from the libertarian newspaper

[Chuck]

Jared wrote:

> Socialism masquerades as libertarianism until it has power, and then
> it drops the niceties used to convince the masses that something
> positive is happening, when in truth, power was consolidating. I
> used to be a Libertarian until I realized I was merely a tool in
> the hands of the socialists, who are a tool in the hands of the
> secret organizations, who are everywhere and nowhere.

Like Jeremy, you are conflating different kinds of socialism. You are 
thinking about the statist version of socalism, which seeks to take over 
the state. That variety of socialism is less popular these days. There 
is also libertarian socialism, which doesn't seek state power and which 
seeks to empower people to run their own lives without coercion from 
above, be it an authority or a state.

> I wholeheartedly agree that Linux is _not_ anarchist, and would have
> written Jeremy Fowler's argument if he hadn't. Linux is very
> hierarchical. Thus my concern is not for where it is today, but
> where it will go after Linus passes away as an old man. The real
> danger is in something as powerful as Linux being controlled by
> someone who is as powerful as Linus Torvalds... but has no joy.

Linux is very much anarchist, like the rest of the free software 
movement. It does have a bit of hierarchy, which is understandable given 
that the movement has to interface with a capitalist society. Linus may 
control Linux, or at least his corner of the movement, but he long 
displayed an attitude that is anti-authoritarian.

> The salient point in the article quoted above is that ANYONE can
> study the code and become an expert in it. This makes it a
> meritocracy. Meritocracy demands that its ruling class be an
> expert in something other than ruling, which makes it apolitical
> in nature. Politicians continually try, but fail, to control it.

Linux is an example of anarchism in action: open, free, anti-capitalist, 
egalitarian, anti-hierarchical, anti-propertarian, decentralized, 
cooperative and so on.

I'll send my article on the anarchist basis of the free software 
movement when it gets written.

Chuck
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