matlag

Apparently in this case he's a Saudi agent. So it seems he's primarily a whoever-pays-him-the-most agent. And he's a very very worthy investment: for 110M$ of fees, Saudi got a war worth tens of billions of $ paid by USA's tax payers.

Well, there a side-effect they probably didn't anticipate, but you know Saudi rulers: they funded Bin Ladin, ISIS, their former king was convinced Earth was flat, their scholars still don't believe it rotates, they thought vanishing a journalist in their embassy would not be noticed. You can't expect a real strategy or deep thoughts…

The sad truth is we said exactly the same thing during Trump's first mandate. Granted it was not as bad as this time, but on a general principle: "we know someone like Trump can happen once, so we need to assume it will happen again!". And… as soon as Biden started talking, the EU went back under a cozy mama-wing, easy solution.

This time might be different… or not. Far right parties are getting stronger in France, Germany, already in power in Italy. They all somewhat allied with Trump and his goons. All the effort made to render the EU sovereign could be discarded just as quickly as they were put in place. Imagine Trump's successort is someone smart enough to understand (or rather not too stupid to not understand…) the benefit of US military supremacy and protection, and you may see some EU govs happily reduce their military spending again: the US promised to have their back!

At this stage, I am less pessimistic than I am careful: the direction is somewhat correct. We (the people) need to make sure it stays that way.

But for Snowden's case: I wouldn't come back either. The minute he sets land in Europe, he becomes a bargaining chip in sode negotiations with the US! He could try his chances in Spain, until the next election, then it's uncertainty all over again.

Imagine the US forced to retreats because their soldiers start to fall sick from malnutrition.

Best military force in the world!

Hi Caitlyn! I do believe your supreme leader wants people like you to vanish, by shutting up, by being invisible or why not by dying.

I would normally say don't submit to any of that, you have our support. But in your case out of loyalty, maybe you should shut up, find a spot to lay low, and become invisible. You see I'm much nicer to you than him: I do NOT wish you to die!

The answer is most likely US on her way back…

Well guess what, Russia, there might be very predictable consequences to bombing a single location in the EU, like a total war against all of its military forces combined…

and here we go… https://xcancel.com/Paul_Reviews/status/2044723123287666921#m

You assume commercial apps will choose to lose the US market rather than comply.

Big techs are all ready to comply with chinese authorities in order to get in! Apple did. Facebook tried repeatedly to get a pass, offering complete access to chinese authorities.

Corporates will just do whatever makes more profit.

If you don't control it, you don't really own it. Modern cars can be remotely disabled on the whim of the car maker. Is it really YOUR car if someone else can cripple it or completely disable it without your permission?
It's already the case with your phone if you use OEM OS: manufacturers can do pretty much whatever they want remotely.
Now it's the turn of the computers: either it has a "compliant OS" (remotely controllable by 3rd party), or you will be cut off a growing part of basic use.

You're missing the point.

1.Few will work around it, which will make anyone working around it de facto suspicious.

2.That law can also be weaponized as an intended side effect: all dictatures have vague un-enforcable laws for the sole purpose of making sure anyone and everyone is somewhat guilty of something. That eases considerably arbitrary arrests: there WAS a lawful reason, every single time!

It's a matter of exposure and attack surface vs rewards for the attacker, and risk in companies are evaluated by the trio: freqency of occurrence, severity of occurrence (how large), severity of the occurrence. Banks can spend a lot because severity quickly gets very high in money.

What's the incentive again for the next gov to properly fund the system? Oh yes: they would have to say "sorry! shit happens! that's all because of the previous admin!!" and maybe throw one guy under the bus.

At last a piece of code free of any flaw, any exploit, invulnerable to any known or unknown attack method!