Richard Stallman's Political Notes' Journal

Could Long Covid lead to the rise of a four-day work-week?

*Could Long Covid lead to the rise of a four-day work-week?*

A four-day work week might be a change for the better, but in order for long Covid to make society adopt that, it would have to wreak such enormous suffering that a mere change in work schedules could not come near to compensating. We need to prevent so many people from getting long Covid.

Maritime heatwaves have destroyed up to 90% of coral

*Maritime heatwaves have destroyed up to 90% of coral populations in parts of the Mediterranean,*

These heat waves are intense — almost 6C hotter than normal.

Bank of America executive hopes workers will lose power

A Bank of America executive expressed hope that workers will lose their power to pressure for raises, and that unemployment will rise.

Boris Johnson is planning to fill the Lords with his cronies and legitimize bribery

Accusation: *Boris Johnson is planning to fill the Lords with his cronies and legitimize bribery*

The EPA has an indirect plan to get coal-fired generators to close.

The EPA has an indirect plan to get coal-fired generators to close.

IVF may be in jeopardy in states where embryos are granted person hood

*IVF may be in jeopardy in states where embryos are granted person hood.*

I think that artificial assistance to getting pregnant is ok in theory, but terribly self-destructive to a society in our present situation.

Michael Hudson: From Junk Economics to a False View of History

The ancient Middle East understood the need to cancel debts periodically, so that the rich did not drive the rest into bondage.

Nowadays, by contrast, the creditors rule and government believes it exists to make sure that debts are not forgiven.

‘Democracy runs through Arizona’: candidate for attorney general says fate of the nation is at stake

Some former Republicans are campaigning against trump-pets and for preserving democracy.

*Fears that Egypt may use Cop27 to whitewash human rights abuses.*

*Fears that Egypt may use Cop27 to whitewash human rights abuses.*

Momentum is building’: high hopes for an Indigenous voice to parliament as Garma festival starts

Australia may soon change its constitution to establish something to be known as "an indigenous voice to parliament", though no one has stated clearly what that would concretely mean.

In general, it is wrong to establish rights or privileges for citizens based on their racial background. Would this "voice" do a thing? Without a concrete plan, we can't tell.

Prime Minister Albanese has promised to state simply and clearly the text for the referendum to decide on the plan. Supposing that the simple and clear text also states concretely what would be done, then depending on those details, it might perhaps be a good thing.

The indigenous Australians suffered a grave wrong when the British colonists took their land, and suffer from direct and systemic racism today. They deserve various sorts of help and compensation — but that is a different question.

Urgent: Pass "trans bill of rights" now

US citizens: phone your senators and urge them to pass the "trans bill of rights" now.

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

If you call, please spread the word!

Urgent: Call on Biden not to run again in 2024

US citizens: call on Biden not to run again in 2024.

Here are reasons.

Trading lots of fossil fuels for some clean energy

* "Approving lots of new fossil fuel projects in exchange for some clean energy funding is completely bonkers and will make the climate crisis worse."*

Legalizing abortion of pregnancies caused by rape

All but 6 Republicans in the House of Representatives voted against legalizing abortion of pregnancies caused by rape.

Price jacking to help Republicans

Could it be that big US businesses are jacking up prices to help the Republican Party win this year's election?

Collective suicide over climate crisis

*Humanity faces ‘collective suicide’ over climate crisis, warns UN chief.*

New shipping speed limits to save endangered whales

*US drafts new speed limits on shipping to help save endangered whales.*

Managed retreat from housing

The US government must fund "managed" retreat from housing that is doomed to be flooded or burnt.

The people who live in those homes can't afford to move or build elsewhere — the government must help them. But subsidizing rebuilding in place is an enormously inefficient way to do that.

I disagree with the statement that "managed retreat is not defeat." Of course it is! Global heating disaster will be one defeat after another. However, there are different kinds of defeats. When you can't win the battle, an orderly retreat is much less bad than a disorderly rout, and that's what will happen if we don't plan this.

Rootkit that attacks treacherous computing

Cory Doctorow explains how the rootkit that attacks treacherous computing is a disaster for "security" in the usual sense.

It means that machines with the WHAT? can now have additional back doors other than the one that Microsoft designed into Windows.

However, since WHAT is what ensures we can't free our machines from Microsoft's control, the same vulnerability that this rootkit uses might give us a way to turn off treacherous computing and/or install our own free boot software.

