One of the sadder things that has come from the recent clusterfuck regarding the FSF reinstating RMS (which I 100% condemn) is the very premise of free software being questioned, and being regarded as a failure. I strongly disagree with this conclusion.
I firmly believe that one cannot be free when using any form of computer if not using 100% free software. It is painful to quote Stallman on this issue considering the person he is, but he truly does summarize the point nicely: either the user controls the program, or the program controls the users. If software is not free, this instantly gives the developer(s) behind the software control over the users, and this is a form of unjust power.
The FSF has shown itself to be unfit to be the leading advocacy group behind the free software movement. As of now, it appears to solely exist to enable Stallman and his supporters, while not doing much to help push the free software movement along (if anything, they've done quite the opposite). The FSF is actively harming the free software movement -- and as such -- harming all computer users.
I stand behind the ideals of free software because I believe in freedom. I do not believe that we should embrace "open source": open source is an idea that was popularized by big tech companies, and was never intended to be to the benefit of the users. Open source is a business model, and although it's a viable one, it undermines the message that the free software movement is intended to convey -- that is -- the purpose of free software is to liberate users, and ensure that we have control over our computers. The free software movement was in the past seen as a credible threat to big tech market dominance, and it saddens me that this is no longer the case. Open source has reached its logical conclusion, where it co-exists peacefully with corporate tyranny. Open source has already won, but free software's victory seems to get farther away by the day. Companies have adopted open source models because it is financially strategic to do so, but they still use this to actively harm users, and this fact is worth noting and condemning.
If you want to help support the free software movement, there are many organizations that you can donate to that will make a positive impact. The EFF is an excellence choice, as well as the Software Freedom Conservancy. The EFF in particular has made it a mission to ensure that software benefits all, and to ensure that all voices are represented and treated equally, which is at the heart of what I believe free software should stand for. Let's ensure that our condemnation of the FSF's disgraceful actions stays central to the FSF itself, and not the general ideals of free software.
Footnote: What does the FSF even do? Like, I've never understood where their donation money actually went. I guess GNU is a FSF project, but I really can't think of anything else besides LibrePlanet. This is a genuine question, it almost feels like the FSF never really had much real impact on the movement besides acting as a hub for advocacy.