Your post include many different topics, but I will just try to address one of them. The anecdotal about open source and the implied socialist implication.
Many people only see programming as a job, and thus do not understand why anyone would ever program if they didn't get paid. That is the only aspect they see in it, and thus they think that their logic is without fault. But had one been spending time playing music, with that independent band in a an abandon factory and only playing music "for free" at charities and bars, that mother would not wonder why you where "working for free". We would also not call it a socialist thing to do.
There is of course political movements involved with programming, ie free software. But even there, the term socialism is hard to use when there is so many large companies involved. If one then take a look at music bands that refuse "the big labels", or who are anti-establishment, we would also there not call them socialistic just because they do stuff without getting paid.
In the end, one can not take a single economic model and apply it to open source or free software, or for that matter any other thing that people has as a both work and hobby.
germany is socialist. when you go to university, and you do something you are expected to do it for free. all the research is free. you attend university for free.
the flipside of it is that you are expected to give 50% or more of your salary for everyones and your own benefit. you have no say in it whatsoever. you cannot choose to have insurance, it was chosen for you. you are not supposed to get rich. when they wanted to get indian engineers to germany the indians said what do we get? and germany said, just the opportunity to work for us should be enough. It should give you a hint on the mindset.
i had this discussion with one of my professors, and he said yes. his salary is low, but the positive side is that he research anything he wants. he doesn't have to say what the industry wants him to say, because his funding depends on it.
it has good sides, and it has bad sides. of all the things I said, you chose to pick on the open source side of it. really.... ?
Where he surely has a point is the ability of the german economy to actually monetize on new and innovative technologies. Which is, to be frank, not so good no matter the german industry keeps telling. It used to be different, so.
Many people only see programming as a job, and thus do not understand why anyone would ever program if they didn't get paid. That is the only aspect they see in it, and thus they think that their logic is without fault. But had one been spending time playing music, with that independent band in a an abandon factory and only playing music "for free" at charities and bars, that mother would not wonder why you where "working for free". We would also not call it a socialist thing to do.
There is of course political movements involved with programming, ie free software. But even there, the term socialism is hard to use when there is so many large companies involved. If one then take a look at music bands that refuse "the big labels", or who are anti-establishment, we would also there not call them socialistic just because they do stuff without getting paid.
In the end, one can not take a single economic model and apply it to open source or free software, or for that matter any other thing that people has as a both work and hobby.