Sander van Dijk wrote: > To reitterate: > > MIT/BSD just make software free. > > GPL on the other hand is not just trying to make software free, but > also to govern in what way the receiver can use it. Now this may or > may not be morally right, but that's a discussion all in itself. What > isn't a discussion is that it's a restriction of freedom. > > In some situations, a benevolent dictator may be better for the people > than total freedom, perhaps even better than democracy. Regardless of > the level of benevolence though, a benevolent dictator is still a > dictator, no matter what way you put it.
Maybe the ultimate in _individual_ freedom is the absence of restrictions, but that ignores other very important freedoms. But by your reasoning, the form of government with the most freedom is an anarchy. Personally, I much prefer democracy. A society that does not outlaw murder maximizes individual freedom for the murderer. But I doubt that the murder victim felt very free. A system of laws is necessary to protect individual rights. Are they sometimes restrictive to the indiviual? Yes. But they are necessary to a truly free society. Doug.
