Here is the story about the three little pigs and the Big Blonde Fascist.
The first little pig built her house on Apple products.
The second little pig built his house on Google products.
The third little pig built her house on #FreeSoftware and thus ensured she was in control of her own house.
The first two pigs made fun of the third pig: "why do you bother?" they said. "It's so much easier to do like us! It's so quick and so convenient!"
1/5
The third little pig tried another angle: "But when someone else controls your house you are not free, you cannot say and do what you want because they are always watching! Freedom and democratic ideals are important", she said.
The other little pigs were unconvinced: "we don't care about freedom or democratic ideals, the important thing for us is convenience! Besides, Apple and Google are great and they are our friends, they would never betray us."
3/5
Then, one day, came the Big Blonde Fascist.
The Big Blonde Fascist went to the first little pig's house and said: "I don't even need to huff or puff here, I'll just ask Apple to hand over the keys". Apple made a rational business decision and handed over the keys after about two seconds. The first little pig was kicked out.
Then the Big Blonde Fascist went to the second little pig's house and similarly got the keys from Google, so the second little pig was also left without a house.
4/5
The first two pigs then fled to the third little pig's house, where the Big Blonde Fascist was unable to get in.
"Please let us in!", they said. "We are fucked! We will pay you anything you ask, just please let us in!"
"Welcome inside", the third little pig said. "You don't need to pay anything. The tools used to build this house are all #FreeSoftware, you can use those tools any time you want."
And they lived happily ever after, all enjoying the same freedom as the third little pig.
5/5
@eliasr And when the Big Blonde Fascist uses their unrestrained power to ban and block all use of software and devices they cannot access? Institutes a Great Firewall of China equivalent? Reminds me a bit of the XKCD pipe wrench classic https://xkcd.com/538/ . Free software is great, but it won’t save us from fascism
@lingon as I see it, it's not that free software will save us completely but the fascist will need to physically enforce their oppression, as in physically taking my computer away from me. As opposed to the situation we have today, where 99% of people give away their freedom voluntarily. Free software makes it possible to make things more difficult for the fascist, as difficult as it should be.
1/2
@lingon I think the issue of freedom vs authoritarianism fundamentally has nothing to do with computers or internet, the issue has existed since before electrocity was discovered and the issue is basically still the same as hundreds of years ago.
The difference now is that people use tech ina way that makes it much easier for a fascist to take and keep control. Because people behave like the first two little pigs in the story. We should not make things so easy for the fascist.
2/2
The third little pig tried to explain: "But you are now owned by those companies, your house should be a place where you can feel safe. How can you feel safe when those companies have full control over your house?", she said.
The other little pigs did not seem to understand: "What do you mean? These are our houses, they are great, and so very convenient!"
2/5