From: zeleny@husc10.harvard.edu (Mikhail Zeleny)
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss,talk.philosophy.misc,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Fund raising at the FSF
Date: 12 Jan 93 18:13:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc3.1993Jan12.131356.19246
 <1993Jan11.144521.19192@husc3.harvard.edu> <BURLEY.93Jan12083637@apple-gunkies.gnu.ai.mit.edu>
Organization: The Phallogocentric Cabal

In a very long article <BURLEY.93Jan12083637@apple-gunkies.gnu.ai.mit.edu>,
among variegated and sometimes justified denunciations of my ideas and
character, burley@apple-gunkies.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Craig Burley) writes:

>You mistake me for someone who wants to waste time arguing with you.  

I make no such mistake.  Nor, contrary to your assumption, do I believe
myself to be in possession of the final answers, which have been
constitutionally denied to yourself.  Every single point I made in this
debate is provisional and negotiable; however I disclaim responsibility
for the inability of your allies and associates to refute them by
demonstrating the superiority of your own ideas.

I am not interested in liberating things, in any way that would be
comparable with my interest in liberating people.  Should I have an
opportunity to participate in a viable enterprise, expressly dedicated
to the goal of promotion and support of free text, I would pursue it to
the extent of my ability; however I am not interested in dedicating all
of my time and energy to the task of single-handedly establishing a
charitable foundation dedicated to this task.  My life is too short, and
I have other cats to flog.  If I chose to embark on this debate, it is
only because I see the efforts of the FSF to promote and proliferate the
terms and conditions of the GPL, as infringing on the freedom of people
not unlike myself, and because I find such infringement especially
odious in conjunction with the liberationist rhetoric espoused by its
advocates, as well as their claim to the status of charitable and
munificent benefactors of the benighted human race.

Your personal opprobrium is in many ways justified.  I am easily given
to anger, and do not suffer fools gladly.  If I make every effort to
compensate for this unfortunate personal trait by acknowledging my
agreement and conceding the point to others, whenever appropriate, it is
nevertheless quite impossible for me to ignore the constant demands of
my affirming daimon, and abstain from promulgating that, which I regard
as true, until and unless proven otherwise.  And if the needs of such
provisional truth demand that I mercilessly whip you for shamelessly
perpetrating an evident lie, then whip you I will, your self-professed
good intentions notwithstanding.

You have only three options, -- ignore me in the hope that I will go
away; try to persuade me that your way is right; or change your ways in
a manner that befits your charitable and liberationist rhetoric.
Whichever one you choose, do not expect me to stop doing what I think is
right, just because your personal goal happens to run contrary to it.

cordially,
mikhail zeleny@husc.harvard.edu
"Les beaulx bastisseurs nouveaulx de pierres mortes ne sont escriptz
en mon livre de vie.  Je ne bastis que pierres vives: ce sont hommes."
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss,talk.philosophy.misc,misc.legal