Politics and freedom (was: Information [...])

[Lord [INSERT NAME HERE]]

"Sinisa \"Sigma14\" \"187.64.230.77\" Milicic" wrote:
> 
> On Sun, 3 Dec 2000, Alessandro Rubini wrote:
> >
> > Since I've seen no replies to this, yet, I'm posting mine.
> >
> > > the FS philsophy [...] this reminds me of the ideas and the names of
> > > prjects and similars [...]  (e.g.technology for the people, $thing
> > > for the people) (I find nothing bad in this))
> >
> > While I don't find it bad, either, I think the issues of libre [1]
> > software are detached ("orthogonal") from political movements. I don't
> > oppose your (or anyone else's) political ideas, I'd just better not
> > mix them in the fight for libre programs. What I state in my talks
> > about GNU/Linux is that libre software incorporates both leftist and
> > rightist ideas. While it promotes equal shares of (potential)
> > knowledge to everyone (leftist), it also promotes real competition in
> > productive markets, by preventing monopolies and maximizing economical
> > transactions and technical innovation (rightist).
> 1st of all, as far as I know, rightism is more 'nation-based' and/or
> supports agressive capitalism, that puts money above all, almost inlcldung
> human lives (in the context of exploiting people).
> 2nd, the FS movement, as far as I know, ranges from CENTER to LEFT, maybe
> 1 degree to the right. Center ios for democracy, Left is for socialism.

It depends what you mean by "rightism" and "leftism". There are several
different issues here. There is economic-right (monetarian) and
social-right (conservative). The other ends of the spectrum are
economic-left (Keynesian) and social-left (liberal). A centerist is
merely someone who believes in a position that is somewhere in the
approximate center of these beliefs.

The FS movement contains many, many economic right-wingers in the form
of libertarians and anarchists. It also, of course, contains many
economic left-wingers in the form of socialists and communists.
Socialism, communism and libertarianism do not exclude democracy.
Democracy vs. dictatorship is an entirely seperate issue (although most
real-world Communist countries have, unfortunately, also been
dictatorships). Anarchism does exclude democracy, but only because it
preaches the abolition of the state.

Generally, the FS movement *is* liberal on social issues, however.

The FS movement is not inherently anti-corporate or anti-capitalist. It
only opposes those corporations who choose to restrict our rights by not
implementing libre licenses.

</politics geek>

:)

-- 
Lord [INSERT NAME HERE]
"Read a book about the self / Said I should get expensive help / Go fix
my head / Create some wealth / Put my neuroses on the shelf / But I
don't care for myself / I don't care for myself / I don't care."--
Placebo, Blue American

This has been an emergent property of the System. Goodnight.