Richard Stallman's Political Notes' Journal

Accusations of Senator Schumer protecting big tech

Accusing Senator Schumer of protecting big tech near-monopolies in exchange for campaign funds.

Urgent: Urge senators to vote for Equal Rights Amendment

US citizens: phone your senators and urge them to vote to allow the Equal Rights Amendment to take effect. The Equal Rights Amendment says,

Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

The Capitol Switchboard number is +1-202-224-3121.

If you call, please spread the word!

Urgent: Extend and expand social security

US citizens: call on Congress to extend and expand Social Security.

The Capitol Switchboard number is +1-202-224-3121.

If you call, please spread the word!

Urgent: Call on elected officials to speed decarbonization

US citizens: call on elected officials to speed decarbonization and make the greenhouse gas emitters pay.

BBC criticised over climate question

*BBC criticised over climate question in Tory leadership debate.* The sole question about climate disaster supported the fossil fuel companies' distraction campaign, reducing one's own "carbon footprint", rather than on the systematic state actions that they seek to prevent.

However, when it comes to reducing your own personal efforts to avoid global heating disaster, it's clear that the best thing you can do is avoid having children. Fewer humans in the future means humanity's collective ecological footprint will be smaller in every dimension.

Reproducing at full speed, and letting the human population be reduced by famine and war is the other alternative, and it's much worse.

US assisted in Nigerian air raid on displaced persons camp

The US assisted in a Nigerian air raid on a displaced persons' camp, which killed aid workers and civilians; then it secretly investigated what had happened.

The raid was intended to target terrorists, but something went very wrong in the planning.

Democrats' deal with Manchin

The Democrats' great "deal" with Manchin includes increased drilling for fossil fuels.

It is one step forward in exchange for Manchin's demanded half a step back.

The deal also includes some positive changes regarding taxes: a 15% corporate profits minimum tax, more higher tax on private equity funds, and funding the IRS to investigate tax cheaters that aren't poor.

Also, it makes an effort to reduce the cost of medicines for people on Medicare. Sanders called it "better than nothing."

Overall, it is a change for the better, but the additional wells will pump death for decades.

But we must never talk about this deal without condemning the price to civilization that Manchin has charged for it.

*Climate targets at risk as countries lag in updating emission goals, say campaigners.*

Main opposition to Australia assisted suicide law

Christian anticharity is the main opposition to Australia's plan to eliminate the national law prohibiting assistance for suicide.

Anti-cancer drugs clinical trial data

The US clinical trial data for some recently approved anti-cancer drugs is still secret some years later.

The US government should stop negotiating with those exploitative companies and legislate that the US government can and will publish those studies as soon as the drug is approved. Or perhaps as soon as the application for approval is filed.

The biggest companies tend to want to increase their trade secrecy to gain more advantage over competitors. But what is good for the public is to give the biggest companies less advantage over competitors. Therefore, whenever there is a public-interest reason to demand that companies come clean about their operations, we should make that a legal requirement.

Workers at a Trader Joe's store unionize

Trader Joe's workers at one store have voted to unionize.

New Deal-style regulation can be reinstated and strengthened

Noam Chomsky: *Even without fundamental changes in prevailing state capitalism, the kind of New Deal-style regulation that was dismantled by the neoliberal assault can be reinstated, and strengthened.*

Republicans made deal to improve veteran care, then killed the deal

Republicans made a deal to improve medical care for military veterans who were poisoned by toxic substances while deployed. Then they demanded to change the deal, and ultimately killed it.

Military veterans used to be politically untouchable in the US, but in 2016 the wrecker started started showing public contempt for veterans and their families. Maybe that made them less sacrosanct.

Right-wing climate defense party will oppose Tories

A right-wing party that advocates climate defense will oppose Tories in the next UK elections.

What has happened to the Labour party?

*What has happened to the Labour party that it can’t stand up for labour?*

The answer is, it has followed the Democratic Party in the US in becoming "centrist", and forgotten the goal of making working people better off.

People killed fleeing from police

*One in three people killed by US police were fleeing, data reveals.*

It is usually unjustified for thugs to shoot someone who is running away or even looking away from them.

National security law review

*Labor announces national security law review after inquiry criticises secrecy of Witness J case.*

This is a climate emergency

*Humanity can't equivocate any longer. This is a climate emergency.*

Cuba on the US "state sponsors of terrorism" list

The wrecker put Cuba on the US "state sponsors of terrorism" list for no valid reason — Biden should remove it from that list.

Bolsonaro and democracy

Sanders warns that Bolsonaro is plotting to overthrow democracy in Brazil, and called on Biden to help Brazil resist this.

Sad to say, there are reasons to distrust the computerized voting machines used in Brazil. Or at least, that was the case 10 years ago. They are digital and the system does nothing to try to detect systemic digital fraud. Brazil should replace them with paper ballots.

But there is no reason to think that cheating in Lula's favor is more likely than cheating in Bolsonaro's favor. Quite the contrary: Bolsonaro's supporters are more likely to have the business connections necessary to cheat, more likely to think they need to cheat, and more likely to be unscrupulous enough to cheat.

Inflation

*Inflation Is Not an Excuse to Withhold Support for Needed Tax Reforms and Investments.*

Phone electors plot

The Department of Justice is investigating the phony electors plot.

Performative cruelty

Republican performative cruelty includes US workers whose medical insurance is currently required to cover screening for various dangerous diseases.

Medically accurate sex education

Only 11 states require sex education classes that are medically accurate. Good education for adolescents about sexual relationships is rare.

Good education about how to be confident of delighting your lover is almost nonexistent in our society, and that absence causes millions of people years of misery.

Australia and coal myths

Australia's prime minister is not an extreme planet roaster, but he is repeating myths used by the coal industry to keep coal cheap.

Wickremesinghe

Sri Lanka's new president, Wickremesinghe, formerly prime minister, is imposing harsh repression of protests.

I have a suspicion that Wickremesinghe allowed protests to chase out Rajapaksa, for reasons of his own.

Indiana's attorney general

Indiana's attorney general is a religious fanatic. He is looking for any possible excuse to harass Dr Caitlin Bernard, including "complaints" about her from people who never met her or had anything to do with her.

Reaching foreign policy goals

The US achieves foreign policy goals by sending arms or troops. Cuba achieves foreign policy goals by sending doctors or teachers. Can the US do with sending more doctors or teachers, and less arms or troops?

Amazonia highway

Brazil has approved a paved highway through Amazonia, which risks encouraging illegal logging.

This is Bolsonaro at work.