• Richard Stallman, father of the GNU Project and the Free Software Foundation, while personally endorsing Dennis Kucinich (who has since dropped out of the race), says that he believes Ron Paul to be the next best choice for the presidency, and encourages Republicans to vote for him.
• In 2006, News.com rated Ron Paul the most tech-friendly House Republican, with a grade of 80% - higher than anyone of either party, in the Senate and the House of Representatives (in comparison, Hillary Clinton was rated at 33.33%, Barack Obama at 50%, and John McCain at 31.25%).
• Ron Paul stands firmly against the regulation of the internet, and is in favor of reforming patent laws.
• “Making sure the patent system is fair to small business and entrepreneurs, rewards the actual inventors of a product, and does not tilt the playing field to large corporations will be a priority in my administration's approach to patent law.” -Ron Paul on patents, from a Slashdot interview.
Ron Paul. And Linux.
Now there’s an odd combination, right? The one is a U.S. Representative from Texas, running for President. The other is an open-source operating system, running on thousands of computers worldwide. What could they possibly have in common?
A lot, actually.
If Linux had to be described in one word, that word would have to be - Freedom. Freedom to use your operating system, and all the applications that come with it. For free. Freedom to look at the source code. To modify it. Freedom to distribute it. To give a copy to all your friends. Without having to be afraid that you’ll go to jail. Freedom from restrictive licenses. Freedom from Microsoft.
And if Ron Paul and his message had to be described in one word, that word would also have to be - Freedom. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom to keep and bear arms. Freedom from excessive taxes. Freedom from dictatorship. From the interference of the government in your private life. Freedom from being drafted. From having to fight in war after endless war.
But both of them are part of something much bigger.
The Linux kernel is merely one of thousands of software packages, comprising the world of open source. But because the Linux kernel is one of the most popular open-source programs, it stands as a kind of figurehead for the Free Software Movement.
And Ron Paul is a figurehead for a much larger movement, as well - the Ron Paul Revolution. But as his supporters have pointed out, it’s not about Ron Paul. It’s about his message. The message of liberty. And while one of their goals is for Ron Paul to win the presidency of the United States, that’s not all there is to it. The Revolution will not cease once the election is over. Because it’s not just about Ron Paul. It’s about reforming the entire nation. Bringing it back to where it’s supposed to be. Running the government as our founders intended.
Because Windows comes pre-installed on so many computers, many people still do not know that Linux exists. Content with what came with their PC, or not knowing that there is an alternative, the vast majority of people use Windows their entire lives. However, many Linux users, thrilled with the open-source operating system and software, are spreading the word, and the popularity of Linux is growing quickly.
Likewise, because he is mentioned so seldomly on the news, many people do not know who Ron Paul is, or even that he is running for president. Because he stands counter to everything that they support, the media has sidelined Ron Paul, and ignored him. Many have never heard his powerful message of liberty.
But among those who do know of him, his popularity is growing fast. People are being awakened to the truth, and his number of supporters are rapidly growing.
Because, you see, freedom is popular.
Ron Paul and Linux. And freedom.
A good combination.
