Richard Stallman's Political Notes' Journal

(satire) Corkscrew Whirlycoaster IUD

(satire) *New Corkscrew Whirlycoaster IUD Gets Sperm Cell Too Dizzy To Find Uterus.*

Protesters disrupted IMF/World Bank meeting

Protesters disrupted the IMF/World Bank meeting, demanding that those organizations stop funding planet-roasting fossil fuel projects. Bravo!

I disapprove of protests that consist of throwing soup on famous paintings. Why risk damage to humanity's heritage, when it has nothing directly to do with the problem?

By contrast, these protests against organizations that directly promote global heating disaster are right on target.

Kroger and Albertsons want to merge

Two large US supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, want to merge. Progressives have told Biden to prevent this. I fully agree.

Musk has punished Ukraine

Musk has punished Ukraine for responding negatively to his "peace plan," which consisted of letting Putin keep his conquests. The punishment consists of withdrawing Ukraine's Starlink service, which SpaceX had been providing.

Musk has shown a tendency to shape facts to suit his own wishes. Now he claims that the cutoff of service is due to financial motives. I doubt that it is true.

Red Cross being denied access to prisoners of war

Putin's puppets in Donetsk are denying the International Red Cross access to prisoners of war. (Perhaps they don't want to admit having murdered some.)

Putin's ceremonial annexation of Donetsk could offer an avenue to make progress on this — he can no longer deny that he is responsible for everything that happens there.

The article also reports that Putin's "help to evacuate civilians from Kherson" means conscription.

Trap to reveal the real intentions of trickle-downers

Interesting idea: a higher tax bracket for millionaires can act as a trap to reveal the real intentions of trickle-downers.

However, to make these brackets just a little higher misses the opportunity to make the rich contribute substantially to help the poor. We should do that too. With so much dooH niboR, we need more Robin Hood.

Italy party's nostalgia for fascism

The Brothers of Italy party claims not to be fascist, but its founders show nostalgia for fascism. One, Ignazio La Russa, collects fascist memorabilia.

Meloni, the party leader, has moved the party partly away from fascism but its symbols continues to allude to it.

US hospitals gag doctors from describing harm of denying needed abortions

Various hospitals in the US gag the doctors that work for them from describing their experiences of harm and danger to patients caused by denying them needed abortions.

The article describes this censorship even in states where abortion is still lawful.

The worst part is that these hospitals' censorship conceals their censorship, too, so that we cannot condemn them for it specifically.

Last details about how the wrecker planned to lead insurrection

The last hearing of the Jan 6 coup investigation committee filled in the last part of the criminal case that the wrecker planned and led an insurrection on that day.

I wonder whether Attorney General Garland has the courage to charge him now. But I also wonder whether today's Republicans would hesitate to vote for the supporters of this criminal plan.

Law in Turkey to criminalize "fake news"

Turkey is considering a law to criminalize "fake news." Following other right-wing bullies, such as the bullshitter, Bolsonaro and Putin, Erdoğan will call news "fake" if he does not like it.

Roadmap for prosecution for Trump

*January 6 panel’s case against Trump lays out roadmap for prosecution,* using evidence provided by the non-corrupt Republicans that worked for the wrecker or had been elected.

Climate experts' voices silenced before Cop27

*Egypt silenced climate experts' voices before hosting Cop27, HRW says.*

Unusual public protest in Beijing

An unusual public protest in Beijing caused Chinese to spread the word intensely.

This despite systematic intimidation of suspected protesters for the past month.

Opportunities to limit governments' ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions

Several cases before the Supreme Court provide the right-wing extremists with opportunities to limit governments' ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment.

Flying refugees to Martha's vineyard helped them

DeMentis may be surprised to learn that flying refugees to Martha's Vineyard ended up helping them, indirectly.

But he won't care. His goal was to show Republicans he will find excuses to be cruel.

Florida law restricting certain discussions by teachers

The Florida law restricting discussion of racism, slavery and other injustices by teachers is no joke. The right-wing fanatics in the Supreme Court may be inclined to uphold it, thus attacking academic freedom. That may lead to firing many teachers, even for what they say outside of working hours. The US did not recognize academic freedom as a legal priority until 1957.

Eastern tree frogs in neighborhood of Chernobyl

Eastern tree frogs in the neighborhood of Chernobyl have evolved black skin. This benefits them because melanin protects tissues from radiation.

Countries that can't pay their debts

Almost 1/5 of the world's population lives in countries that can't pay their debts. Many of them spend more on debt interest than on health, education and social protection combined. The system is headed for a collapse.

It is fundamentally unjust to the people of poor countries to keep making them pay interest on unpayable debts. The world must make a way to cancel those debts.

Hinduismist bigotry and hate

Victories in the US against the spread of Hinduismist bigotry and hate.

Adapting in the US west due to climate disaster

As climate disaster settles in on the US west, more and more effort to adapt is required.

Corporate Media Mostly Ignoring GOP Ploy to Cut Social Security and Medicare

*Corporate Media Mostly Ignoring GOP Ploy to Cut Social Security and Medicare.*

As Kroger Eyes Albertsons, Biden Admin Urged to Reject 'Greed-Driven' Grocery Buyout

If Kroger and Albertsons are allowed to merge, it will probably increase the prices in US supermarkets.

