We are entering the era of cyber-warfare, nation-state counter hacking, software and hardware sabotage, underground black and grey markets for both hardware and software.

Sanctions now include software and access to networks, not just hardware imports and generic VPN region locks.

Nations are taking more control over their national network infrastructure, China has shown it’s possible to almost completely isolate a modern technological nation of a billion people in their own intra-net with near full visibility and control into everything their citizens say and do.

Other nations are following, and big tech will always play into whatever is the most profitable, which is why companies like Google and Apple will turn a blind eye to the authoritarian governments and comply with their controls in order to gain more market share.

Now let me be clear; fuck the Russian war machine, fuck it hard and fast, and fuck Putin and his pathetic removed bois that support him. But I feel for the Russian people who are oppressed, there is a deep hacker and FOSS culture that has been there since the 80’s, shame that they are getting screwed by their shitty regime, much like the citizens of China, especially gen-Z having terms like “lying down” banned because it opposes their oppressive and abusive work culture.

Open software and hardware is under attack more and more lately. From the capitalist corpos who hate anything they can’t generate insane profits from and that gives workers and end users control over their data and privacy. It’s also under attack from the government neo-liberals and right-wingers because it allows people to be private and safely express their opposition, and also allows easy organizing of mass protests against their abuses of power.

What a precious thing we have in the world of FOSS. The spirit of human collaboration and free expression, across cultures, races, genders, and ages is so incredible, but we must defend and support it.

Fuck Capitalism, fuck copyright, and FUCK war.