Subj : Re: GNU Public Licences Revisited (again)
To   : comp.programming
From : Rob Thorpe
Date : Tue Aug 30 2005 12:42 pm

Scott Moore wrote:
> Serge Skorokhodov (216716244) wrote:
> > Gerry Quinn wrote:
> >
> >>>(modulo Serge Skorokhodov's concerns about your
> >>>understanding (and mine own is likely no better) about
> >>>actual freedoms in the USSR under its nominally communist
> >>>rule, I'm just illustrating the emptiness of your statement)
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>What you call "nominal communism" is what you get when
> >>communism is implemented.  Haven't we seen enough mass
> >>slaughter in its name to stop making propaganda for another
> >>attempt?
> >>
> >
> >
> > Have we seen not enough mass slaughter in the name of capitalizm?
> > Come on, pal:)
> >
>
> Interesting take on history. Between Stallin and Mao, the tally
> for communisim may well exceed 60 million people. That's residents
> of the countries that practiced it. I suspect to get your
> "slaughter" for captialisim, you are defining wars as part of it.

This is getting increasingly of topic, but 60 million is rather low:
Mao did-in at least 60 million with the "great leap forward".
Stalin did ~30 million in his time.  Pol Pot managed about 1.7 million.

> Oh, I am well aware that many in the FUSSR still are warm to the
> idea of communisim. However, you must realize that we in the west
> have a hard time wrapping our minds around the idea of Russians with
> an affection for a system that killed them off in truly stunning
> numbers.

At the present time we don't see people dying from the effects of
communism, it's genecides or wars.  We do see people dying fighting for
or against democracy.  I think this makes many forget the huge
differences in scope, scale and, ultimately, intention between the two.

I visited the border between North and South Korea in 2004.  I remember
looking across it and thinking "and today we worry about _terrorism_".

.