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Free software wins out in embargoed Syria
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Comments (8)
No borders
FOSS knows no boundaries and stops at no border. It is a shame to embargo people from participating in the progress of humanity. It is much more effective to reach out for people to gain their cooperation and support than to embargo which alienates and turns them to enemies. To embargo is inhumane and wrong.
In my understanding people rarely... no,.. never blockade people. It is the governments blockading governments that catches Innocent people in the crossfire... As usual.
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Programming and politics
Fascinating article - particularly for the way that it shows how apparently abstract issues of programming philosophy (proprietary vs. open) can become caught up in geopolitics.
Proprietary, patented, restricted, licensed... etc... all of that become VERY complicated to ensure/enforce/etc. world wide.
Just like anything else really.
Just like anything else really.
Kind of sickening, really.
Quote: "In the current situation of Syria, Tawileh hopes to foster a very active community that could support government..."
I agree that a trade embargo can damage common people while doing little to cause problems to the oppressive ruling elites. Actually, it invariably causes a surge in nationalism that ends up helping those in power. History is full of examples that point at this direction: starting with the 1935 embargo on Italy following the invasion of Ethiopia, which bolstered the Mussolini regime, down to Iraq and Iran.
However, I find the above quote quite sickening.
Perhaps mr. Anas Tawileh, you have conveniently forgotten a few facts, given that you live in a democratic and peaceful country (I read you're are based in Cardiff, Wales), so I'd like to remind them to you: 1. The Syrian government is a dictatorship which committed very serious crimes. The Hariri terrorist attack, according to an independent UN panel, happened with the involvement of the Syrian security forces. And it was followed by 20-odd targeted killings of Lebanese anti-Syrian journalists and politicians. In addition, the Syrian government is suspected to finance and support terrorist groups, such as the Hezbollah. 3. The Syrian government is extremely oppressive, free speech and political dissent are not tolerated: for example, the internet is heavily controlled (connections with the outside world happen through proxy servers, I am told). 4. I could go on for hours, and the list could easily reach 10,000 items, but I'm too lazy.
Free software was started with the idea that people had to gain more freedom, not to help dictatorships gain a more control over people.
Do you really think it is a good idea to support such a government? Or are you just too ambitious to care?
I agree that a trade embargo can damage common people while doing little to cause problems to the oppressive ruling elites. Actually, it invariably causes a surge in nationalism that ends up helping those in power. History is full of examples that point at this direction: starting with the 1935 embargo on Italy following the invasion of Ethiopia, which bolstered the Mussolini regime, down to Iraq and Iran.
However, I find the above quote quite sickening.
Perhaps mr. Anas Tawileh, you have conveniently forgotten a few facts, given that you live in a democratic and peaceful country (I read you're are based in Cardiff, Wales), so I'd like to remind them to you: 1. The Syrian government is a dictatorship which committed very serious crimes. The Hariri terrorist attack, according to an independent UN panel, happened with the involvement of the Syrian security forces. And it was followed by 20-odd targeted killings of Lebanese anti-Syrian journalists and politicians. In addition, the Syrian government is suspected to finance and support terrorist groups, such as the Hezbollah. 3. The Syrian government is extremely oppressive, free speech and political dissent are not tolerated: for example, the internet is heavily controlled (connections with the outside world happen through proxy servers, I am told). 4. I could go on for hours, and the list could easily reach 10,000 items, but I'm too lazy.
Free software was started with the idea that people had to gain more freedom, not to help dictatorships gain a more control over people.
Do you really think it is a good idea to support such a government? Or are you just too ambitious to care?
I agree with what you said, but I think you might be a little harsh on the guy. His main objective is to help his people by proliferating FOSS. I have the hunch that, if he doesn't include the government in the PR he wouldn't be able to. You seem to understand his situation, so give him a break.
And additionally, 'government' is a lot more than just Mr Assad, even in a pre-industrial dictatorship. Local governments, municipalities, etc. It's not a monolith. Those people will still be around when the current regime is gone. No dictatorship lasts forever, and these dangerous newfangled freedom ideas may well be part of its undoing.
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