[CGMthrowaway]

>I'm kinda of shocked that chip & many tech companies play ball..

Have you heard of this story? https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2007/10/qwest-ceo-nsa-punished...

The only telecom in America to resist turning on a domestic eavesdropping firehose tap for the government, was pounded to the edge of bankruptcy.

Intel and TSMC are both strategically important and favored-status corporations for the going concern of the United States, and large swaths of the federal appartatus are invested in their success, contracts, global projection, etc. That comes with a price. Naive to think they are independently operated companies.

[meragrin_]

> The only telecom in America to resist turning on a domestic eavesdropping firehose tap for the government, was pounded to the edge of bankruptcy.

How so? There was no mention of the government taking action against the company to cause the company to fail. If a company is failing without government contracts, that is on them and not the government.

[sleepyguy]

Bernie died in prison because he didn't want to give them access to Worldcom so the story goes.

[seanmcdirmid]

Bernie was released a month before dying. Don't ask me how I had this fact in the back of my head (I looked at Worldcom and Enron a few weeks ago for another HN story).

[athriren]

madoff died in custody at FMC Butner. he was not released before he died.

[seanmcdirmid]

I think you are confusing Bernie Ebbers (Worldcom founder/CEO in Clinton Mississippi) with Bernie Madoff (big ponzy scam in NYC)? Yes, they are both named Bernie.

[athriren]

you are right, i did conflate the two. apologies.