The peace talks with the Taliban endanger the fragments of women's rights in Afghanistan.

I supported the invasion of Afghanistan to liberate women (and to some extent men) from the oppression of the Taliban. However, the existing Afghan government has allowed a large part of the same oppression, even in the places it effectively controls. I can't say that the small freedom Afghan women have gained justifies unending war.

Private companies are finding ways to squeeze money out of supervision of criminals on parole.

These companies function by mistreating their employees, the public, the prisoners, or some combination. Sometimes the indirection means they can't in practice be held accountable for how they treat the prisoners.

The California initiative just approved, releasing many prisoners that there is no need to keep in prison, is very good notwithstanding this problem.

It's not clear that breastfeeding is good for babies. Perhaps it's being raised in a middle-class home (which is where mothers are likely to do this) is what's good for babies.

The UK proposes to make universities censor "radical" speakers.

Initially this is to be applied to radical Islamism, but who knows when it will be extended to cover refusal to run proprietary software, support for the Green Party, or opposition to censorship.

The UK already has a vicious regime of censorship, but that's no reason to tolerate more.

Imposed exile without trial is also proposed, as well as an arbitrary ban on flying without trial.

A Thai editor has been sentenced to over four years in prison for "defaming" the king.

Any law making it a crime to defame, insult or offend someone is a violation of freedom of speech.