[Gllug] BBC Open Source

[James McGuigan]

Doug Winter wrote:
> Sean Burlington wrote:
> 
>> you are not denied a TV - you chose not to have one - this is different
> 
> Of course you are denied a TV by that rationale - there is "choice" 
> involved, but surely anyone reasonable would say that the threat of 
> prosecution, and therefore at some remove the threat of imprisonment and 
> death if you defy them, is coercion.

You could say the same thing about income tax, sales tax or any other 
tax. There are at least two things that are "better" about the TV 
licence tax:

1. The money goes directly to the BBC and not into a central pot - more 
taxes should be like this, it means the logic behind the tax and the 
benefits derived from it are directly linked. The government can't 
simply double the tax because its trying to save up for its next war 
with Iran.

2. You can *choose* not to pay it, by *choosing* not to have a TV. I 
have personally made this choice, and am happy with it (It would 
probably eat up more of my time than slashdot and groklaw combined). 
Anyway no TV licence doesn't equal a complete ban on watching TV, I 
still have the option of visiting my neighbour.

> To take it to a foolish extreme, I could introduce an oxygen license for 
> only £1,000,000 and anyone who doesn't pay can *choose* not to use any 
> oxygen.  That isn't really a choice is it.

I'll only accept if its under the terms of an open source licence, with 
the right to use the said oxygen molecules for any purpose, the right to 
  disassemble and modify the said oxygen molecules (into carbon 
dioxide), the right to distribute my modified oxygen molecules to my 
community of plants, who will in turn contribute reassembled oxygen 
molecules.

As for the fee of £1,000,000, the population of the UK is about 
50,000,000, so if we all chip in together and give you our two pence on 
the issue (do the maths), then I'm sure we can collectively afford it.


Otherwise, the right to breath is priceless, it should stay that way!


Which reminds me a quote, which is more valuable, diamonds or air. 
Diamonds are valuable because they are scarce, but air is needed to 
live, and with all things valuable in nature, it is produced in abundance.

> All forms of coercion involve some element of choice, it doesn't stop it 
> being coercion.

For coercion to work, it has to result in you changing your mind.
Civil disobedience is to openly defy the coercion, accept the 
"punishment" (ie call the coercer's bluff). Attempting to coerce and 
failing usually results in a PR disaster for governments and other 
organizations.

> doug.

-- 
Rules are written for those who lack the ability to truly reason,
But for those who can, rules become nothing more than guidelines,
And live their lives governed not by rules but by reason.
      - James McGuigan

Earth Emergency - A Call to Action (www.earthemergency.org)
Sustainable Society Directory (www.sustainable-society.co.uk)
World Future Council Initiative (www.worldfuturecouncil.org)
Open co-op (http://open.coop)
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