free_raven/writings/A Disturbing Precedent Was Set.txt

A Disturbing Precedent Was Set
by Jake D. Parsons, as sent to the fsf-community-team@gnu.org mailing list on September 26, 2019

Greetings;

Due to the nature of the attacks upon RMS and the methods used I will be 
blunt. Attacks of a horrendous nature as the accusations are not only false 
but are very serious and horrible to fling around in the partisan shit 
slinging that happened. The methods are those usually reserved for the most 
contentious political issues in the open field of unbridled rhetorical 
warfare. These are old tactics used by the worse abusers and enemies of 
freedom and liberty for over a hundred years born in the political trenches of 
WW1 and manifested as the Oktober Revolution and the horrors that have 
unleashed upon the world since.

I do not think the FSF can survive this in it' s previous and present form. 
There is no other leader that with the intelligence, skill, focus, or 
dedication that RMS brang to the world. I have been thinking the last few days 
and I realized I was guilty as many others of taking for granted the impact of 
GNU and the GPL. GNU could use another kernel, but can Linux use another 
userland? In theory yes, but theory and practice are two different things. Who 
else rewrote unix utilities, gathered a cadre of selfless geniuses, started a 
revolution, developed a philosophy, and wrote a license that shook the world 
to it' s foundations? No one.

For the corporate and governments tyrants to snuff out the movement it has to 
get rid of the leaders and pick off the rest of the pack one by one. Linus was 
muzzled, the old leaders where RMS was the Last Man Standing has been shoved 
into a corner by uncivilized brutes crying freedom covering their own vicious 
and tyrannical agenda. Who is next?

It is shocking how easy it was for them to slander and remove RMS from his 
rightful and hard won role. It is shocking that the methods used have not been 
questioned, that I have seen and I hope someone can show me otherwise, and 
people involved in getting the ball rolling in this despicable episode have 
not been called out.

A dangerous precedent of people abusing thier positions for partisan politics, 
that uncivilized methods of verbal brutality and irresponsible use of social 
pressure has now been set. Where a short campaign of FUD can dethrone one of 
our leaders whose contributions and it' s trickle down effects are hard to 
measure, where our enemies can hide behind hypocritical rhetoric of emotional 
control words to divide and conquer us. 

On to the stage enter Eric McGovern, Executive Director of the GNOME 
Foundation. The lack of professionalism, irresponsibility, of office is at an 
absurd level here:

https://blog.halon.org.uk/2019/09/gnome-foundation-relationship-gnu-fsf/

If someone in such a high level of responsibility can fail in reading 
comprehension of what RMS said so badly, or not read and accuse someone of 
horrible misconduct based on what someone else said, the question is he 
suitable for the role he is in? If he knew what he is doing the community does 
not need someone with his agenda, or someone else' s, in an organziation that 
has a worrying amount of software under it' s umbrella. One that is the 
default desktop for the two main corporate distros: RHEL (including Fedora and 
CentOS) Ubuntu. 
"Should this not happen in a timely manner, then I believe that severing the 
historical ties between GNOME, GNU and the FSF is the only path forward. 
GNOME, GNU and the FSF is the only path forward."
That is nothing short of blackmail. Tell me again Eric how blackmail fits "... 
GNOME Foundation’s strategic goals is to be an exemplary community in terms of 
diversity and inclusion." these strategic goals?

Eric McGovern must go. He either has his own agenda or is playing to the tune 
of corporate agendas, either way he is injurious and detrimental to Free 
Software. Blackmail is criminal in the least...

This email is getting too long and I have much more to say, but will save the 
more for later. There is more people I would like to call out so more are 
aware how widepread this FUD campaign is, and how many useful idiots are 
jumping on the bandwagon for the hay ride. Maybe others can help and make it a 
thread.

Thank you RMS for all your decades of work and selfless commitment, for what 
you started and persued so I may write this on free software and for never 
compromising on your principles. A true philosopher.

[I kept the integrity of the original but made the mistake of calling Neil Eric in the email. Now corrected in this postscript.]