this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2025
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This headline was literally my first out-loud laugh of the day. I love it.

Meta has denied directly lobbying on the TikTok ban, but the company spent a record sum lobbying in 2024, including on “Homeland Security” topics. In March 2022, the Washington Post reported that Meta paid a firm called Targeted Victory to push the narrative that TikTok is dangerous to children. And Zuckerberg himself has spent the last five years painting a picture to Congress that his monopolistic company faces great competition, actually, from Chinese companies and more importantly from China itself. This story has served Meta extraordinarily well, as he has been able to distract from Meta’s myriad privacy violations and monopolistic actions by saying it would be worse if China wins. Meta is not a monopoly, he says. It is a company fighting on behalf of America against China and Chinese companies for the soul of the internet.

“Ooh, China bad, don’t pay attention to all the evil we do.” Jackass.

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[–] [email protected] 105 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Why is Meta lobbying at all? Why does any private entity have the ear of presidents and congress? This is a fundamental problem with the system as a whole.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 month ago

The foxes have been in the henhouse for a while. But now they don't need to hide anymore. The American oligarchy can finally shed its masks and go full-on Russia 2.0.

[–] SplashJackson 18 points 1 month ago

Don't forget about Party Whips, Jerrymandering, and Campaign Contributions! There's a whole slew of reasons why our democracies have gotten fucked up! Not a lot of answers on how to fix 'em, though

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Why is Meta lobbying at all?

They're owned by a zionist who wants to whitewash an ongoing genocide.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Well, that might be the case, but I've only been fed tons of posts on FB that were pretty anti-Israel way too far in the other direction. That can't be the main issue...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Why is Meta lobbying at all?

They want to influence public policy for their benefit.

Why does any private entity have the ear of presidents and congress?

A large part of politics is balancing the needs of different groups.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago

That's fine if all the different groups have a forum where being heard isn't decided by the size of the donation.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

Which are groups of assets

[–] [email protected] 90 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Billionaires are a scourge

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Once they've conquered industry they'll move on to conquering countries. No amount of money or power will satisfy them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

More like a cancer.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Sure, but they're rat balls, having been included with the rat penis transplant.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

In Trump hands they seem normal sized.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Lizards have testicles, they're just internal.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I heard he got a rat penis transplant since lizard dick wasn't cutting it anymore.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 month ago (2 children)

No one can actually have a billionaire by the balls, even if they're another billionaire. It's kind of the whole point of being a billionaire.

Pretty much their only weakness is literally everyone else deciding billionaires shouldn't exist, and working together to make that happen.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Just look at the Russian model, that's what Trump wants to do.

You can only be a billionaire, if you do what the authoritarians want. Otherwise you get arrested or pushed out a window and they absorb all your assets... I don't think all of these US billionaires thought this through to be honest.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

A lot of them have been going to Mar a Lago to kiss the ring. So it looks like they have thought it through.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Trump has the power (shortly) to direct his anger at companies in ways that do let him have zuck by the balls.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago

That's only fair, since Zuckerberg has a deathgrip on Trumps ass with his lips.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago

Maybe he’s “just grabbing him/them by the pussy”?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Can we get Stormy Daniels to video tape it for us?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Get out the macro lens

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

pretty sure it's the other way around; big tech and their billionaires have trump like a puppet on a string.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

Most of big tech actually falls under the TikTok ban possibility. He may have lobbied for it but Congress put him square in the cross hairs. So Trump effectively has a veto on Zuckerberg owning Meta.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Trump is easily swayed, but some of the gangsters behind him are not.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Israel has Zuckerberg by the balls?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

What balls?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

This is why we gotta ban TikTok!!! \s

Seriously though... Too many zucklickers on here.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

Wish Biden had Zuck by the balls.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

"Very fine balls on both sides."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Yeah, because Zuck put his right into Trump's hands, willingly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Big assumption there.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

Meanwhile go watch Youtubers vacationing in China, a lot fo the narrative we're being fed is BS.

Not all of it mind you....