On Friday 19 January 2007 10:39, Chuck wrote:
An interesting article, but the author doesn't seem to understand some basic political concepts. There are different types of socialism. The author is thinking about state socialism/communism and misses the fact that there is a significant anti-statist or libertarian socialist tendency around the world. In fact, around most of the world, "libertarian" is synonymous with "anarchist." Libertarian socialism is another phrase that is equivalent to anarchism.
How is anarchy socialism at all? This makes no sense...
I'm working on a paper which will explain how the free software and open source movements, as well as much of Web 2.0, are examples of anarchism in action. This has been pointed out by writers several years ago, but really hasn't gained widespread recognition.
Because it's not really true.
Free software like Linux are examples of anarchism in action in that they are cooperative, decentralized, anti-capitalist (to some extent), anti-property (anti-IP), non-government, anti-hierarchical and much more. The free software movement is "socialist" in so far as it reflects the anti-statist socialism of anarchism.
Linux *is* centralized, in a hiearchy even. Anti-"IP" is not anti-property, but rather anti-usury. Socialism is by definition statist.