Is anybody shocked by this, really? Tim Cook knows very well that he will suffer absolutely no penalty for grandstanding against the U.S. government; in fact, it earns him and his company nothing but good press. Meanwhile his customer base will stand by his side (even as they obediently vote to re-elect the same government that&#x27;s making the demands) and the government whose electoral base is those same customers will huff and complain but in the end do nothing.<p>But standing up against the Chinese government? Those guys may actually <i>respond</i> in some fashion. That principle actually carries some financial risk. Can&#x27;t have that. China gives the orders and Cook&#x27;s knees can&#x27;t hit the ground fast enough.