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From: swarren@eugene.uucp (Steve Warren)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Software thieves (was Re: Software theives)
Summary: Pirates are nothing but looters (political) (long)
Message-ID: <1575@convex.UUCP>
Date: 23 Aug 89 15:44:17 GMT
References: <30706@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <6846@rpi.edu> <2361@raspail.cdcnet.cdc.com> <6865@rpi.edu> <58013@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <6876@rpi.edu> <1160@sas.UUCP> <11682@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Sender: news@convex.UUCP
Reply-To: swarren@eugene.UUCP (Steve Warren)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx.
Lines: 51

DISCLAIMER:

This posting is aimed at individuals on this net who have openly advocated
piracy.  If you do not advocate piracy then this posting is not flaming at
you.  The discussion has devolved into politics, so if the whole thing
disgusts you just hit "n" now.



In article <11682@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> scheer@cit-vax.UUCP (Wonko the Sane) writes:
>Of COURSE you can't convince anyone of the correctness of the respective
>viewpoints.  This is essentially a religious discussion.  On the one hand,
>the pirates are arguing that information should be inexpensive if not free,
                                                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>whereas the non-pirates believe in following the laws that society has set
                       [...]
This is a rather convenient opinion to hold, don't you think?  Many
"consumers" would prefer that "producers" would become their chattel
and endlessly entertain and otherwise cater to them at no expense to
themselves.  This is the category that pirates fall into.  Cut through
all the baloney and the pathetic rationalizations.

What is the essence of a pirate?  He loots.  Looters are "users" in the
perjerative sense.  Without the "producers" in society "pirates" are lost.
What does a looter do when there is no one left to loot?  He simply lives
without.  Why?  Because he is incapable of producing these items himself,
and unwilling to pay someone else to produce it for him.

There _is_ an ultimate right or wrong on this question, because we know
what the result would be if all consumers were pirates.  Nothing would
ever be produced.  Why should I produce something if I know it will be
instantly stolen from me?  Don't rationalize that _someone_ would pay for
it; I am taking pirating to its logical conclusion, at which point everyone
in the society realises that they don't need to buy software because they
can get it free and no one will harm them for it.

You may naively presume that the majority of producers will bravely continue
production in the face of a society that steals their labor, but reality is
not so forgiving.  For examples of societies where this presumption reigns
you need only look to Soviet Russia and Red China.  The halting reforms
being attempted even now in these countries attest to the lack of insight
into human nature their systems have exhibited.  The refusal to repay a
laborer for his efforts is immoral, and the result of this refusal in the
long run is a loss for the society of the ability to produce.

Just say NO to piracy.  It is fundamentally immoral, and arguments to the
contrary are the self-serving rationalizations of looters.

--Steve
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