Trump Surrenders To Iran On Virtually Every Point | Techdirt https://www.techdirt.com/ • • Sign In (https://www.techdirt.com/my-account/) • Register (https://www.techdirt.com/register/) • Preferences (https://www.techdirt.com/preferences/) Techdirt - [x] • TechDirt (https://www.techdirt.com/) • GreenHouse (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/greenhouse/) • Free Speech (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/freespeech/) • Error 402 (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/webmonetization/) • Ctrl-Alt-Speech (https://www.techdirt.com/edition/ctrlaltspeech/) • Deals (https://deals.techdirt.com/) • Jobs (https://jobs.techdirt.com/) • Support Techdirt (https://www.techdirt.com/support/) https://www.techdirt.com/blog/podcast/ Trump DOJ Trying To Protect Musk From Lawsuit Over Memphis AI Data Center Pollution (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-doj-trying-to-protect-musk-from-lawsuit-over-memphis-ai-data-center-pollution/) Daily Deal: The JavaScript DOM Game Developer Bundle (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/daily-deal-the-javascript-dom-game-developer-bundle-9/) Trump Surrenders To Iran On Virtually Every Point https://www.techdirt.com/?s&topic=failures Failures (https://www.techdirt.com/?s&topic=failures) from the total-capitulation dept Thu, Jun 18th 2026 09:29am - Mike Masnick (https://www.techdirt.com/user/mmasnick/) If there’s one thing that Donald Trump has shown over the years, it’s that he will get his most sycophantic MAGA loyalists to insist there are perfectly obvious reasons why whatever he’s about to do is absolutely necessary… and then Trump will do the opposite, and all those hangers-on will magically change their story within minutes. The excellent reporter Laura Jedeed has been tracking all of the excuses (https://bsky.app/profile/laurajedeed.bsky.social/post/3mojamwoqnk2u) Trump and his team have been giving for why we absolutely had to go to war with Iran, and the very top one: eliminate their ballistic missile capability. Next: eliminate their nuclear program entirely. There was also some talk of “regime change.” Now that Trump has signed the surrender agreement at Versailles (the traditional place to sign a total surrender agreement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles)), the scorecard looks like this: no eliminated missile program, no eliminated nuclear program, no regime change. Also: no actual deal. What Trump signed is a one-page memorandum of understanding (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/us/politics/us-iran-agreement-deal-text.html) with a 60-day time limit. After that, another deal needs to happen — one that may or may not actually get signed. The thing being called a historic peace agreement is, in legal terms, a note on the back of a napkin that expires in two months. With that established: here’s what he gave away to get it. The US backed down on everything to get the Strait of Hormuz only partially opened, in a situation where Iran still seems likely to come out of this way stronger and way more powerful than before Trump started this illegal war. Remember, before this war, the Strait was open. So with this deal we only get partially back to where things were before the war, but with a huge draw down of US military stock, over a dozen dead US soldiers, and tons of unnecessary Iranian casualties, including a school full of young girls. Iran retains their ballistic missiles and MAGA officials have to pretend that makes sense. And after months of screaming about how Iran could not retain any nuclear capabilities at all, Trump is now talking about how important it is for them to retain their nuclear capabilities (https://newrepublic.com/post/212003/trump-iran-right-nuclear-program?utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_source=Bluesky&utm_medium=social). Also, remember how the Trump world insisted that Obama’s JCPOA was one of the worst deals of all time? That’s Donald Trump tweeting in 2015 about the JCPOA: The deal with Iran will go down as one of the most incompetent ever made. The U.S. lost on virtually every point. We just don’t win anymore! The “deal” Trump just made is a complete capitulation, a loss on every point, and way, way, way worse than what was in the JCPOA, which, in retrospect, was a genuinely good deal — carefully negotiated by actual experts — and briefly a real win for peace in the Middle East before Trump tore it up. And remember how MAGA spent years misleadingly talking up all the money that the US supposedly “gave” Iran with the JCPOA? Or the deal Biden did to extend a Trump-era policy to unfreeze some of Iran’s frozen assets, which even Donald Trump Jr. falsely claimed was Biden “giving” Iran money? There is now widespread reporting that this deal will unlock some $300 billion in investment for Tehran (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/16/will-a-us-iran-deal-unlock-300bn-in-investment-fund-for-tehran). To be precise: this isn’t the US writing a check — the deal creates the conditions for private capital to pour into the country. Trump has been pretty candid about his