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Free Software: The Key to Freedom
In the discourse surrounding software freedom, a recurring archetype has appeared of late. This figure is someone that purports to value transparency, collaboration, and the sharing of source code - traits often associated with the "open source" philosophy - yet the person perceives a specific social injustice or a "bad actor" (e.g., a large corporation, a military entity, or a regime) and seeks to weaponize software licensing to address their grievance.
A pertinent manifestation of this archetype can be found in proposals that seek to introduce mechanisms to restrict or exclude. The proponents of these measures argue that it's a moral failing to allow one's code to be used by entities that harm society. They ask, "Why should my labor support 'the bad guys'?"
While the desire to punish "the bad guys" is emotionally resonant, it rests on a fundamental misunderstanding regarding the nature of software freedom and the function of software. The free software movement doesn't exist to police its users' morality; it exists to liberate them from the unjust power of developers. When a developer imposes restrictions on who may use the software or for what purpose, regardless of their good intentions, they cease to be a liberator and become a regulator, re-establishing the very power dynamic (developer control over user) that free software aims to dismantle.