Stallman on free software, WTO and more.

[ Thanks to wgroth2 for this link. ]

OpenOffice.org interviews Richard Stallman on a variety of topics, including his conception of an ethical society and the place of business in that society:

“There is a place in life for business, but business should not be allowed dominate everyone’s life. The original idea of democracy was to give the many a way to check the power of the wealthy few. Today business (and its owners) has far too much political power, and this undermines democracy in the US and abroad. Candidates face an effective veto by business (see http://www.billionairesforbushorgore.org), so they dare not disobey its orders. The power to make laws is being transferred from elected legislatures to nondemocratic bodies such as the World Trade Organization, which was designed to subordinate public health, environmental protection, labor standards, and the general standard of living to the interests of business. Under NAFTA [North American Free Trade Associtation], a Canadian company which was convicted in Mississippi of anticompetitive practices is suing for Federal compensation for its lost business due to the conviction. They claim that NAFTA takes away states’ right to make laws against anticompetitive practices.”

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