New study reveals ‘staggering’ scale of lost fishing gear drifting in Earth’s oceans

* Lost nets, lines and hooks (including 25 million pots and traps and 14 billion hooks) trap wildlife for years as they float in the ocean, sink to the bottom or are washed ashore.*

Proposed solutions: *local governments introducing buy-backs of older fishing gear which tended to get lost more often than new equipment. Tags or labels could be attached to gear, and free facilities could be introduced at harbors to allow fishers to discard unusable nets safely.*

CSIRO abruptly scraps globally recognized climate forecast program

CSIRO (Australia's scientific research organization) had an admired program for forecasting future climate, but in 2021 a government minister forced CSIRO to shut it down.

That government, right-wing, was firmly on the planet roaster side,

so it would naturally prefer to eliminate honest and thoughtful forecasts to leave a gap for its patrons' bullshit.

It is now 16 months later — is it possible to resume what was cancelled?

CSIRO has been accused of abandoning research of importance for whatever research business wants.

Elon Musk says SpaceX will keep funding Starlink internet in Ukraine

Musk changed his mind and said SpaceX would continue to pay for Ukraine's use of Starlink satellite communications.

Poll Workers Will Play Key Role in Midterm Elections

The US election on Nov 8 will depend, as always, on volunteer poll workers — around a million of them.

A free and fair election depends on impartial poll workers.

Iran bans director Mani Haghighi from attending London film festival

Iran confiscated director Mani Haghighi's passport and stopped him from attending the London film festival, where one of his films will be shown. He believes this was meant as punishment for stating his support for the protest movement.

Activist Says Egypt's Pre-COP27 Silencing of Climate Voices Should Be a 'Wake-Up Call'

*[Human Rights Watch] Says Egypt's Pre-COP27 Silencing of Climate Voices Should Be a "Wake-Up Call."*

(satire) *Trump Outmaneuvers New York Lawsuit By Changing Name To Donald 2.*

Social Media Interaction Does Not Improve Political Knowledge, but It Does Polarize Us

*Two new studies say there's no evidence of political learning on social media, but it does increasingly teach us to hate our opponents.*

The article presents a new proposed explanation for why antisocial media increases political polarization: in a big discussion about a major polarizing issue, you won't have a chance to find out that some of the people on the other side share views with you on other issues.

Peter Thiel declared enemy of democracy

Peter Thiel is a declared enemy of democracy and is spending tens of millions on politicians who aim to sabotage it.

He is also specifically working to sabotage climate defense. It follows that, unless you are old, his plan includes your probable death, and most people's death, though not right away.

And he is not the only billionaire Republican megadonor, but he is the one that is most deeply hostile to Democracy.

Movement to end the death penalty

The movement to end the death penalty reports that 170 countries have abolished it or stopped using it.

However, some of the recalcitrant countries are executing more people now than before.

Simple reasoning on Republican claim of "stolen election"

Simple reasoning from basic facts shows that the Republican "stolen election" claim is bogus.

Focusing only on abortions during midterms

Bernie Sanders: *Democrats shouldn't focus only on abortion in the midterms. That's a mistake.*

Drought stopped freight on the Mississippi

Drought has stopped freight transportation on the Mississippi river. This is going to happen more and more in the future.

Using ground transport would enormously increase the fossil fuel required. I wonder if it is possible to correct the problem by dredging a narrow channel in the riverbed. The same amount of water would be deeper if it is narrower.

Republican Adam Laxalt

As bullshitter-supporting Republican Adam Laxalt runs for the Senate in Nevada, 14 of his relatives have endorsed Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto.

ALEC voter suppression summits

*ALEC Held Third Voter Suppression Summit with Dark Money Group This Summer.*

Opportunity in labor shortage

The current labor shortage is a good opportunity to for businesses to start seriously considering candidates that don't have college degrees.

This could help people avoid the expensive student loans that would shackle them for life, and still get good jobs.

(satire) Hanging bread thief in town square

(satire) *Ron Johnson Shows He's Tough On Crime By Hanging Bread Thief In Town Square.*

Big Oil's greenwashing

The misleading details of Big Oil's greenwashing PR.

"Return" of Koh-i-noor diamond

Both India and Pakistan have called for "return" of the Koh-i-noor diamond by the remnant of the British Empire.

These requests are silly because they are anachronistic. The Koh-i-noor was part of the spoils of conquest on several occasions, across centuries, back when despoiling after conquest was normal.

Nowadays we reject the idea that victors in war have the right to loot whatever wealth they find in a defeated country, and we try to prevent that. That is a step forward. But it is absurd to selectively denounce one specific long-ago instance of this practice, and demand "restitution" of specific pieces of loot to a previous conqueror.

Things Biden should do to "re-evaluate" Saudi relations

*5 Things Biden Should Do to "Re-evaluate" Saudi Relations.*

Life and death for Palestinian children

On life and death for Palestinian children, in villages invaded repeatedly by Israeli soldiers who are protecting Israeli colonies that shouldn't be there in the first place.

(satire) Putt around woman being beheaded

(satire) *LIV Golfers On Saudi Course Forced To Putt Around Woman Being Beheaded.*

Cancer in adults increasing

Cancer in adults before middle-age is increasing every decade, in many countries.

The cause is not known, but the obvious suspects are lifestyle trends (such as obesity) and environmental pollution.

Urgent: Investigate human rights abuses against migrants

US citizens: call on the the Department of Justice to investigate Govs. Abbott, DeMentis and Ducey for their human rights abuses against migrants.

Urgent: Legality of Israel's colonies in Palestinian territory

US citizens: call on Biden to acknowledge that Israel's colonies in Palestinian territory are illegal.