Hacker News Reader

Comment by bigstrat2003 | Hacker News Reader

bigstrat2003·

> Open-source is an inherently radical anti-capitalist philosophy.

No it isn't. Open source isn't inherently political in any way. Maybe that's what it's about to you, but I open source things because I want to give to others out of a general sense of wishing to build up the whole community. I don't have anything against capitalism.

View on HN

First off, in some sense everything is political. Next, I am not claiming that you can't be supporter of open source while also holding a wide array of associated political views. My point is that the concept of open source fundamentally rejects the ideal capitalist conception of the world as a bunch of purely rational self-interested agents seeking to optimize wealth and economic output. Willingly performing labor for its own sake, for the benefit of others, with no expectation of return value, is obviously not capitalist behavior.

"First off, in some sense everything is political."

That's what every partisan hack says before they shove their culture war politics down your throat. Some people out in the real world get laid and just can't be bothered to hear your opinion about the race-swapped Snow White remake, regardless of whether you loved it or hated it.

Politics is a lense of analysis that can be applied to almost anything related to the group behaviors of people. Refusing to engage with it because there are charlatans that apply these methods poorly just demonstrates an inability or lack of desire to understand. It's quite revealing btw that you decided to frame intellectual pursuits and sexual behavior as being in opposition and/or claim that the later is somehow more important.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com