If it were anyone other than rms?

Is the message wrong, or is it just because it's rms, who is an idealist, bringing the message that draws all the harshness?

They're *both* wrong. Non-free software can be ethical, providing you have a choice in what it does and how it is used. Unfortunately, Apple takes this one step further and produces non-free *devices*. Tell me truthfully, who owns your iPhone? Apple? Your service provider? If you've answered "me!" then you haven't thought about the principle of ownership. How can you own something when its software dictates to you?

What is owned is you, by the device. Continue along this slippery slope at your peril.