[AktiviX] Left Wing, Right Wing, and Free Software

[Harry Halpin]

Actually,
	As an American like RMS, I can emphasize with what are considered
his "right-wing" motives in creating Free Software. In America, freedom as 
thought of as individual liberties is considered "right-wing", with 
the "left-wing" usually considered "taking away freedom" in order to 
support social programs. Now, of course most people realize that "No 
man is an island" and any type of freedom worthy of the name can be found in communities - and that these 
communities need social program. However, it is the coercive nature of the 
traditional Left - from revolutionary parties forcing The Revolution (TM) 
to corrupt unions taking away money out of worker paychecks to fund their 
own luxuries - that is against the notion of freedom, since those above 
activities force people to do something for their "own good". On an 
aside, most union hierarchies are notoriously corrupt, particulary in the States, where 
with a few grassroots exceptions are almost always a tool of the 
State - see "Bringing the Heat in Miami" by CrimethInc. However, the 
Right's equation that the choices allowed to us by money is somehow equal 
to freedom that is also wrong. Why Free Software is important is because it operates by voluntary 
association, allowing users not only more choice but the ability to 
*create* - after all, capitalism allows us the choice between Pepsi and Coke - but
Free Software gives you the ability to enter the development process, 
joining the community of programmers. These notions of voluntary 
association, mutual aid, and finding freedom through the creation of 
communities and even products (gasp!) is crucial to the appeal of Free 
Software for any person who seeks freedom in at least the computational 
aspects of their life. At some point I'll write a proper essay but back to 
work...
				-Harry


  On Sat, 6 Mar 2004, Asa Winstanley wrote:

> mp said:
> >
> > On Thu, 2004-03-04 at 15:33, Asa Winstanley wrote:
> >> Did you know that as a boy Stallman was politically right wing and
> >> chastised his mother for joining a teachers union because he
> >> thought they were corrupt?!
> >
> > Well, you dont have to be right-winger to arrive at that conclusion for
> > the majority and mainstream of unionisers ;-)
> 
> I agree to an extent. The leadership, sure, but the majority of mainstream
> union members corrupt? That don't make sense.
> 
> Anyway, if you read that bit of the book... Let's just say it's clear he
> wasn't against the union for anarcho-syndicalist reasons!
> 
> ~ Asa
> http://asa.custard.org
> 
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