He's been on the right side of history and the rest of us have been on the wrong side. I think the Snowden leaks solidify that view. After Microsoft Windows how could you disagree with him on concerns of proprietary software lock-in? And he's been spot-on as far as privacy goes: worried about the cloud long before anyone else, and concerned about cell-phone surveillance before it was hip. The mere existence of GNU licenses has done enormous good for the world, and Linux is proof. Linux didn't take off because of his ethics, so you're right in that regard, but his ethics are responsible for the things that people like about free software.
And this being hacker news, you have to admire the great hack that is the GPL.
History says that despite the fact that these "wrongs" have taken place, that people largely do not care. So, what does it mean to be "wrong"? Likewise, if a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there...does it really matter?
I could also argue that Linux is generally holding the world back. Just like wrong and right...this whole thing is a matter of opinion and point of view. There are simply no absolutes to measure against.
And this being hacker news, you have to admire the great hack that is the GPL.