When we think of open source we normally think of software. We (freetards, freediots, open source fanboys) have often been described as a type of new hippie movement. In some ways this may be true. We favor open collaboration instead of top-down empiricism. This is somewhat liberal in nature. At the same time, this breeds fierce competition, this breeds explosive markets, this lowers the bar of entry into the market place, and more than anything it models the idea of a republic.