Weren't the Spaghettis Westerns set in America and filmed in Spain ?

I didn't know that.

We're a small player in the international market, and this is a Conservative government on its last legs facing oblivion at the next election. It would be a different matter if it was the EU proposing this.

Some sanctions busting efforts are more equal than others ... https://www.france24.com/en/20... "which is designed to circumvent US sanctions against trade with Iran by avoiding use of the dollar."

But what are gallons, and why does the USA not use litres ?

This accusation is patently stupid as it implies that the BBC is a tool of the UK government. Given the attitudes of successive UK governments (both Conservative and Labour) and the continual accusations of institutional bias made by pretty much all political parties in the UK I think your accusations are ill-founded. Better look at Fox and Sky instead.

Agreed, equally if I take my device to a friend's house and stream to their Firestick then I cannot see what the problem is. I'm not out to cheat Netflix, but if their restrictions become too draconian then I'll look at less restrictive competitors.

I don't use Windows usually, not because I hate Windows or Microsoft but because there are other platforms that support the apps that I use to do things. If other platforms come along that provide that same support then I'm likely to switch. I don't wave the flag for Linux or IOS because I really couldn't care less what the platform is called, only in what it can do. I'm less likely nowadays to use a desktop, or even a laptop, and more likely to use a tablet or my mobile phone. This is where the battle for market share is really happening.

Here's hoping that the USA will always be the good guys in any such conflict. I, for one, have total confidence in our new orange overlord.

I think some of the replies have missed the point - countries other than China, eg EU and Russia, are equally unhappy that the USA is in a position where it can capriciously and unaccountably do this sort of thing, and are doing something about it by providing non-USA dependent solutions. The danger of this move by the USA is that China will develop a non-USA dependent OS that it can sell, with that factor as a USP.

Developing alternative information, transport and financial systems seems like a logical step and a good idea. We are at a stage in world history where it's actually very difficult to determine the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. Sure, we know we can't trust the Russians and the Chinese, but are you saying we can trust the USA instead ? I think not.

The thing is, that Israel is not really trying to be compared to Iran or Saudi Arabia, and be careful with encouraging that comparison. Israel actually wants to be compared to a Western Liberal Democracy. Many Western Liberal Democracies would like Israel to be one too. Personally, I'd like to see a time when Israel joins the EU. However, Israel cannot enact some of its policies and not expect to be criticised against that standard. It should not, and I do not agree that it does, have anything to do with the religion of the inhabitants of Israel.

Despicable Me was just a cartoon !

It's not really about the platform but about the business processes it supports - the ability to send and receive messages that are not blocked by the recipient being unavailable. If someone receives an email and is away, and doesn't have auto forward enabled then accessing that mailbox requires HR and up to board level approval. I don't think anyone particularly prefers one messaging system over another, we just want it to do a job and couldn't care less that it's Slack or Mattermost (for example). Slack should enjoy its time in the sun, it will pass.

This could drastically affect the production of murder mystery films set in the Victorian era. We may have to start using more CGI.