RMS, Hosts Must Support Boycott?

[geoffrey mendelson]

On Jun 10, 2011, at 9:38 PM, Marc Volovic wrote:
> People, RMS (as well as any other person) is entitled to support,  
> adhere, acquiesce or abhor, deny, etc any and all BDS activities.
>
> The man is entitled to his opinion and choice. It is his right as a  
> man and as a public figure.


Marc, it has to do with US corporate law and practice. In the US,  
officers of a corporation are limited in liability for their actions  
as corporate officers. What they do as private citizens is different  
than what they do as officers of the corporation.

This is different than Israeli corporate law, where there is much less  
of a "corporate veil".

When they do something as an officer of the corporation, it takes on a  
whole new meaning. It is the stated policy of the corportation.

If RMS as RMS states what he does, as a private citizen, it is free  
speech. He is entitled to his opionions and limited by US laws as to  
what he can say and where, but those limits are awfully wide (compared  
to Israeli ones for example).

However, once he signs an email as an officer of the FSF, or states it  
publicly that he, as representing the FSF is going to support a  
boycott (or not) and so on, it is FSF policy. So like it or not, the  
FSF has now incorporated the BDS movement into their message. It's not  
just FREE Software, it's also support the Palestinians and boycott  
Israel.

If RMS wants to vacation in Ramalah, or sun himself on the beaches of  
Gaza, he is welcome to. If he does not want to stay in, vist or even  
pass through Israel, (He could enter Gaza from Egypt, or the PA from  
Jordan), he is welcome to. However as the President of the FSF his  
perceived boycott of Israeli institutions is unacceptable, and dilutes  
the FSF and it's message.

Depending upon exactly what he does and does not do, and who provides  
the money for his visit, he (and therefore the FSF as he spoke and  
speaks for them) may be in volation of US law, and therefore subject  
to investigation, tax audits, etc. Quite simply this will not end well  
for the FSF.

Geoff.



-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson,  N3OWJ/4X1GM
Making your enemy reliant on software you support is the best revenge.