Re: [Trisquel-users] The Economics of Free Software

[onpon4]

Honestly, I don't think free software is particularly in line with any one  
economic system. What it is perfectly in line with is any sort of  
Libertarianism, including Free Market Capitalism and Anarcho-Capitalism, but  
also including Libertarian Socialism, or Social Anarchy.

You've already outlined (very elegantly) why free software fits with Free  
Market Capitalism. Why it fits with Social Anarchy is pretty simple: to work,  
Social Anarchy depends on sharing and voluntary contribution. Free software  
allows this; an entire group, such as a Social Anarchist society, can pool  
its resources together to buy a free program, if necessary (e.g. from a  
developer in a capitalist society) share this free program among its members.  
Then, any member of the Social Anarchist society is free (and probably  
encouraged) to improve the program as well as other free software. This is  
just not possible with nonfree software, which would only work against a  
Social Anarchist society.