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Re: [ox-en] Capitalism, GNU Oekonux




On Fri, 17 Jan 2003, johan soderberg wrote:

Some boundaries or commonality must be defined for
'Oekonux' to be Oekonux. In my mind, to discuss free
software from a libertarian angle is just as off-topic
as not discussing free software at all.


  This thread happens almost yearly in this list.  It is easy enough to
express what ideas you agree and disagree with, but I do not agree that it
is easy to put an 'ism' or 'ist' label on any of them and be able to have
a conversation that others will be able to participate in.  Would you be
excluding people who may share ideas, but not the same definitions of
words?


  What is a 'libertarian' angle?

  For instance, Eric Raymond is often associated with Libertarianism (and
other things, considering his views on guns).  I have often come out in
opposition to his views, especially when they related to competition
policy (Anti-Trust in the USA).

  Example: http://www.flora.org/flora/server/comnet-www/1872

"I am an extremely strong supporter of free market principles, 
but unlike Raymond recognize that government protection is required to 
protect these principles.  Being opposed to  antitrust laws in support of 
free markets is like being opposed to laws against theft in support of 
private property."

  I have been told that Libertarianism, like Industrialism, has a 
"Left" and a "Right".  People can be purists and suggest that 
left-and-right were defined in one parliament at one time, or we can try 
to make sense of the concepts in a changing environment.  While I'm not a 
supporter of Industrial-era economic thinking, I do consider myself to be 
a libertarian (reducing the influence of centralized governance), but a 
left-libertarian, not the right-libertarian that Raymond might identify 
with.


---
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
 Any 'hardware assist' for communications, whether it be eye-glasses, 
 VCR's, or personal computers, must be under the control of the citizen 
 and not a third party.   -- http://www.flora.ca/russell/

_______________________
http://www.oekonux.org/



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