Breaking the Shackles of my OS

I just read a post by Richard Stallman, President of the Free Software Foundation. The post dealt with the irony (and danger) of the OLPC XO running Windows (see Can we rescue OLPC from Windows?).

Richard makes some interesting statements, equating the use of Windows on the XO as giving users of the XO an addicting drug. He states that having the Windows OS on a machine that is intended to promote the use of technology in education, especially in underprivileged countries, "puts them under the power of the system's developer -- perhaps permanently." He further states that "[i]f the XO turns out to be a platform for spreading the use of proprietary software, its overall effect on the world will be negative."

Wow. So, that means that by writing this post on a Windows machine, using Windows Live Writer, and posting the blog to a host that runs the Windows OS, I'm an addict? Look, I'm addicted to a lot of things (my children's laughter, for example), but I'm definitely not shackled to my OS.

I use what I use because it's easily available, it's user-friendly, and it does what I want/need it to do. Isn't that the goal of OLPC (and any other organization that has started up since)? Isn't their goal to get technology to children to assist in their education and enrichment of their lives? Does it really matter "how" that is done versus the fact that it IS being done?

OLPC has enough problems without someone using the organization to promote their own goals and ideals. Stallman goes on to promote the use of the FSF's own "free" OS, Sugar. It's not enough that Stallman's post is misdirected, but to add in an appeal for something his organization is working on at the end of the post just makes it all the more ineffective.

Now, I understand that many would argue that I have the luxury of switching the "how"; I can easily move to a Linux flavor, switch to Open Office, etc. while those in other countries can't. However, I still fail to see how that is the fault/responsibility of OLPC. Their PRIMARY focus is NOT promoting freedom through the distribution of free software. Taken from the OLPC web site is the following:

"Our goal: To provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves."

How that gets accomplished is irrelevant.