File this one in the “definitely interesting” category: Niko, commenting on the financially-driven shutdown of the AllPeers file-sharing service:

1. Open source the server side code, so AllPeers will survive every economic war in the future.
   Comment by NiKo — 3/3/2008 @ 10:08 pm

Wow. I’ve never heard of software-for-profit (or is he talking about capitalism generally?) described as “economic war”.  As a kid you learn the phrase “creative destruction” but, economic war?  As in dead people?

Of course war as a euphemism isn’t strictly about dead people: witness the endless round-ball-as-glorious-combat quotes coming out of your neighborhood football player.   But I gather that Niko meant “war” as more literal than a sports metaphor, and maybe just a tad less literal than what’s going on in Iraq: i.e. deadly serious stuff.

Equally hard to peg is my reaction: I’m midway between dismissive and accepting — call me intrigued by the metaphor.  It has a certain spice to it.

What do you think?  Is it really war out there?