dictatorial government, is, if not an outright enemy, certainly not an ally. Communism’s goal is the eradication of capitalism, this is its public statement.
The CCP also publicly stated their goal to take over the USA’s world-dominating position. On the world stage, it takes sides against the Western world, such as:
support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
support Iran and North Korea
…
CCP is well known for its high ability to use media to influence people, brainwashing and propaganda.
The above are all facts, and many US congressmen and senators have stated in Congress.
TikTok is a company, like every one in China, controlled by the CCP. This is also a fact (in its law).
2. Respond slowly, and too late.
Now TikTok claims to have “roughly 170 million American users”, that’s about half of its population, right? How could the US government let this happen?
Hypothetically speaking, if using TikTok is addictive and its user base continues to grow, one day the CCP could control elections—and by extension, the entire country.
As a comparison, India, also a democratic country, banned nearly all Chinese apps. It was easy and simple, and rarely made much noise.
Why? The Indian government responded early and decisively. This barely made the news in China.
3. Play the game passively
The U.S. government allowed TikTok to exploit various legal and procedural delays, postponing a definitive decision to ban the platform for years. As TikTok continues to grow rapidly, resistance to any ban has increased, deepening divisions within the United States.
The matter has now escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court, which shall be the final stop now. Similarly, WeChat, another Chinese social media app under the influence of the CCP, faced a potential ban but was ultimately spared due to a judicial intervention.
4. A simple yet much better tactic: Play the ball back
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