# articles

feed_id: f8904b9e4d0dad14bae5b1a4f977c1f0
title: Urgent: Steve King
uri: Urgent-Steve-King
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Steve_King%29
content:
<p>
Everyone: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/att_steve_king">call
on AT&amp;T</a> to stop funding the racist congresscritter Steve King.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: e7c441a8c52be06968ca0cd1f676e07c
title: Senator denied by Nauru
uri: Senator-denied-by-Nauru
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Senator_denied_by_Nauru%29
content:
<p>
Australia told Nauru
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/26/nauru-denies-greens-senators-visa-blaming-australias-foreign-affairs-department">stop
an Australian senator</a> from visiting the refugees Australia uses
Nauru to imprison.


feed_id: b7edaff5eabaf10da5235220b2fd03ee
title: Arctic Ocean drilling
uri: Arctic-Ocean-drilling
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Arctic_Ocean_drilling%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#saboteur">Saboteur</a> Zinke
has <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/25/disaster-waiting-happen-trump-quietly-approves-massive-oil-drilling-project-arctic">approved
an oil drilling project</a> in the Arctic Ocean.


feed_id: cce206ed846957ab44e7207d4a3cf3bd
title: Coral bleaching
uri: 2018-11-06-Coral-bleaching
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Coral_bleaching%29
content:
<p>
The whole Great Barrier Reef
could <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/26/great-barrier-reef-forecast-warns-entire-system-at-risk-of-bleaching-and-coral-death-this-summer">suffer
coral bleaching</a> due to predicted heat this summer.


feed_id: cc33926aaebea4997270e578e09944bc
title: Gran Chaco Forest
uri: Gran-Chaco-Forest
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Gran_Chaco_Forest%29
content:
<p>
Argentina’s Gran Chaco Forest
Is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/26/soy-destruction-deforestation-in-argentina-leads-straight-to-our-dinner-plates">Being
Razed for Soya</a>.


feed_id: 76ffeaa2c0e310a636d9b8452230ce7f
title: Bomb suspect's van
uri: Bomb-suspect-s-van
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Bomb_suspect%27s_van%29
content:
<p>
The suspect for the parcel bombs had
a <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1807431">van covered with
support</a> for the bullshitter.
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a> has revived the US mostly forgotten tradition
of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/26/outsourcing-political-violence-bomb-scares-trump">systematic
political violence</a> carried out for intimidation.
<p>
Republicans say the right-wing bomb
sender <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1807470">couldn't be
a Republican</a>, because right-wingers are never violent.
<p>
They say that every time right-wingers commit violence.


feed_id: ed2fa816de04c38aef66333554ae019b
title: Remembering Tareq Ayyoub
uri: Remembering-Tareq-Ayyoub
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Remembering_Tareq_Ayyoub%29
content:
<p>
Don't forget about
the <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/10/26/jamal-khashoggi-killing-tareq-ayoub/">journalist
Tareq Ayyoub</a>, that the US killed with a missile, apparently
intentionally, in 2003.


feed_id: 8da6392f249881d073773ffc3416697c
title: Beauty standards
uri: Beauty-standards
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Beauty_standards%29
content:
<p>
South Korean women
are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/26/escape-the-corset-south-korean-women-rebel-against-strict-beauty-standards">starting
to rebel against</a> the heavy social demands of maintaining required
standards of beauty.


feed_id: f41285ccf13420a110befd5c00bfe200
title: Women in Palestine
uri: Women-in-Palestine
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Women_in_Palestine%29
content:
<p>
Women in Palestine Face Violence And Political
Exclusion, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/oct/26/women-palestine-face-violence-political-exclusion-campaigner-tells-un-randa-siniora">Campaigner
Tells UN</a>.


feed_id: b0cae0400633a45bf70ef1b356668a53
title: Coal mines in Spain
uri: Coal-mines-in-Spain
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Coal_mines_in_Spain%29
content:
<p>
Spain
will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/26/spain-to-close-most-coal-mines-after-striking-250m-deal">close
most of its coal mines</a>.


feed_id: 74052f035e65c6c875fd197cb9f93709
title: Political violence
uri: Political-violence
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Political_violence%29
content:
<p>
"In most cases, political violence is only a big issue when
it's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/25/what-khashoggi-case-tells-us-about-terrorism">done
by our enemies</a>."


feed_id: a4809cc2437c7fb32109f5f03d87d19c
title: US political party obstruction
uri: US-political-party-obstruction
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28US_political_party_obstruction%29

content:
<p>
The two main US political parties
frequently <a href="https://reason.com/reasontv/2018/10/26/how-third-parties-being-screwed-this-ele">manipulate
election systems</a> to obstruct candidates from other parties.
<p>
The article refers to "libertarians", but that is a misleading name
for a party whose main position is deregulation.  I call
them <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#anti">"Antisocialists"</a>.


