I think the best solution is to talk to the Palestinians and see if we can work something out, perhaps participating in the travel cost, if we have the money. We can even publicize this as another step towards peace and good will among the children.
It would be interesting to ask RMS whether, if we matched the Palestinians and added $1, he would cancel his planned speeches and would only speak in Israel. And while we are at it, if we threw in another $100, would he be willing to accept the name August Penguin or MS Free Lecture instead of whatever crap he insisted on. After all, to paraphrase the famous author whose name escapes me now, we have already established that he is a (media) whore, now we are negotiating the price. I neither know nor care whether RMS is pro or anti Israel, but he proved himself a complete idiot by his bungling of this whole affair. First, if someone sponsors you with cash, you should ask their permission before you volunteer your services to their competitors/enemies/anyone else. There is value in exclusivity and it is not surprising if his hosts demand it, and even if they don't, it is common courtesy to ask first. Second, if he already bit the hand that fed him, and now has to recant, he could have handled it more sensitively, starting by taking some of the blame for the fuck up. He now has involved himself with a political storm that will do little to help the open source community. It plays into the hands of anyone who wants to blame OSS of antisemitism to gain a marketing edge. Finally, these relics who still make money from their actions 30 years ago remind me of the 60's bands that still tour - they are nice for nostalgia, but not for music or talent (with very few exceptions). So maybe this is good riddance - one less idiot to idolize. Z. On Sun, May 29, 2011 at 12:38 PM, Omer Zak <[email protected]> wrote: > There are few things which break the analogy. > > 1. Israeli academic institutions are now at war against forces which try > to promote academic boycott on Israel. The nearest analogy is an > international attempt to cut peering agreements with Orange just because > they are orange-ginger and "we are Europeans who abhor > gingerism" ( > http://www.zak.co.il/tddpirate/2007/06/07/it-must-be-a-monty-python-skit/ > ). > > 2. We do not know how many lectures and workshops is Stallman supposed > to deliver in Palestine. Probably much more than three and possibly > longer. So Stallman's visit to Israel might be just a short diversion. > If the Palestinians are so cash strapped (due to their support of > families of suicide bombers) they can't cover 20% of the cost > corresponding to the 20% of time that Stallman planned to spend in > Israel, then Stallman could ask his Israeli hosts to find a monetary > solution to the problem. > > 3. The companies in the example are competitors, not enemies. This is > not the situation between Israel and Palestine. > > The following does not break the analogy but puts things in perspective. > > 4. This kind of side tours is usually reciprocal. Some people come to > lecture in Israel and hop over to visit Palestine, just as other people > come to Palestine and visit Israel briefly. No side should begrudge > such short visits. That is if both sides have peaceful intentions. If > today Cellcom invites Stallman, then tomorrow Orange might invite Linus. > And both visitors should be welcome to visit also the other company at > this opportunity. > > In summary: Stallman may not be evil, but he is under suspicion because > there is no evidence that he explored all possible options before > cancelling his lectures in Israel, and given the context and timing of > cancellation (after Bibi Netanyahu exposed the real agenda of the > Palestinians). > > --- Omer > > > On Sun, 2011-05-29 at 16:49 +0300, Nadav Har'El wrote: > > On Sun, May 29, 2011, Gabor Szabo wrote about "Re: FW: I have to cancel > the speeches at universities": > > > But again, I doubt that the real reason the Palestinians wanted him to > > > skip Israel > > > is the money. > > > > Obviously, I don't think the reason why the *Palestinians* wanted him to > skip > > Israel was the money - the reason is that they, believe it or not, don't > like > > us. But I do think, however, that the reason why *Stallman* is skipping > Israel > > *is* the money, not that he doesn't like us. > > > > Perhaps the problem can be made clear by a similar (and completely > > hypothetical) situation, but without all the heated patriotism of both > sides: > > > > Imagine that Cellcom and Orange are two Israeli companies in bitter > > competition. One day Cellcom invites Richard Stallman for giving a talk > in > > Cellcom's HQ, paying for his flight, hotel, and other expenses. Orange > hear > > this, and smell an oportunity: They can invite Stallman for free (or > almost > > free), because his flight is already paid for, and Orange's HQ is just a > few > > miles from Cellcom's! So Orange does invite Stallman, and Stallman > accepts. > > > > A while later, Cellcom discovers that Stallman will also visit Orange, > and are > > furious: Stallman is flying on their invitation, on their expense, and > their > > bitter enemy Orange will benefit from his presence? No way, Jose! Cellcom > > quickly write Stallman a demand: If do don't cancel your plans to also > visit > > Orange, you are no longer welcome to visit us. And of course, we won't > pay > > for the trip. > > > > Stallman doesn't like the situation, but doesn't have many options: He > > understands why Cellcom doesn't want to benefit Orange (although he has > no > > personal grudge against either Cellcom or Orange), and he *did* promise > > Cellcom first to visit them. Moreover, Orange never offered to finance > his > > trip, so if he doesn't take the money from Cellcom, he won't be able to > visit > > neither of them. > > > > I think when you use the words "Cellcom" and "Orange", it becomes clearer > that > > Stallman isn't evil here, and didn't make any unreasonable decision. He > > found himself wedged between two bitter enemies, between a proverbial > rock > > and a hard place. Finding himself in this situation doesn't make him > evil, > > any more than it makes him a saint. > > > > And even if Stallman were this evil, Israel-hating radical like other > people > > quickly judged him to be, it certainly doesn't reflect anything on the > free > > software movement as a whole - any more than quirks in Albert Einstein's > > personality or personal life reflect on the importance or success of his > > theory, or physics as a whole. > > -- > We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children > more than they hate us. > Golda Meir (Israeli Prime Minister between 1969-1974) > My own blog is at http://www.zak.co.il/tddpirate/ > > My opinions, as expressed in this E-mail message, are mine alone. > They do not represent the official policy of any organization with which > I may be affiliated in any way. > WARNING TO SPAMMERS: at http://www.zak.co.il/spamwarning.html > > _______________________________________________ > Discussions mailing list > [email protected] > http://hamakor.org.il/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discussions > -- Check out my web site - www.words2u.net
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