Richard Stallman's Political Notes' Journal

"New Labor Plutocratists"

An investigation showed that Corbyn's opponents ("new Labour" plutocratists) fought bitterly against his supporters.

Mauna Kea telescope delayed

The project to build a giant telescope with a 30-meter mirror on Mauna Kea is advancing but has been delayed for a new environmental impact study.

Indigenous Hawai'ians demand that we stop the project, but they cite only their emotions as reasons why, with no rational basis. They demand we obey their feelings, but there is no reason we should.

People who appreciate science look forward to advancing our knowledge of the history of the universe. The desire to understand the world is also emotional, but there is a clear and rational aspect to it as well.

I hope to live long enough to appreciate some of the discoveries that this telescope will give us.

Egypt street photography still repressively prohibited

Egypt still repressively prohibits street photography, even by tourists.

Risk of becoming unlivable

*The ferocious heatwave that is gripping much of the US south and west has highlighted an uncomfortable, ominous trend — people are continuing to flock to the cities that risk becoming unlivable due to the climate crisis.*

Kicking Manchin out from Democratic Party

Kicking Manchin out of the Democratic Party would show the public the truth: that Republicans (including Manchin) really control the Senate, and Americans had better vote to replace them.

Trying to reduce giveaway to chip companies

Bernie Sanders is trying to reduce the 250-billion giveaway to chip companies.

Urgent: Phone your senators

US citizens: phone your senators at 855-740-2519 and say you are disappointed with the Senate for not passing a law to boost clean energy, reduce medical costs, and raise taxes for the rich and businesses.

Urgent: Damage by dicamba

A US appeals court agreed that Monsanto and other companies are responsible for the damage done when dicamba, a herbicide, drifted onto an orchard from nearby farms.

Dicamba is used on genetically modified soybeans and cotton.

Weapons industry investment

*Weapons Industry's $10 Million Investment in [something equivalent to bribing] Congress Could Yield 450,000% Return.*

It is misleading to represent large ratios (bigger than 2) using percentages. The clear way is with a ratio. Their return is 4500 times the amount they "invest" in congresscritters.

Oil railroads

Biden may approve a new oil railroad, which would lock in increased greenhouse gas emissions in the US.

Biden should either cancel this, or approve it only after the passage of a bill that would reduce emissions much more.

UK's "living with Covid"

*How [government PR about] "living with Covid" is helping keep England's infections stubbornly high.*

This applies more or less to the US as well.

(Satire) EPA Closes

(satire) *EPA Closes Down After Running Out Of Salvageable Environment To Protect.*

If an Onion page appears blank, try disabling JavaScript entirely or telling LibreJS to blacklist all scripts on the page, then right-click and select the item "Reveal hidden HTML". Or use a browser such as lynx that doesn't implement JavaScript and CSS.

Climate crisis will continue

*"The climate crisis will continue to escalate and get worse as long as we stick our heads in the sand and prioritize profit and greed over people and planet," said … Greta Thunberg.*

Joe Manchin

The OLIGARCH act would establish a graduated tax on wealth.

I think it is a good idea, except for its use of median household wealth as a measuring unit. What if further impoverishment reduces the median household wealth in the US to a negative number?

London heat wave caused many fires

The high heat in London has caused many fires to break out inside the metropolitan area.

Chinese personal records taken by crackers

A billion personal data records from Chinese national thugs were taken by crackers and sold.

Forget about "data protection"! Our safety depends on prohibiting the systems that collect data.

UK Officials raised concerns over Rwanda policy documents show

The Tories are so determined to be cruel to refugees that they pushed ahead with deportation to Rwanda despite knowing many reasons they should not.

They are also determined to do it before a court rules on whether it is lawful in the first place.

Thus, it's not just some refugees they plan to do wrong to -- it's every citizen of the UK.

Antisemitism controversy at major art show ends with director's resignation

Indonesian artists intended to condemn Israel's occupation policies, but the work they produced appears very directly antisemitic.

The artists have apologized for that result.

The more figurative and "artistically creative" a work is, while also making a statement about a controversial issue, the it is likely to to have various of possible interpretations, perhaps including a very nasty one.

IRS audits: Strange coincidence or new enemies list?

Was it pure coincidence that two FBI officials that the corrupter fired were both audited by the IRS shortly thereafter?

The IRS said it is "ludicrous" to suspect malice was at work, but given how Nixon did exactly that to the people on his "enemies list", and given how that former president was inclined to crookedness, it would be ludicrous not to suspect him.

The ideology of Christian nationalism

* To call this a "culture" war is to understate its true meaning and potential danger. Those of us who still believe in separating church and state, guarding reproductive rights, ensuring racial equality, ending gun violence, and protecting democracy must understand that much of the Republican Party now stands for the exact opposite of these values.*

Russia is using its puppet regimes in Luhansk and Donetsk to force Ukrainians into the Putin forces

Russia is using its puppet regimes in Luhansk and Donetsk to force Ukrainians into the Putin forces, while denying that it is responsible.

Offshore fish farms could increase the total amount of fish farming volume of wastes that pollute the ocean.

Offshore fish farms could increase the total amount of fish farming -- and also the volume of wastes that pollute the ocean.

Documents prove that the wrecker and his officials intentionally set out to distort census data for partisan purposes

Documents prove that the wrecker and his officials intentionally set out to distort census data for partisan purposes, and intentionally hid that.

The plan to add a question about citizenship was blocked, but the wrecker's officials took other steps to intimidate non-citizens so as to skew the census.

Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act

A bill to restore the FCC's power to regulate internet connection services would enable it to once again require its weak standard of "network neutrality".

This would be a step forward, but nowhere near far enough to prevent snooping.