view on that (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/us/politics/trump-iran-peace-deal-obama.html): “We don’t have to give them anything. But some people may want to invest. Like, what are you going to do to say ‘you can never ever invest in a country,’ I mean, it’s pretty tough.” So: MAGA spent years insisting that financial flows to Iran — even unfreezing Iran’s own assets — would fund its military and get soldiers killed. Trump just opened Iran to hundreds of billions in new investment while leaving both the missiles and the nuclear program intact. The threat, apparently, only counts when a Democrat is president. Obviously, ending this war is a good thing. But it never should have happened in the first place. Trump launched it without congressional authorization, in clear violation of the War Powers Act — and once it started, Congress should have stopped it cold. The final accounting: Trump tore up the JCPOA, which he called “one of the most incompetent deals ever made.” He started an illegal war. He drew down US military stockpiles, lost over a dozen American soldiers, and killed Iranian civilians — including a school full of young girls. And he came away with a memorandum of understanding that expires in 60 days, leaving Iran with everything it had before the war started, plus full knowledge of exactly how hard Trump will push before he folds. Trump’s own verdict on the JCPOA was: “The U.S. lost on virtually every point.” He was describing this deal. Filed Under: donald trump (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/donald-trump/), iran (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/iran/), iran deal (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/iran-deal/), jcpoa (https://www.techdirt.com/tag/jcpoa/) https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/https://reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techdirt.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Ftrump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point%2F&title=Trump%20Surrenders%20To%20Iran%20On%20Virtually%20Every%20Pointhttps://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techdirt.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Ftrump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point%2F&text=Trump%20Surrenders%20To%20Iran%20On%20Virtually%20Every%20Point&via=Techdirthttps://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techdirt.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Ftrump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point%2F&t=Trump%20Surrenders%20To%20Iran%20On%20Virtually%20Every%20Pointhttps://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&ro=false&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techdirt.com%2F2026%2F06%2F18%2Ftrump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point%2F&title=Trump%20Surrenders%20To%20Iran%20On%20Virtually%20Every%20Point 8 Comments (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comments)Leave a Comment (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comments) If you liked this post, you may also be interested in... • You Have Less Than A Week To Tell The FCC That Carr's Censorial Attack On ABC Is Nonsense (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/17/you-have-less-than-a-week-to-tell-the-fcc-that-carrs-censorial-attack-on-abc-is-nonsense/) • FISA 702 Surveillance Authority Expires Because Donald Trump Tried To Tie It To A Voting Bill He Couldn't Pass (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/17/fisa-702-surveillance-authority-expires-because-donald-trump-tried-to-tie-it-to-a-voting-bill-he-couldnt-pass/) • CNN Resident Fact Checker Disappeared From Air As Company Waited For Trump Merger Approval (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/17/cnn-resident-fact-checker-disappeared-from-air-as-company-waited-for-trump-merger-approval/) • Apparently The Real Reason Anthropic's Models Are Offline: A Six-Year-Old Trump Grudge (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/16/apparently-the-real-reason-anthropics-models-are-offline-a-six-year-old-trump-grudge/) • The VCs Who Screamed That Biden Would Kill Powerful AI Models Seem Quite Chill About Trump Actually Doing It (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/15/the-vcs-who-screamed-that-biden-would-kill-powerful-ai-models-seem-quite-chill-about-trump-actually-doing-it/) Click to toggle (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/)https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/ Rate this comment as insightful Rate this comment as funny You have rated this comment as insightful You have rated this comment as funny Flag this comment as abusive/trolling/spam You have flagged this comment The first word has already been claimed The last word has already been claimed Comments on “Trump Surrenders To Iran On Virtually Every Point” Subscribe: RSS (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/comments/feed/)Leave a comment (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#respond) • Filter comments in by Time • Filter comments as Threaded • Filter only comments rated Insightful • Filter only comments rated funny LOL • Filter only comments that are Unread 8 Comments Collapse all replies This comment is new since your last visit. The Phule says: June 18, 2026 at 10:01 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comment-5408431) Dear Iran: My congratulations for your complete and total victory. Collapse replies (1)Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/?replytocom=5408431#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408431)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408431) This comment is new since your last visit. Threaded [2] MrWilson(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/mrwilson/)says: June 18, 2026 at 10:51 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comment-5408520) Re: Time to pull out the dusty equipment and go excavating for the historical records of comments from a few weeks ago when we were being told that Trump was just ending the 47 year war that Iran started and he’s going to stop them from getting nuclear weapons and he’s going to end their military dominance and he’s going to topple their government and foment a revolution and he’s going to open the strait. Literally every step was a misstep here. Even killing leaders ended up making Iran stronger. Military strikes? He committed war crimes and murdered children and literally said it is now too long ago to talk about. Time for the propagandists and sycophants to get in on the ground floor of the new bullshit myth spinning. Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/?replytocom=5408520#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408520)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408520) This comment is new since your last visit. Stephen T. Stone(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/regularstone/)says: June 18, 2026 at 10:05 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comment-5408433) He got so excited about how well things went in Venezuela that he thought he was going to pull a repeat of it in Iran. But when it didn’t turn out the way he thought it would⁠—and his advisors finally got through to him that both the economy and his poll numbers were going to get much worse if he kept the war going⁠—he got bored and caved on a deal that, on its face, appears far more beneficial to Iran than it ever would to the United States. • *ART OF THE DEAL, EVERYBODY!** What a fucking joke of a man. I hope he knows that when It Happens, the reaction is going to make the celebration in NYC for the Knicks winning the NBA Finals look like a book club meeting. Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/?replytocom=5408433#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408433)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408433) This comment is new since your last visit. Cathay(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/cathay/)says: June 18, 2026 at 10:16 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comment-5408441) And yet, even this will leave him with millions of supporters who are supposedly functional adults America needs to take a hard look at how it got here. Trump is making the problems obvious, but he isn’t their sole cause by a very long way. Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/?replytocom=5408441#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408441)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408441) This comment is new since your last visit. Anonymous Coward says: June 18, 2026 at 10:21 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comment-5408447) Don’t forget all the economic and political harm, which still isn’t fully realized. The impact to farmers is going to be showing up at least over the next year. And we further pushed all our allies away. Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/?replytocom=5408447#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408447)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408447) This comment is new since your last visit. Citizen(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/general-luigi/)says: June 18, 2026 at 10:49 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comment-5408513) Well, at least the fire's contained now... If you wish to construe this as me praising the Charlatan-in-Chief, go for it. I hate the guy’s guts, but I’m glad he’s trying to end the war rather than double down on a bad idea. The smarter move on King Donald’s part would have been to not start this war in the first place. The reality, though, is that he went to war with Iran, so he now has to end it. If there was ever a realistic chance of the Iranian people overthrowing their government, that window is almost certainly closed now. The options were escalation, which would be very costly, lead to a lot of American casualties, and risk turning this mess into a forever war, continuing as is, which would lengthen the economic strain, or negotiating an end to the war, which would be humiliating. It’s no secret that Trump’s a lousy diplomat, but I’ll take what I can get in this situation, and “what I can get” is our President taking the L and trying to turn the