Why Linux is not (yet) ready for the desktop

[Graham Todd]

On Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:34:11 -0500
Brian Fahrlander <wheeldweller at gmail.com> wrote:

>     Some people claim capitalism is greedy; well, "greed", the hope
> that by working harder you might make more money is a very, very
> important thing. You wouldn't want your daughter to marry a man
> without it.
[snipped]

My daughter did, and she's happier now than she's ever been.

Fahrlander's rants have to me - a proud Brit - an air of incredulity.
I would not want to be associated with some of his remarks, and lest
anyone accuse me of being close to him I would rather his rants come
from an adjoining town than any closer to where I'm standing.

But, on reflection, I think my reaction to Fahrlander's remarks may be
caused by my cultural differences with the US.  Here in the UK, we have
a system (a tad eroded) in which every person (man, woman and child) is
taken care of from the cradle to the grave.  I applaud it.  We have a
National Health Service that gives free treatment to all at the point
of need, and which no government of any political persuasion would
end.  No doubt this would send Fahrlander apoplectic!

I have no problem with the philosophical position of Christianity, and
often like to enter into philosophical debates with Christians (living
in Canterbury, Kent, where the magnificent mediaeval cathedral also
resides, means that I am in the nexus of pilgrims from all religions
with which I can have these debates).  However, I have a real problem
with a nation that elevates religion to the standing of a political
movement (the US is not the only one I should add), and equating God
with Mammon.  I was always brought up to believe that God and Mammon
were on opposing sides, but that's perhaps my cultural bias.

Having now explained that this 63 year old has different values to
Fahrlander, and I suspect most of his audience does, can I observe that
I am not going to change him through argument, nor he I.  So can we now
end this diatribe and get back to the matter in the Subject of this
post and not hijack it any longer?

-- 

Graham Todd