I am going to disagree with that - it sounds good but it is just
semantics: we have learned that a society in which anyone is enslaved
is not a free society.
This is indeed true, the powers that be do spend quite a lot of resources in
trying to sell you the idea that -if you choose to be their slave it's ok, because
you chose it- did you really?
Here in lies the weight of the matter:
How did 'you' reach that choice?
Was it a well educated choice?
Can you choose to change you mind? At any time?
Here is a basic example:
I buy a nifty host-to-host USB cable, I am happy with it
it works fast, its easy to use, but, here is the kicker:
I can only use it on MSW because the chip inside it
uses an extra bit to communicate and none of my Linux/BSD
machines know what to do with that extra bit.
What to do?
Well, I do some research, I find that other brands are indeed supported
by my Linux/BSD/GNU distros so I run back to the store, ask for a return
pay a bit extra for the brand I am looking for and then write a nice letter,
yes a real paper letter to the company that makes such device and describe
my not so pleasant experience with their device and their narrow support.
Here I had the perfect opportunity to chose to become a slave to MSW
but I chose not to, even if that implies an extra effort on my part.
But the fact of the matter is that most people are unwilling to go that mile
people choose comfort even if it means sacrificing some freedoms
after all, its just some data transfer cable. What harm can it do?
Well, for one it can give birth to ideas such as this:
> Freedom is just that, allowing people to become enslaved if they so
> choose, after they have heard about the alternatives, or not. listen if
> they so choose or not. Freedom with conditions isn't freedom. :-) Yet
> anyone can have that and call it freedom.