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ZNet interviews Richard Stallman
ProgressiveCynic writes "ZNet has just published an interview with Richard Stallman. Much of the interview will be review for Slashdot folks, intended to introduce ZNet's audience to the free software movement, but many interesting bits remain including a discussion on the outlawing of free software, patents as applied to literature, and this quote: 'I'm a Liberal, in US terms (not Canadian terms). I'm against fascism.'"
RMS: The basic idea of the Free Software Movement is that the user of software deserves certain freedoms. There are four essential freedoms, which we label freedoms 0 through 3.
I wonder how many Znet readers are confused out of their minds as to why he'd start with zero.
For those puzzled, RMS's Liberal comment is in reference to Canada's Liberal party.
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
"Fascism is associated with one or more of the following characteristics: a very high degree of nationalism, economic corporatism, and, after attaining political control of a country, a powerful, dictatorial state that views the nation as superior to the individuals or groups composing it."
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism
""A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism."
-- American Heritage Dictionary
Even though there are no clear definition of Fascism there is definititly clear that corporatism - the merging of big business and the state - are part of Fascism.
US today are leaning more and more towards fascism. Not many likes it - but its the sad truth.
Just saying it like it are.
Free software has a much better chance of working than Communism (yes, I know, it has never been truly implemented, etc). Unlike a government for a country, not everyone has to be in on it. If you live in a "communist" nation, you fall under communist rule. However, free software and non-free software can mix. People can use one, or the other, or both. Provided that there is a critical mass of people in the free software community, and there is, we should be just fine.
This definition has some holes in it, but "liberal" in the US means left-leaning (more centralized government, welfare state, etc), whereas liberal in Canada and Europe and most other places means the same thing as "conservative" means in the US (or used to mean anyway), including smaller government, lower taxes, less government control, pro-business, etc. It is even confusing in the US, with the "Libertarian" party conforming to strict conservative ideas -- conservative in the classical-US sense, not the current big government, pro-war definition. I should also note that the "left" in the US is much more like the "center" or even "right" in many other countries.
Seriously, man. ESPECIALLY in this day and age, it takes BALLS to be absolutely a hundred percent no holds barred no bullshit 100% DEDICATED to the exact letter of What You Belive Is True. It might be "socially awkward" or "a career impairment" but this is, I firmly believe, the one possible instance in which a Dungeons & Dragons Paladin grade Lawful-lawful Good-good Dedication To Cause is actually - in some capacity - having a positive impact on the lives of many.
That his intensity of focus could also make him an object of ridicule is a natural side effect of said dedication. i doubt I'd be able to talk to the guy about software or legal issues for more than a handful of syllables before the punching instinct kicked in, but where would modern software be if it weren't for GNU and the GPL?
You obviously have no clue about what your talking about.
Millions of people depend and use GNU software everyday. Why do you think that RMS tries to tell you to say: "GNU/Linux" and not just "Linux".
This is because not only do you use GNU for their compiler the most common userland tools and programs in Linux are almost wholey GNU.
GNU Bash, GNU tar, Gnome, CVS, GTK, Gimp, Glibc There are literally hundreds of GNU programs used around Linux distros.
Hell if you don't like Gnome GNU has a entire other desktop system to choose from.. Window Maker + GNUStep.
Try to remove all GNU software from your Linux system and see how far you get.
http://directory.fsf.org/GNU/
People go: Oh, why don't you just call it Apache/GNU/Linux since you have lots of apache-sponsored applications?
Well the thing is is that without Apache you'd still have a working OS. Apache isn't the only Free web server around...
Without GNU there would be no workable Linux distro.
If you use Linux for a living you depend on GNU and GNU Software to do it.
Even if you don't use Linux and use something like Solaris.. Solaris userland is crap. Best way to improve Solaris for day to day use as a workstation and server is to install a bunch of GNU software on it. And it's similar situation for the BSD's although it's not nearly as bad.
Hell even Apple uses GCC to build OS X.
To say GNU software as unsucccessfull.. your completely wrong.
In fact the GNU project is one of the most successfull software projects ever created. It's wildly successfull.
The goal was to create a Free software OS for using Free software for Freedom-liking individuals.
Just taking GCC.. It's one of the most ubiquious development tools ever created. Probably the most popular software compiling suite ever created. You can build C programs, fortran programs, Java programs, C++ programs, ada programs. It works on VAX, on x86 variants, on POWER/PPC varients, and pretty much every other hardware platform created in modern times.
Apple, IBM, Redhat, and many other companies put development time and money into it.
Think about it. They give it away for no-cost and for Free.
If that is not successfull then tell me what is?
So what if nobody uses the kernel, almost every other peice of software that was ever created or ever joined that project is used buy buches of people.
GNU/Linux is the 2nd most common OS anywere. It's used in everything from super computers to wrist watches to toasters.
Go back in time on Google groups and you can find usenet postings from when GNU was just starting and you'll find people saying stuff like: "that RMS is entertaining and has lovely ideas about software, but nobody is ever going to make a compiler like $LONG_FORGOTTEN_COMPILER and give it away for free!"
or
"Well GNU is funny stuff, but no way it will ever come close to $DEAD_OR_DYING_UNIX_VERSION in terms of capabilities, much less convince developers to work for free, what a wacko!"
Absolutely false. What you've described is, in fact, the definition of Fascism.
Although the term "Fascism" is commonly met with revulsion, the ideals of Fascism are alive and well. In fact, there are people who openly support Fascism, whether they accept the title of Fascist or not.
Vice President Henry A. Wallace warned quite often of the dangers of Fascism in America.
He also defined it in the classical, Mussolini sense: