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The diversity of thought in America is its greatest strength, as Wall Street Journal columnist Andy Kessler astutely notes when he writes that the U.S. “is strong precisely because we don’t all think the same way. New ideas come from new ways of thinking.”
This principle is perfectly illustrated in the entertainment industry’s history of business decisions. Consider how Chevy Chase passed on playing Otter in Animal House to star in Foul Play, while Donald Sutherland rejected a potentially lucrative profit-sharing deal for Animal House, opting instead for a flat $35,000 fee, believing the film would fail at the box office.
BREAKING NEWS: Bill Unveiled To Ban TikTok From U.S. Unless Company Makes Massive Changes
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TikTok is filled with mostly attention seekers and trash. The CCP monitors every user, and that is the reason I personally do not support tiktok. Thought?Watchπ pic.twitter.com/5nTB6Mdsor
— π ππ·π· π²πΌ π‘π²π°π±π½ π πππ (@Ann_Lilyflower) March 6, 2024
These miscalculations highlight a crucial point about decision-making that should inform current political discourse, particularly regarding TikTok. Politicians’ efforts to ban TikTok, based on fears of Chinese Communist Party influence and surveillance, overlook fundamental market realities.
American consumer data, already the world’s most valuable, circulates globally through numerous channels. TikTok’s presence or absence won’t change this reality. The international interest in American consumer behavior reflects our nation’s economic leadership and should be viewed as an asset rather than a threat. This global attention helps businesses better understand and serve American consumers.
Our nation’s prosperity stems from the freedom to disagree and express diverse viewpoints in the marketplace. Entrepreneurs thrive by challenging conventional wisdom and offering alternative solutions to consumer needs.
Regarding TikTok, rather than pursuing protectionist policies, lawmakers should trust in the natural evolution of free markets. History shows that market dominance is temporary, and today’s giants often become tomorrow’s cautionary tales. As Tim Matheson notes in his memoir “Damn Glad to Meet You,” regarding his role in Animal House, “going into a project, you rarely know” its ultimate fate.
BREAKING: @WatertownUSD school board in WI just voted to ban males from using girlsβ restrooms or participating in girlsβs sports pic.twitter.com/deOBR7FFT3
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 20, 2024
Market competition, not protectionist intervention, drives innovation and progress. Current efforts by politicians and courts to restrict TikTok, a U.S.-owned platform that successfully identified consumer preferences, represent a dangerous precedent of using government force to suppress market signals.
Such intervention contradicts the principles of free market competition that have historically driven American innovation and success. The focus should be on preserving market freedom rather than imposing restrictions that limit consumer choice and market evolution.
