> or a subject flopping around helplessly complaining?

Good thing, people like Stallman, Assange, DJB, Washington, Jefferson, etc did not flop around helplessly complain, they actually acted.

Without DJB specifically it would still be unlawful for you to publish your dosycrypt library for example.

There's a difference between being effective, GW, TJ, and stupidly ineffective, JA, RS. Or just plain stupid, ES.

Interesting about DJB, I did not know that story.

"stupidly ineffective" - well, one has to start from somewhere. Plus stallman's work was far from ineffective. As for assange's work, the publication of the war crimes might have saved thousands of civilian lives.

Stallman made zero impact.

Assange had no effect on war policy. He was also a pawn entrapped by savior complex.