Republican push for constitutional convention

Republicans have, for years, pushed to start a constitutional convention that would rewrite the US Constitution. It turns out that Republicans would have pre-imposed control of that convention, and could do whatever they wish, disregarding the public.

Four myths about inflation

Four myths about inflation (in the US).

Total surveillance in Telengana

The Indian state of Telengana is pushing for total surveillance. The excuse is terrorism, but India's repression combined with total surveillance will do more damage than terrorism that lacks the backing of the Indian government.

Doctors afraid to treat miscarriages and nonviable pregnancies

Doctors in US states that have banned abortions are now afraid to treat miscarriages and nonviable pregnancies, because that overlaps with abortion.

Disinformation to kill drug price reform

*Big Pharma Flooding Airwaves With Disinformation to Kill Drug Price Reform.*

Deleted messages from January 6

The inspector general of the Department of Hostility and Sadism knew for months that some important Jan 6 messages had been deleted, and did not tell Congress. The missing (deleted) messages extend beyond the Secret Service; some involved the highest officials of the DHS.

Irrigation of lawns where water is scarce

The US must put an end to irrigation of lawns in areas where water is going to be scarce.

Britons that stopped working due to long term illness

88% of Britons who stopped working since 2020 did so because of long-term illness.

I would expect the same to be true in the US, but does anyone actually know?

Wet bulb temperature

Already some places on Earth occasionally experience fatal weather, for short periods. But we know only theoretically at which point the combined heat and humidity (measured as the "wet bulb temperature") will kill a large fraction of humans.

I fear we will get clear empirical evidence about this question in the next 20 years.

Abortion punishable by death

*Yes, Republicans really did try to make abortion punishable by death.*

Total climate meltdown cannot be stopped

*‘Soon it will be unrecognisable’: total climate meltdown cannot be stopped, says expert.*

Hothouse Earth, by Professor Bill McGuire, says we must stop trying to give people hope by underplaying the extent of the disaster that we have already made unavoidable.

Sanctions against Russia worth while?

Are economic sanctions against Russia worth while, if they don't help make Putin drop the attempt to conquer Ukraine?

I support showing solidarity with Ukraine, but I contend that the best ways to do that are the ways that re effective help. Giving Ukraine arms to defeat and repel the Putin forces is effective, while economic warfare through sanctions seems to be backfiring. Thus, I suggest we do more of the former and less of the latter.

Suing to block merger of publishing companies

The US is suing to block the merger of two of the five giant US publishing companies.

This demonstrates the weakness of our antitrust laws. For two such large companies to merge should be a crime, so that blocking the merger requires no lawsuit. We should not have let them get down to less than 20.

Evidence EPA didn't assess health risks of chemicals

*A group of whistleblowers has provided evidence that the Environmental Protection Agency has not adequately assessed the health risks posed by several new chemicals on the grounds that they are corrosive. Managers in the New Chemicals Division have repeatedly and incorrectly used the idea that a chemical may cause irritation to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract as an excuse to avoid assessing the risk of other harms it may cause.*

Austin will be as hot as Dubai

By 2100, Austin, Texas, will be as hot as Dubai is now.

Dubai then will be even hotter.

UK fruits and vegetables ruined by heat

The heat wave in the UK has ruined the harvest for many kinds of fruits and vegetables.

This is surely true also in parts of the US, but I don't have an article to reference.

Moon's "Unification church"

Moon's "Unification church" has offered electoral support to Japanese and American right-wing politicians, since the 1970s.

Global heating denialists bullying weather forecasters

Now that some TV weather forecasters are warning people about the likely significance of heat waves, global heating denialists are now trying to bully them into shutting up.

Ship carrying Ukrainian grain

A ship carrying Ukrainian grain has left Odessa, bound for Lebanon.

If Putin allows grain shipments to continue, that will be a great help to many countries where people are suffering from hunger.

I previously suggested the idea that Ukraine could choke off Russia's oil exports from Novorossiysk. Back then, it would have been retaliation in kind for what Putin was doing — but maybe he is no longer doing that.

If Putin henceforth refrains from cutting off Ukraine's exports, Ukraine should and must refrain from cutting off Russia's exports.

Global heating will cause more tornadoes and flooding

Human-caused global heating will cause more tornadoes and more flooding in Kentucky. The governor is horrified seeing this at work, but will he understand what needs to be done?