Re: Free software, free speech, human dignity

[Andreas Röhler]

Am Donnerstag, 3. Juli 2008 schrieb Ciaran O'Riordan:
> 
> Andreas Röhler <andreas.roehler@online.de> writes:
> > Make the check against reality: What with the high
> > ranking persons committing all this while making false
> > claims against Iraq?
> 
> And where are your examples of people in jail for violating the GPL?
> 

Great, good question, thanks!

Well, unfortunatly, if FSF don't change the path we
will see it with some probability.

Yes, in a certain respect FSF already is engaged not
only in imprisonment, but in killing.

Shocking thesis, isn't?

So, before outline this indeed sinister perspective or
reality, let's try to calm down the spirit while having
a look at this world we are living in.

First of all: we didn't choose to live in as it is, so
we can't be held truly reponsible.

Making people responsible for things they can't change
is one of the main crimes in modern times.

In earlier times it seems it was more common not to
judge people by their deeds, but by their
intention. That looks wise for me.

Reading the forword of the GPL--that's Richard Stallman
who wrote that, I suspect--is always pleasant for me.

That forword seems complete nonsense with respect to
legal matter, but it's great. And it's purely
intention.

So I back the 4-freedom-philosophy wholeheartedly and
that's why I'm writing here.

Let's point out too: I'm not going to say GPL is bad
(in the circumstances of reality). I'm saying: it could
do better.

So wherefrom that harsh statement at the beginning?

Let's separate the items:

1) imprisonment
2) killing

1) In Germany not long time ago a mother has been sent
to jail two weeks after her baby was born, which was
taken from her. Her guilt? She used the tram without a
ticket.

That's nice Europe of today.

Now imagine someone loses his case accused of
GPL-violation and can't pay the court's fees or
indemnities. That's fairly possible as his business,
missing GPLed software then, might go bankrupt same
time. Do you image a court, who sends a mother to
prison for 10 or 20 Euro, will hesitate to send him for
serveral thousand?

2) FSF is linked now with UNESCO. What is UNESCO? Part
of the United Nations? No. United Nations don't
exist. We have something like United Governments,
backing war against Iraq and many other countries in
the world. A very dubious, undemocratic
organisation. Just the opposite to freedom.

What the FSF, what freedom might gain from that
messalliance?: Complicity.

OK, take breath. Sounds heavy, but its just some
exercise reflecting things we enjoy both. :)

Andreas Röhler