But the upside is that TikTokers might finally learn a lesson about the Communist Party. It’s like a rebellious kid finally experiencing what real control looks like.

TikTok is the international version of Douyin and faces much less censorship from the Chinese government compared to Douyin. In contrast, Rednote has only one version, and its censorship by Chinese government and lack of privacy are far stricter than TikTok.

I have to say, Americans seem incredibly naive about the Communist Party.

I find it funny and ironic that many TikTok users, in protest of the U.S. government’s control over the app, downloaded China’s Rednote app. They’re criticizing the U.S. government for its control of an app, yet they’ve switched to an even more censored app that is controlled by another government.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”-Socrates

From Why Nations Fail: “As extractive institutions create significant gains for the elite, there will be strong incentives for others to fight to replace the current elite. Infighting and instability are thus inherent features of extractive institutions” Syria is a good example of this phenomenon.

A sharp turn away from inclusive institutions can lead to economic stagnation. But more often, collapse of rapid growth are a consequence of growth under extractive institutions coming to an end. These two sentences are from chapter 4 in Why Nations Fall. And they explain what’s happening in China

In Why Nations Fail, extractive economic institutions are defined as those designed to extract income and wealth from one subset of society to benefit another. #whynationsfail Its third chapter made me realize the importance of private property rights for the masses in achieving economic prosperity.

I saw this picture in the book Why Nations Fail. It’s shocking! I knew North Korea was poor but didn’t realize it was so poor. #Lights in South Korea and darkness in the North

“Poor countries are poor because those who have power make choices that create poverty. They get it wrong not by mistake or ignorance but on purpose.” This sentence from “Why Nations Fail” is enlightening to me.

In China, many people say, “I don’t care about politics; I only care about the economy.” But without a good political system, you can’t have a good economy. The first chapter of Why Nations Fail makes this point: a country’s political institutions determine its economic institutions.

Embarking on the journey of recording my second half of life in the US.

Your decision today is your story tomorrow. I’m grateful for my decision to begin my second life here. #NewBeginnings #LifeStories #SecondHalf