Thanks for the detailed summary. I agree with your characterization of it being a mix of empty pandering and deceptive self-aggrandizement. But then again this

Thanks for the detailed summary. I agree with your characterization of it being a mix of empty pandering and deceptive self-aggrandizement. But then again this is Microsoft. They have thrived on acting unethically just below the level of facing serious legal or regulatory consequences. Pointing fingers at ICs or the bizarre tangent about the USSR seems like a strategy engineered to gently deflect and distract while pretending to bear responsibility. But make no mistake - the weak legislators that won’t act against the cabal of giant tech companies are just as or even more guilty.