Why do countries use propaganda? Why do companies use it? Why do people use it?

Because changing what is important to a group or people can make pushing your agenda easier.

What would be important to China's propaganda wing? Most important would be to maintain control over China and downplaying anything that reflects negatively. So controlling negative speech or shifting blame to someone else if a covid virus is discovered to original from territory you control would be important.

Tiktok's algo focuses on keeping you occupied in a state of mind where you zone out.

> What is the propaganda they want to push? To what end?

Propaganda is not just about "pushing" a message but also about smothering discussion. In fact, pushing a message via something like Tiktok is ham fisted, what the Chinese government can do instead is stifle any discussion related to topics that they consider "dangerous". For example, shadow banning any tiktok videos related to the Uighur genocide.

They can blame any manipulation on some ranking algorithm.

But then isn't this circular? They create the app to harvest the data to help them stifle the conversation they have made possible by creating the app in the first place!

You are assuming that the platform would not exist if the company didn't create it. But if tiktok doesn't exist the discussion would just happen somewhere else. I should also say that I'm not suggesting that tiktok was created for the sole purpose of pushing propaganda from its inception.

Well then I guess there is nothing left to say, as there is absolutely nothing that can be falsified in your beliefs, only the single-minded faith in an absolute national enemy.

I only wish y'all could hear yourselves when you say these things, with even a fraction more rational clarity, even an ounce more suspicion of the political narratives at work here.

These conversations are deeply troubling to me, makes me absolutely ashamed to be a westerner of any sorts. I think I will go find greener pastures now, thanks for the wake up call, hope you find peace too.

> Well then I guess there is nothing left to say, as there is absolutely nothing that can be falsified in your beliefs, only the single-minded faith in an absolute national enemy.

Got it, so since you couldn't argue against my statements with reason you are now attacking my character.

> makes me absolutely ashamed to be a westerner of any sorts

Absolutely nobody that is from the west calls themselves a westerner whatever the hell that means. Also FYI, there is an extreme mistrust and dislike of China from almost every country in the so called East. So it isn't a west vs east thing.

There is also serious mistrust of the Chinese government by the citizens of China. They just rarely communicate it as there is real risks to doing so.

It feels so bizarre to have someone convey seething hate for the government in private while seemingly being supportive in public. What is less obvious is how brittle it makes the country, it could literally dissolve into anarchy tomorrow or last for hundreds of years.

well not so uncommon, there are plenty of posts everywhere before it's taken down. If you use wechat the amount of 'read before deletion' are just a major category of gossips. I sometimes wonder do people outside of China really know the chinese 'domestic' circle well or am I so out of touch now? Also imho people don't tend to go 'against' the highest level government since it's very abstract. It's the everyday stuff that people care, which means local authorities that almost never get involved in any internationally focused affairs.

I wish you could hear yourself as you defend a country who’s listed as a communicated but is in every definition a dictatorship. Why are you defending them so hard, are you being paid?

The conversations would've been held elsewhere. Control the biggest platform, people gravitate there, shut down the topics you don't like, pay big names to visit the Forbidden City.