page on his failed Iranian adventure. Collapse replies (1)Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/?replytocom=5408513#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408513)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408513) This comment is new since your last visit. Threaded [2] MrWilson(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/mrwilson/)says: June 18, 2026 at 11:01 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comment-5408532) Re: This is a completely unnecessary take. It’s entirely possible to be happy some of the bullshit is over without giving credit to the asshole who caused it. You don’t thank the guy who intentionally shat on the floor for taking a dirty rag and smearing it around while pretending he’s cleaning it up. He already did double down multiple times. It’s like saying he gets credit for not punching his wife the 50th time after he punched her 49 times before. He’s not trying to end the war. He’s trying to get out of a mess he created. And he’s leaving a bigger mess than when he started. Anyone who thinks Iran was a problem before should recognize that they’ll be enriched and emboldened by this. Trump has done more good for the Iranian regime than he has for the US at this point. “Trying to turn the page” here just means he’s going to move on to another fuck up. He’s going to go back to fucking over our European allies or bullying someone else. He got humiliated trying to bully Iran, so he’ll pick an easier target to shore up his ego and pretend he’s still big and smart and powerful. Absolutely no credit should go to the man who is responsible for all the fuck ups. He’s too old, arrogant, and stupid to learn from his mistakes. And we’re going to pay the cost. Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/?replytocom=5408532#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408532)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408532) This comment is new since your last visit. Ninja(profile) (https://www.techdirt.com/user/ninja/)says: June 18, 2026 at 10:58 am (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#comment-5408528) Meanwhile in China: Do nothing. Win. (https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/352/212/95b.jpg) Reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/?replytocom=5408528#respond)View in chronology Make this comment the first word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=first-word&comment=5408528)Make this comment the last word (https://www.techdirt.com/pin_comment/?promote=last-word&comment=5408528) Close • says: https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/# Add Your Comment Cancel reply (https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#respond) Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked * Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now (https://www.techdirt.com/my-account/?redirect_to=https://www.techdirt.com/2026/06/18/trump-surrenders-to-iran-on-virtually-every-point/#respond). Want one? 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Children need protections from predators on the internet, and this bill is an essential first step. There is no more time for delay. • https://x.com/i/status/206185715...https://x.com/i/status/2061857154957468115 (https://x.com/i/status/2061857154957468115) • aabsurdity:If you're quoting someone, it's generally accepted that you will use quote marks to indicate this. • BentFranklin:Microsoft CEO: We’re moving from OS and apps to agents instead • https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/02/m...https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/02/microsoft-ceo-were-moving-from-os-and-apps-to-agents-instead/ (https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/02/microsoft-ceo-were-moving-from-os-and-apps-to-agents-instead/) • . • Mike Masnick:at some point i'm going to write something about this, but an agentic-first computing paradigm really would fuck up all the efforts to age gate the internet... so I get why people don't like it for the AI of it all, but there are some interesting side effects • John Roddy:I know it usually misses the point to investigate how it would break once it's been established that the break is inevitable. But hey, that's still fascinating to weirdos like me. • Also, Matt Taibbi is appealing his defamation loss to the 2nd Circus. • Get in, losers. We're going losing! • candescence:https://bsky.app/profile/yashara...https://bsky.app/profile/yasharali.bsky.social/post/3mndxlp273d2g (https://bsky.app/profile/yasharali.bsky.social/post/3mndxlp273d2g) • https://bsky.app/profile/justinb...https://bsky.app/profile/justinbaragona.bsky.social/post/3mndxll2mvk2l (https://bsky.app/profile/justinbaragona.bsky.social/post/3mndxll2mvk2l) • Nick Bilton is a thin-skinned stooge. • Mike Masnick:meanwhile... [[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36jxNeV5L1Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36jxNeV5L1Q) • aabsurdity:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3...https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3fS5NyKzygU (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3fS5NyKzygU) • Seems