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Richard Stallman's Political Notes

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We must protect marine areas

lundi 14 juin 2021 à 02:00

Deep sea explorer Sylvia Earle: we must "protect marine areas and stop eating tuna."

She may be right regarding people in wealthy countries that most seafood we eat is a luxury. But not in poor countries. I've read that around a billion people around the world depend on seafood for their sustenance.

Of course, most of them are not eating expensive tuna. They are eating whatever they can catch near where they live. The people who eat canned herring are not splurging.

I don't want to rush to stop eating tuna in sushi, especially since I only rarely have sushi at all. But I endorse firm measures to end the practice of fishing for tuna, and all forms of overfishing, non sustainable fishing, and ecosystem-damaging fishing.

In some places, "sushi" usually means tuna and salmon only. Other kinds of fish may not even be available. I suggest that people try the other kinds of fish, aside from tuna and salmon, to discover how delicious they are.

Covid-19 in Mexico

lundi 14 juin 2021 à 02:00

In Mexico, 1/4 of the population — 31 million people — have had Covid-19.

I'd expect this to mean around half a million deaths and a larger number with persistent disabilities.

Urgent: Laws prohibiting algorithmic discrimination

lundi 14 juin 2021 à 02:00

US citizens: call on Zuckerberg to endorse laws prohibiting algorithmic discrimination.

This is a half-measure. Collecting people's personal data endangers them in many ways, and discrimination is only one of them. It also harms society in various ways — for instance, boosting hate groups and conspiracy fantasies; this is not an issue of discrimination by Facebook, even if some of the hate groups might practice or advocate discrimination.

We should not allow anything comparable to Facebook to exist.

New gas-powered generator

lundi 14 juin 2021 à 02:00

Australia's planet-roaster government wants to spend 600 million to build a new gas-powered generator that won't be fully utilized, and isn't necessary.

At least, it isn't necessary for providing electricity. I am sure some construction companies and fossil fuel companies desperately need it.

Unmarked burials of children

lundi 14 juin 2021 à 02:00

The discovery of unmarked burials of indigenous children who died at a Canadian boarding school — which they were forced to attend — has compelled Canada to offer settlement for legal disputes about forcing indigenous children to attend those schools.

The purpose of these schools (which were spread across Canada) was to disconnect indigenous children from their parents, their culture, and their language. That in itself was cruel, but the schools also practiced direct physical forms of cruelty, including giving the students inadequate food.

Canada set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate the crimes of those schools, but has not implemented its recommendations.