On January 13, Lourenco Goncalves, CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., a major U.S. steel manufacturer, criticized the dumping issue during a press conference regarding Nippon Steel Corporation’s bid to acquire United States Steel Corporation. Gripping the Stars and Stripes firmly for a moment, he remarked, “China is bad, but Japan is a lot worse.” Then, raising his voice indignantly, he continued, “Japan, you did not learn anything since 1945!” Indeed, his blatant contempt for Asians is nauseating, echoing the “Yellow Peril” belief that emerged in the late 19th century. Yet, in a sense, it might be seen as reflecting a facet of the “current” state of America.

For now, I will set aside Goncalves's abusive remarks. What cannot be ignored, however, is the recent “policy shift regarding fact-checking and content regulations” set by Meta Platforms, Inc., the operator of Facebook and Instagram. On January 7, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would cease domestic operations of the third-party fact-checking programs certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), a global network of fact-checking organizations. Alongside this announcement, he also stated that the company would relax restrictions on expressions involving self-declarations of intolerance, advocacy of exclusion, and derogatory language in the context of politics, religion, race, and sexual orientation.

Besides, Meta revealed that it would “take a more personalized approach with technologies designed to optimize content for user preferences, enabling stress-free access to certain political content that was previously restricted.” In other words, debates on whether information is true or false will be pushed aside. Instead, there is a growing risk that “history” and “reality” will be arbitrarily reconstructed, spread, and shared, based solely on claims that users find comfortable. Consequently, dissenting opinions will be excluded, and societal divisions will deepen.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs are also regressing. Walmart, McDonald's, Ford, Amazon…. and Meta, these corporate giants, obviously, are aligning themselves with the policy agenda of the new Trump administration. It is well known that Trump has warned Zuckerberg continuously, saying he (Trump) has been “keeping a close watch on him (Zuckerberg).” Ahead of his January 20 inauguration, repeated Trump’s Bluff has already prompted some to show deference, alignment, and loyalty. Meanwhile, others—such as countries like Canada, Panama, and Greenland, as well as companies like Apple and Costco—are taking a stand opposed to the incoming administration. In one way or another, the world is increasingly being drawn into the rhythm orchestrated by President Trump.

This Week’s Focus, 2024.12.23 – 2025.1.16

Takashi Mizukoshi, the President