Post by @francois
The "KVM Chainsaw" Clean-Up Merged For Linux 7.3 Along With Other Fixes
The Kernel-based Virtual Machine "KVM" changes have landed for the Linux 7.3 merge window that is wrapping up later today...
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-7.3-KVM
@phoronix@masto.ai What an unfortunate name to choose; the chainsaw is the symbol used by the fascist Argentine President Milei to represent cuts to social programs, and it was adopted by Elon Musk for his talk at the 2025 CPAC fascist conference. Honestly, Linux is in need of some "enlightenment": first Linus promotes AI, telling dissenters to fork the project or leave; then he uses AI to fix a driver bug; next, Debian opens the door to AI; and now they’ve chosen a symbol used by Milei and Musk. Honestly...
@xenotar @phoronix@masto.ai
I understand what you mean.
However, are you going to let fascists dictate what you can or cannot use as a symbol ?
What if they take milk or bread tomorrow ?
Are you going to stop using those words/pictures ?
That is exactly the fight going on at the moment in England where fascists appropriated the English flag.
I think we must fight back and reclaim symbols that belong to the common space, not leave the floor to fascists.
@francois @phoronix@masto.ai Given the current context—the rise of fascism and the use of a chainsaw as a symbol by a fascist president allied with Trump and by the supposedly richest man in the world (who is also terribly fascist)—I would have preferred the use of scissors. This isn't a matter of self-censorship; rather, it reveals a complete lack of connection to current reality on the part of those who chose this unfortunate symbol.
@francois
@xenotar @phoronix That is unfortunate, but it happens. With flags, words, symbols, etc.
Hence if it is happening for example the chainsaw, then there are several options:
1) they are truly unaware => great at SW engineering but "socially blind" => should improve on awareness
2) they are aware and are OK to be associated with "bad" => others should distance
3) they are aware and are not OK with "bad" => should include some explicit disclaimer
4) etc.
@phanecak@mastodon.social @xenotar@littleone.littlefedi.social @phoronix@masto.ai
I can't speak for them of course, but I wouldn't discount #1 - I mean in Europe not everybody follows what is happening in Brasil or Argentina, or in the US for that matter.
I mean let's be real and honest: how many of you can name the latest Luxembourg political scandal or give the name of our prime minister ?
@francois @phanecak@mastodon.social @phoronix@masto.ai Milei's chainsaw is destroying Argentina.
Musk's chainsaw (DOGE) in USAID alone has caused millions of deaths.
I know that Europeans turn a blind eye to everything that doesn't concern them (see the Gaza Genocide), but even the NATO-aligned media has reported on both consequences of the far-right's chainsaw mentality/methodology.
That's why, in my opinion, adopting a symbol of misery and death from the far right like the chainsaw method is an unfortunate, uninformed, alienated choice that "normalizes" the radical chainsaw cutting method: "Oh, even Linux adopted the chainsaw method."
But I also know that many will find Tusk with the chainsaw cute.
@xenotar @phanecak@mastodon.social @phoronix@masto.ai
It is not a question of turning a blind eye.
I think you overestimate people's ability.
Many people only speak 2 languages, if that many.
It means they are basically restricted to what is being made available in their language. If their information channel, whatever it might be, does not cover for example latin america, they have no idea what is going on over there.
I recently gave a conference on Indonesian.
Most people had no idea how big a language that is.
And yet they are not stupid.
They have their blind spot, like everybody.
Ho, and fyi our prime minister is Luc Frieden 😈
@francois Now I'm going to divert: Yup, you're right, even though I do have colleague there and I've asked about this at least once in past few months, I do not know, without going to look it up now.
I do follow #politics quite closely, but focusing mainly of what has biggest impact on me, my family, friends, etc. E.g. Slovak politics, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, EU, US and UK in particular. The rest is "too much effort, too little consequence", hence rarely registered.
:)