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> Can we prevent Nazis from using our software?

Short of engaging in equally authoritarian control-freakery? I don't see how.

I'm amused by one package author that I'll leave unnamed who has a list on his site enumerating political parties around the world at one end of the political spectrum and announcing that supporters of these parties are disinvited to use his work.

I'm all: "Dude, get over yourself. Parties ALL suck. Now, do good, and consider investing less time on posturing."





> Can we prevent Nazis from using our software?

Releasing it in the year 2025 is a pretty good guarantee of this, unless someone develops a time machine.


Errrr there is currently a worldwide upswing in nationalism. Oh that’s fine because it’s not Nazis but Neo-Nazis - the new kind.

Thankfully history doesn’t repeat itself.

Sorry for getting snarky.


Is there a differentiation between nationalism and patriotism?

I happen to think that the Founders had a (generally) better set of ideas in 1787, and that those ideas are being replaced by ersatz slogans.


It’s a fine line and there must be a difference, otherwise there won’t be two words.

How the founders relate to adolf is beyond me. OTOH some would argue adolf was being patriotic (mostly these are on the conservative side of life), others say he was a nationalist (these tend to be left spinning), i just say adolf was an evil human being.


One possible distinction is found in that fact that Nationlism is a Procrustean mold to which all must conform, whereas Patriotism still respects individual expression and dissent.



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