Defending Software Freedom and Natural Justice

3 respostas [Última entrada]
strypey
Desconectado
Joined: 05/14/2015

In the "Goodbye RMS" thread, Onpon wrote:

> a lot of the posts on this thread sound as if they're talking about someone who has died

Despite stating my disagreement with many of the statements Onpon made in that thread, this is one point on which I agree.

Stallman is not dead. He may choose to retire from public life after all this and I wouldn't blame him. But I wouldn't be surprised if he still wants to continue with software freedom activism in some form. If he does, it will be important to regroup those who are willing to continue working with him, despite the risk of becoming social pariahs for doing so. It might might even be necessary to create a new software freedom organization within which he can continue his work, either publicly, or as an advisor on software freedom issues.

Such an organization would probably have to take a position on the place of diversity politics in the digital freedom movements. One that explicitly rejects alt-right cryptofascism and its celebration of historical and contemporary bigotry, but also critiques the "social justice" kangeroo courts that have condemned Stallman and threatened to do the same to others over the conflict between Libreboot and FSF/GNU Project, until consensus was found over a way forward in that case. I find the critique in pieces like these helpful:

* https://joyfulmilitancy.com/2018/06/03/the-stifling-air-of-rigid-radicalism/
* https://www.autostraddle.com/kin-aesthetics-excommunicate-me-from-the-church-of-social-justice-386640/
*https://www.opendemocracy.net/transformation/frances-lee/no-justice-without-love-why-activism-must-be-more-generous

Here's I piece I wrote describing how the problem affects the anarchist movement. The comment thread covered some useful ground too.
* https://libcom.org/forums/feedback-content/universal-friendship-radical-goal-09012019

strypey
Desconectado
Joined: 05/14/2015

A couple of other resources I'll add here (since I can't edit the OP).

First, this excellent book called 'Come Hell or High Water' about the importance of due process in collective organizing, what happens when it breaks down, and some ideas of what to do about it.

EDIT: this is a review of a book that also looks useful, 'Conflict is not Abuse', by Sarah Schulman:
https://www.thestranger.com/books/2017/01/10/24792575/sarah-schulmans-conflict-is-not-abuse-is-a-guide-to-keeping-the-peace

EDIT: another potentially useful book is 'Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment' by Leticia Nieto & Margot Boyer

If I can find a link to a .pdf, I'll post it here.

This very touching personal blog piece describes a breakdown in due process in a collective house, and the psychological effects it still has on the author years later:
https://languagesofmastery.wordpress.com/2016/07/25/gaslighting-a-bed-time-story/

The broad strokes of this are similar to an experience I had more than 10 years ago across a bunch of activist projects, which haunts me to this day in similar ways. Until I left Aotearoa, I lived in constant, crippling dread of coming across anyone who was involved in that situation, or derives their view of me from talking to people who were. To the point that I developed agoraphobia that made it very difficult for me to be involved in many activist or community projects, and especially to attend political protests/ rallies/ demonstrations, even when I really supported the cause. I note that the author also mentions narcissists/ narcissism as being a component in her situation, and I don't think this is a coincidence.

EDIT 2019-10-02: Some other relevant pieces:
* 'Exiting the Vampire Castle', by the late Mark Fisher:
* 'Everything is Problematic', by Trent Eady:
* Pat Mosley's essays including 'Un-Identity: Climbing Down the Other Side of Peak Liberalism', 'Before & After I Became a Social Justice Vampire', and 'Reflections from a Walk with a White Identitarian', which critiques the alt-right as a mirror image of liberal Safer Spaces attack politics
* Metafilter has a good summary of writing on this topic, both those critiquing callout/ cancel culture, and those responding to those critiques

EDIT 2019-10-02: Made some more of the URLs into links

strypey
Desconectado
Joined: 05/14/2015

This piece by Geoff Greer has an update which says Stallman will continue as the "Chief GNUisance" of the GNU Project. This is excellent news. It suggests that the majority of those active in the GNU Project have not joined the witch hunt, and that setting up a new organization to support Stallman's ongoing work won't be necessary.
https://geoff.greer.fm/2019/09/30/in-defense-of-richard-stallman/

Greer's piece is a pretty good summary of the events leading up to Stallman being pushed out of the FSF and MIT, and why that's such a bad thing. It does throw the mob a bone by saying that Stallman's mistake was to be "tactless". It's pretty clear to me that the person who publicized the contents of a *private* email was the one who was "tactless", as Greer himself implies. I think Stallman was principled and brave to insist that a person be considered innocent until proven guilty, especially someone who is no longer around to defend themselves, and if that's "tactless", I aspire to be as "tactless" as Stallman.

commodore256
Desconectado
Joined: 01/10/2013

I only believe in restorative justice, somebody violates your property rights, you should be restored in a equivalent amount and if the damages are arbitrary, an arbiter with a reputation for fairness should be appointed by the mutual agreement of all parties.

Example, if you were involuntarily circumcised, I believe legal action against the people that violated your property rights, pay for the medical procedure to restore the foreskin and pay for the time of your life that you were deprived of it shouldn't be off the table. Because that's a clear violation of property rights and is a very barbaric tradition. Circumcision is way worse than anything than RMS ever did and you don't see me demanding all Rabbis should be fired, they can preach all they want, I just want people that want their foreskins back to bill their parents and the Doctor/Rabbi and the Hospital/Synagogue that performed it.

No need to lock them in cages, just pay your debts.

Stallman never did anything this bad.