Rather than being
taken
down by the
government,
Microsoft performed a hostile
takeover.
Bill Gates was proclaimed our
emperor,
Steve Ballmer our
dictator. That was when the
troubles began.
All Linux users were immediately forced into secrecy, all servers not running Windows 2000 were immediately taken down (destroying the Internet and leaving only MSN, only without Hotmail). Those dissenters who were found out were given a court order to upgrade to Windows ME without hope for a CLI. To get around the restriction, many used Norton Commander, others used the various GNU tools ported to the Windows console to at least try to recreate their useful computing environment. All were eventually discovered, as it was impossible to recreate all the bugs which the new government exploited to determine whether someone was really running their court-mandated OS.
After being discovered, the hapless non-Windows users would be given a forced lobotomy using the ancient method (using an icepick), only without the benefit of anaesthetic. They were then put on public display as perverts and heathens and barbarians, and eventually destroyed.
That was the day I died.