[nzmsv]

Doesn't it feel like a bit of a letdown when the best excuse possible for actions of a country that built its image on freedom of speech is "China did it too"? Even during the Cold War there was some scientific collaboration between East and West.

Stop replying to email threads, erase the company from the website... 1984 much? :)

Less dramatically, I think this means two things. The leadership of powerful tech companies can now dictate foreign policy to some degree. There used to be complaints about the tech industry's lack of lobbying power. Look at them now. And second, the reason they have to resort to these tactics is they have run out of technical innovation and are desperately trying to shore up prices of what is about to become a commodity product.