Announcement from www.kubuntu.de

[Daniel Carrera]

Michael T. Richter wrote:
> extortion
>      n 1: an exorbitant charge
>      2: unjust exaction (as by the misuse of authority); e.g. "the
>         extortion by dishonest officials of fees for performing
>         their sworn duty"
>      3: the felonious act of extorting money (as by threats of
>         violence)
> 
> Note carefully the use of "as by" in the definitions.  Or we could move 
> from WordNet to Mirriam-Webster:
> 
> *ex·tort*
> *:* to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal 
> power *:*
> 
> Note carefully here the word "undue".  It doesn't have to be illegal power.

All your definitions have just proven my point though. You have a legal 
right to strike, strikes are not extortion. A cop has the legal right to 
tell you to put down your gun and release the hostages. That is not 
extortion.

>>So, when a customer says "support Linux or I'll shop somewhere else" 
>>that's extortion?
> 
> No, it isn't.  It's related, but not the same.

There is no difference between that, and a legal strike (and what 
Kubuntu.de is doing is quite legal).

> In this case you're 
> saying "if you want me to take an action positive to you, you will 
> provide me what I want".  In the case of a strike you're saying "provide 
> me what I want or I will take action directly injurious to you".

No. A strike doesn't say "we'll break your knees". Your employer is your 
customer. You provide a service in exchange for money. Working for him 
is a positive action to him (a service) in exchange for a positive 
action to you (money). Just like when you buy a computer, you exchange a 
positive action (money) by another (a computer). So saying "positive 
action" is pointless. Any market economy transaction is the exchange of 
two positive actions.

> "Give us what we want or we'll directly harm the 
> future of these children who are in no way involved in our dispute."

By not buying from you I would harm the future well-being of your 
children who are not involved in the dispute.

Daniel.
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