German farmers are supporting the extreme right-wing after the center-left government reduced the subsidy on fossil fuels.

It made the usual mistake that governments make in how they do this: they cut that subsidy and changed nothing else. The effect on farmers was an immediate loss of income and they had no better alternative to shift to.

The subsidy for fossil fuel must end. One way to end it without crushing the farmers is to make the subsidy not depend on whether they buy fossil fuel. Then they will have an incentive to switch to a substitute — if and when one exists. The government should actively make electric tractors a reality.

Don't forget that farmers can no longer own a tractor — the manufacturer designs them with proprietary software, which is malware: it snoops on the farmer's actions and on data it measures about the farm, and it even has a remote shut-off switch.

This ought to be illegal.

When private equity firms buy US hospitals, the hospitals become worse. *The [private] equity firms cut corners, slash services, lay off staff, lower quality of care, take on substantial debt, and reduce charity care, leading to lower ratings and more medical errors, the [two] reports collectively find.*

Ralph Nader: *What If Our Society Valued Civics as It Does Entertainment?*

The UK has a military base on Cyprus, which it is using for attacks on Houthi missile and drone launching facilities that it is using to threaten shipping. Now some Cypriots demand an end to this cooperation.

They make two arguments. One is the reductionism that labels the Houthis and their patron, Iran, as "good" because they act against Israel. The other is using cowardice as the basic premise — "What if Cyprus becomes a target?" They don't seem to notice the fundamental contradiction between these two arguments.

Gaza or no Gaza, it is unacceptable to allow Houthis to menace the whole world's economy when and as they see fit.

As a separate matter, governments including the US have a duty to make Israel stop the bombardment and siege of Gaza. But we didn't need the Houthis to teach us that.

We agree with then on that one point, but that doesn't change the fact that they are violent and repressive religious fanatics who would oppress us if they could.

The FBI concocted a fake plot and inveigled people into a fantasy of planning terrorism. Those people were since known as the Newburgh Four. Now they will be released from prison.

If they had really taken initiative to plan such attacks, they would deserve prison sentences, but the FBI does the country no service by protecting us from fantasy terrorism.