[ziml77]

They explicitly rationalize the Windows builds of Emacs, so I can only assume that's the same rationale as for any other GNU software

> To improve the use of proprietary systems is a misguided goal. Our aim, rather, is to eliminate them. We include support for some proprietary systems in GNU Emacs in the hope that running Emacs on them will give users a taste of freedom and thus lead them to free themselves.

Taken from https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/download.html

[jimmyvalmer]

We include support for some proprietary systems in GNU Emacs in the hope that running Emacs on them will give users a taste of freedom

The weakness of this sauce is staggering. I understand GNU Emacs wanting to preserve forty years of hard work supporting Windows and MacOS, but justifying it via the "taste of freedom" sets off my hypocrisy alarm. It's also just patently false because emacs users stick with Windows precisely because emacs still works there.

[yellowapple]

Not to mention that running a free operating system with a handful of nonfree programs is by every objective measure a far bigger taste of freedom than running a nonfree operating system with a handful of free programs.