to be a decent summary. • Leah Abram:I concur. • imatool13:@Mike Masnick with the prolifieration of Agents is MCP (mixed with skills) protocol above platform? Seems a whole lot of companies open themselves up to AI Agents more than just integrations, curious your thoughts. • BentFranklin:I didn't think we were ever going to get the Musk versus Zuckerberg slapfight we were promised, but now that we will have a cage right there, it would be wasteful not to use it at least a few more times before dismantling it. • aabsurdity:Especially now that Trump wants to keep it forever as a commemoration of his bestest and happiest birthday, like the Eiffel Tower. • intelati:What the [[article]https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/03/trump-ufc-arena-white-house-claw-permanent/90387950007/](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/03/trump-ufc-arena-white-house-claw-permanent/90387950007/) I hate this timeline • aabsurdity:It's amazing how Trump does not, and never has, and never will, have any class whatsoever. He genuinely cannot see the difference between the engineering marvel of the Eiffel Tower, and a commonplace (though still a significant technical achievement in its way) lighting scaffold. They're both made of metal. • BentFranklin:How long until his ballroom guests mosey over after dinner to watch gladiators fight to the death with Trump having the final say with or ? • aabsurdity:I can't imagine he'd be interested. He'd have to be able to care if people other than himself are alive or dead. • intelati:Not this bout. The next one is a 50/50 shot. And increasing therein • BentFranklin:You know how mobsters will make you do a crime before they can trust you? So they will always have something on you? I think about that whenever someone says "I was just Epstein's lawyer," or broker, or anything significant. • John Roddy:I someone describe the BAM article as "climbing Mount Masnick" • And my brain immediately did the movie trailer guy voice for "from the makers of Driving Ms Daisy" • Leah Abram:Maybe it’s because of where I live but when I see “BAM” I think “Brooklyn Academy of Music” • aabsurdity:[[link]https://fxbsky.app/profile/presidentkelly.blacksky.app/post/3mnkf25iyjs2s](https://fxbsky.app/profile/presidentkelly.blacksky.app/post/3mnkf25iyjs2s)[[article]https://fxbsky.app/profile/yeti-detective.bsky.social/post/3mnkhrida222h](https://fxbsky.app/profile/yeti-detective.bsky.social/post/3mnkhrida222h) AI hiring screeners apparently retaining their rejection score for applicants across multiple different jobs, at all the companies they service, for nearly a year. So, get rejected for one job, basically you're unhireable by any company that also uses that tool, for any position, for the next 330 days. That's... Pretty dang bad if true... • BentFranklin:The Smart TV in Your Living Room Is a Node in the AI Scraping Economy • [[article]https://blog.includesecurity.com/2026/06/the-smart-tv-in-your-livingroom-is-a-node-in-the-aiscraping-economy/](https://blog.includesecurity.com/2026/06/the-smart-tv-in-your-livingroom-is-a-node-in-the-aiscraping-economy/) • Leah Abram:This is why Dumb TVs are a smart option! • I want a TV dumber than Pete Hegseth! • tomacamot:Or simply don't connect your TV to the Internet • candescence:Scott Pelley is now free to shit on his former bosses and tell the world how much of a propaganda rag CBS is becoming: https://youtu.be/ePqdmbgQ4BI?si=...https://youtu.be/ePqdmbgQ4BI?si=DZq7rY81Ur9IcKUt (https://youtu.be/ePqdmbgQ4BI?si=DZq7rY81Ur9IcKUt) • Quotes include "Bari Weiss Emailed my Boss and asked 'Can you make the protestors look more violent?'" and "Can you describe Renee Good as 'driving at the officer'?" • This is why you don't fire people who know where the bodies are buried. • aabsurdity:Someone said something today that I genuinely hadn't considered, which was the idea that this isn't an anti-journalism conservative deliberately torching a journalistic institution because the money they're spending doesn't mean anything any more, or that the death of CBS is simply advantageous, and instead that this is a project someone believes in and thinks it's going to work. And I have to admit that I didn't even see that as a possibility, but now that I have, that might make it worse. • Mike Masnick:Oh, they absolutely believe it's going to work. The Bari Weisses of the world believe fully that their view of the world has a silent majority behind them who were just waiting to have what The Free Press was delivering to the world... • aabsurdity:Genuinely baffling. • intelati:https://bsky.app/profile/cdelawa...https://bsky.app/profile/cdelawalla.bsky.social/post/3mnrigweehc2t (https://bsky.app/profile/cdelawalla.bsky.social/post/3mnrigweehc2t) • candescence:It looks like Microsoft and Sony's gaming divisions have almost entirely reverted back to exclusivity • Leah Abram:The golden age is over. This is like when Comedy Specials went from DRM-free video files to being included with streaming services • candescence:Sony's pulling back from single-player PC releases is a bit more questionable since low