Should we take steps to reduce Russian access to Free Software? No.

[J.B. Nicholson]

Thomas Lord wrote:
> Setting aside the legal restrictions imposed on speech by the
> free software foundation, who would decide what the FSF view
> of particular armed conflicts between nations should be?
> Who would be alienated?  Who would be in reactionary
> opposition to the statement?

I imagine that strong opposition would come from anyone who objects to any of
the US-backed wars & occupations which receive no such attention of this kind.
Such people might ask why this conflict deserves such a reaction but other
conflicts apparently didn't. It's not clear to me why free software activists
would be asked to side against Russia or Russians here or what sparked this
interest all of a sudden. The timing could also come off as being suspiciously
compatible with establishment media coverage of the Ukrainian conflict.

> Lastly, I would think we'd want free software to be thriving
> in Russian and every society because that gives *users* greater
> freedom to do what they think is best.  If all humans at least
> on average tend towards non-violence and international
> solidarity, my best is on as much access to free software
> as possible, everywhere.

That sentiment sounds correct to me.