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Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by antfarm on Saturday October 04, 2025 @08:55AM (#45472978)
I already lost all remaining respect for Tim Cook when he kissed the ring in the oval office. I wonder how Steve Jobs would have handled the current political challenges.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by b00ty4breakfast on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:29AM (#45473175)
He'd probably be up to his eyeballs in magic crystals and antivax nonsense by now
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by chvid on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:38AM (#45473247)
Lol - exactly - why do people expect the politics or broader principles of Steve Jobs to be any good?
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by Workaccount2 on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:55AM (#45473349)
The dude literally tried to cure his cancer with fruit. There would probably be an RFK edition iPhone.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by howieburger on Saturday October 04, 2025 @10:20AM (#45473505)
Given what has been learned through neuroscience, how ossified and normalized for life most become, it feels like a good argument can be made much of the elder cohort is stuck in a pseudo religious and pseudoscience middle ground of thought.

Most > 50 were born into a more traditional and religion-centric life and only adopted technology. The first generation educated along vaguely scientific lines.

In the US at least, born after 1980 is roughly when opinions begin to veer into favor of empiricism and less "anything goes" new age woo and post world war extravagant capitalism due to being the only functioning manufacturing economy after the war.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by 93po on Saturday October 04, 2025 @01:52PM (#45475194)
his reality distortion field became too powerful and backfired on himself
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by arcatech on Saturday October 04, 2025 @10:17AM (#45473489)
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by techjamie on Saturday October 04, 2025 @03:49PM (#45476147)
I will say you have to respect that he would eat his own dog food though. It's one thing to be wrong and contradict it in private, it's another to be wrong and actually live it.

So many powerful people are the former.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by argsnd on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:23AM (#45473144)
Americans elected a mob boss to their highest office and he also appointed many of the judges in the legal system. As a corporation your choices are to give in or to get crushed.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by davidw on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:33AM (#45473210)
Giving your lunch money to a bully all but guarantees they'll be back for more.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by nerdponx on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:49AM (#45473307)
This is literally how extortion by organized crime works. It's the same mechanism. Of course they'll be back for more, but if you don't give them your money, they will beat the shit out of you and then come back for more anyway. You know what's expected of you, and the alternatives are generally much worse.

Incidentally it's also a textbook presentation of the Manufacturing Consent Propaganda model, except it's not only propaganda, it's an outright authoritarian coup.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by thrance on Saturday October 04, 2025 @10:10AM (#45473441)
Except Apple and Google are incredibly powerful, and the Trump administration has shown they mostly fail to follow on their threats (yet, at least). If some entities are able to stand up against the nascent fascist regime, it's them. But as we all know, corporations and fascism are like peanut butter and jelly.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by argsnd on Saturday October 04, 2025 @10:16AM (#45473482)
I think the Trump administration has been rather good at following through on their threats. US import tariffs are insanely high right now and he's been able to successfully fire whoever he wants.

All Trump has to do to destroy eg. Apple is get rid of the exemption from the tariffs they've been given for electronics manufactured in India.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by davidw on Saturday October 04, 2025 @10:21AM (#45473513)
I mean, Jimmy Kimmel won and Apple is way more powerful with far deeper pockets.

This admin isn't all powerful, as much as they try and project that image. Apple and I think Google have a pretty big reservoir of good will among the public at large.

These folks won't be in power forever, but the cowardice of people like Tim Cook will always be remembered.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by nerdponx on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:06PM (#45478094)
It looks OK on the surface, but it gets worse the more you look into the details.

It doesn't really matter that the administration keeps losing in federal court, because the justice department doesn't really care and keeps doing the thing they were told to stop doing anyway, because there's nobody to enforce the ruling.

The executive branch is being actively purged of anyone and anything that is not aligned with and loyal to Trump and the vision of Project 2025, and the institutions that might be used to halt or reverse the damage are being specifically targeted and attacked.

Not only that, but all the other major industry players have already bent the knee and kissed the ring. You don't want to be the only one who doesn't, otherwise you will get singled out and targeted for extortion or worse. Several very powerful law firms were successfully targeted for political extortion by executive order. Major universities have conceded to demands. Conservative news media is in lock step with the administration and can push any narrative at any time. Threats might've already been made privately to begin antitrust enforcement, for some other form of targeted corporate punishment.

Moreover, it's obvious that one of the goals of this administration is to destroy consumer protections and employee protections, creating an environment where powerful corporations can do whatever they want in the name of profit. As the CEO of a large corporation, you might be actively under pressure to cooperate and collaborate. So there is a large downside to resistance, and a large upside to playing along.

Tim Cook will be remembered as one of dozens and dozens of cowards, but only in private whispers, because if they say it in public they will be blacklisted or worse.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by davidw on Sunday October 05, 2025 @11:21AM (#45482187)
It's all very bad, for sure, but doomerism is capitulation.

https://www.liberalcurrents.com/democrats-must-embrace-war-m...

> This is the thing: dooming is itself a liberation from the burden of choice. If everything is ruined forever, if your allies have already forsaken you, if the battle is already lost, you aren't responsible for your choices. They can't affect the outcome. You're free. Dooming is another escape from the burden of war mindset. Clausewitz knew this as well: "As a rule, most men would rather believe bad news than good,"

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by nerdponx on Sunday October 05, 2025 @11:45AM (#45482427)
I never said all is lost so give up. I just said that it's bad and even worse than it might seem. Trying to pretend it's not as bad as it is, is also capitulation.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by lovelearning on Sunday October 05, 2025 @12:45AM (#45478909)
There seems to be an implicit assumption here that Apple and Google managements don't like Trump's ICE policies and are doing all this under duress.

But is this a valid assumption? Or is it mere wishful thinking? If almost half the US population revoted Trump into power, it's logical to assume the same proportions apply to the managements and employees of A and G too.

I'm against granting any management any benefit of the doubt without solid proof they deserve it.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by thrance on Sunday October 05, 2025 @06:24AM (#45480453)
For sure, that's what I implied in that "corporations and fascism" line. If they wanted to make a stand, I believe they could. But as history tells us, businesses are a fascist's biggest allies, so they won't.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by watwut on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:39AM (#45473250)
Nah. They are the most powerful members of a society. It is ridiculous how they get treated with less expectations then anyone else.

They have choices and they are consciously choosing this.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by jordanb on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:48AM (#45473303)
Corporations and especially Silicon Valley were pushing hard for Trump because they were furious about Lena Khan.

Don't let them pretend that they are innocent in all of this. They're all polishing their jackboots right now.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by argsnd on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:58AM (#45473363)
Oh I have no sympathy for them. I understand their behaviour but to me it's just a reason to avoid patronising American companies.

I also think there's a little bit of quid pro quo happening here - in exchange for giving into Trump's whims and kissing the ring they've had antitrust investigations watered down and patent disputes solved.

Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by mdhb on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:55AM (#45473348)
I think the world’s richest company could have at least attempted to push back. They aren’t some helpless victim here.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by stefan_ on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:30AM (#45473186)
Yes, they all conveniently gave in the moment after. Google just paid another $25M. Is this the lawful order defence?
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by cs_throwaway on Saturday October 04, 2025 @09:10AM (#45473059)
Exactly the same.
Re:Google removes ICE-spotting app following Apple's ICEBloc... by buyucu on Saturday October 04, 2025 @10:06AM (#45473420)
Steve Jobs was the kind of person who would do anything for more money. He would have kissed the ring even harder.