sales there are kinda self-inflicted due to late but overpriced releases, but the Xbox division has a new boss and it seems she's decided that multiplatform releases simply aren't working and are hurting the brand • timothygeigner:Trust me, the exclusivity thing is on my radar. I definitely have things to say about it. • Though why Microsoft won't just admit that they lost the console wars is beyond me. • John Roddy:My favorite was the clarification that the new Gears of War would be exclusive to Xbox. • And PC. • The ol' Ubisoft-style definition of exclusive. • aabsurdity:As a PC gamer... • BentFranklin:Landmark German ruling declares Google's AI Overviews are Google's own words and makes it liable for false answers • [[article]https://the-decoder.com/landmark-german-ruling-declares-googles-ai-overviews-are-googles-own-words-and-makes-it-liable-for-false-answers/](https://the-decoder.com/landmark-german-ruling-declares-googles-ai-overviews-are-googles-own-words-and-makes-it-liable-for-false-answers/) • aabsurdity:> First I came for the Communists > And I laughed > Because I was not a Communist > Then I came for the Socialists > And I laughed > Because I was not a Socialist > Then I came for the trade unionists > And I laughed > Because I was not a trade unionist > Then I came for the Jews > And I laughed > Because I was not a Jew > Then they came for me > “If he would do that to me, he would do that to anybody,” I said > “There’s never going to be good enough for him, other than 100 percent, you know, slavish adherence to whatever he wants.“ • BentFranklin:Extinction-level capitalism a citizen’s thoughts on AI risk • [[article]https://matthewbutterick.com/extinction-level-capitalism.html](https://matthewbutterick.com/extinction-level-capitalism.html) • bode000:yeah they definitely want it to work. I see that "they want to destroy it" claim all the time. They don't want to really destroy it, they want to repurpose it for propaganda. Like Twitter. Or Newsweek. Or the Baltimore Sun. All bought by right wingers to seed bullshit in the electorate. And they want it to make money. The problem for them is they aren't competent. • John Roddy:The people taking over might be nepo babies, but they're not stupid. They see exactly what damage is being done to these once-successful brands. • aabsurdity:A while ago I heard the phrase "ownership is not a skill"... • It comes in handy for so many things... • John Roddy:That isn't a side effect. It's not even the goal. Just a bonus. • bode000:I think they want to leverage the credibility of existing brands to convert them into propaganda and confuse the electorate with bullshit. I also think they're ok if the patient dies on the table during that procedure. • not to say that sometimes they don't just want to kill an outlet outright, like gawker • John Roddy:Even then, Gawker was already dying when thiel got involved. • bode000:the only thing that could save us (in a country without any useful media reform policies or a working opposition party) is these folks have no idea what they're doing. • John Roddy:I think that highlights how much this has escalated since then • bode000:it's just wild now. I'm seeing people actually interested in conversations about media consolidation now. • everybody's eyes used to glaze over when I brought it up • John Roddy:And then one of those people explains how the fairness doctrine would've prevented this, and that's why I went on the rampage, your honor. • bode000:I see that exchange 50 times a day (you know the fairness doctrine only covered broadcast and was neither well crafted nor enforced, right?) • Leah Abram:Far too many liberals think the fairness doctrine is a panacea. • bode000:and Republicans spent 40 years whining about it only to engage in far, far worse. great stuff! • John Roddy:And today's existential horror is titled "Europe attempts to integrate American tech policy, but ends up only grabbing the Fifth Circuit Court instead" • Mike Masnick:and a week after the EU laid out its plan for building a local internet. and the cjeu jumps in with "lol, good luck" • BentFranklin:If people really want the Iran war to end, maybe stop rubbing Trump's failure in his face. It's schadenfreudtastic as all hell and really all most of us can do, but note that the Iranians seem to have stopped taunting him. • Also it's really nice to see Netanyahu on the outside for once. Maybe this war will get some regime change after all. And maybe Bibi can drag down Lindsay Graham with him. • timothygeigner:I'm very excited to find out Friday just how much Trump capitulated in whatever this "deal" is. The fact that they won't release the text until after signing is, well, quite transparent. • John Roddy:"Iran agrees to purchase Ninja Theory and Compulsion Studios" • timothygeigner:And to never vaccinate against anything ever again. All my worlds colliding at once. • John Roddy:The US agrees to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. • Leah Abram:My new BlueSky handle is ironcurtain.northsky.social • Mike Masnick:The Northsky folks are great Become an Insider! 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