feed_id: 905f6a22ad0f45f19966bd1af91701c3
title: Antibiotics for cattle
uri: Antibiotics-for-cattle
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#5_November_2018_%28Antibiotics_for_cattle%29
content:
<p>
<a href="media/2ca17257.restaurants-antibiotics-use-es-2018.pdf" data-original-source="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/restaurants-antibiotics-use-es-2018.pdf">Rating
US hamburger chains</a> on their policies about using cattle raised
with antibiotics.


feed_id: 4a2595177b0927d1e1537e9d43ac79bc
title: Sydney and Melbourne protest offshore detention
uri: Sydney-and-Melbourne-protest-offshore-detention
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Sydney_and_Melbourne_protest_offshore_detention%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/27/thousands-rally-in-sydney-and-melbourne-against-offshore-detention">Thousands rally in Sydney and Melbourne</a> against imprisoning refugees in other countries.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/27/how-australia-finally-started-to-care-about-asylum-seekers-and-refugees-on-nauru">How Australia Finally Started to Care About Asylum Seekers And Refugees on Nauru</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 4c90664c0a273f89eca45591ed45cc59
title: Super Typhoon Yutu
uri: Super-Typhoon-Yutu
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Super_Typhoon_Yutu%29
content:
<p>Super Typhoon Yutu <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/25/small-war-just-passed-through-super-typhoon-yutu-leaves-us-islands-pacific-mangled?cd-origin=rss">devastated the island of Tinian</a>, destroying homes, the main roads, and the electric and water supply.</p>
<p>The island has no capability to repair so much damage.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 78e7d4e296432ad5833a1d725a4118e5
title: Billionaires made more money in 2017 than any other year
uri: Billionaires-made-more-money-in-2017-than-any-other-year
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Billionaires_made_more_money_in_2017_than_any_other_year%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/26/while-rest-world-burned-billionaires-made-more-money-2017-any-other-year-history?cd-origin=rss">"While the Rest of the World Burned,"</a> Billionaires Made More Money in 2017 Than Any Other Year in History.</p>
<p>All at the expense of the rest of the world, both human and not.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ee7aba013f16f690da9a1d8951d83432
title: The Onion: Saudi crown prince
uri: The-Onion-Saudi-crown-prince
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28The_Onion%3A_Saudi_crown_prince%29

content:
<p>(satire) The Saudi crown prince reportedly touted <a href="https://www.theonion.com/saudis-tout-hundreds-of-yemeni-lives-saved-by-spending-1830027856">the hundreds of Yemeni lives saved by so much time focused on killing Jamal Khashoggi</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 796b7f9a6a10f19cbb80d230843c8b53
title: Calls for political rivals linked with violence
uri: Calls-for-political-rivals-linked-with-violence
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Calls_for_political_rivals_linked_with_violence%29

content:
<p>With the Italian Fascists and the German Nazis, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/26/far-right-urging-jailing-political-rivals-linked-history-bombings?cd-origin=rss">calls to imprison political opponents were linked with violence against them</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 1cf3b475a9d633cbe602079b4dd081df
title: Global heating action proposals
uri: Global-heating-action-proposals
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Global_heating_action_proposals%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/26/eco-crises-doom-gloom-truth-consequences?cd-origin=rss">The public rarely sees, and thus rarely thinks about, proposals</a> to take action that would suffice to prevent global heating disaster.</p>
<p>I am not convinced it is necessary to eliminate capitalism entirely. Clearly, however, it is necessary to eliminate plutocracy.  Perhaps the author identifies the two; many progressives do.</p>
<p>I don't think it is necessary to eliminate computers, the internet, or entertainment.  They do not have to consume a lot of rare materials and energy; they don't inherently need to be built to last a short time.  Rather, the general tendency of the modern economy towards planned obsolescence affects computers just as it affects coffeemakers.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, I urge people to have <em>no</em> children.  Why drag more people into impending disaster?  Having no children will reduce the size of the disaster, even as it spares some potential human beings from having to undergo it.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ff4ce8b0a8306e4ac635427983a88e36
title: Global heating food threat
uri: Global-heating-food-threat
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Global_heating_food_threat%29
content:
<p>Global heating <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/26/when-warming-climate-threatens-your-dinner-plate?cd-origin=rss">threatens many everyday foods</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: b82adb296795b449bc32fbd5b006a688
title: Dodge City polling location
uri: Dodge-City-polling-location
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Dodge_City_polling_location%29
content:
<p>The official that moved Dodge City's sole polling place <a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/iFIxL3y5-AQ/1807466">out into the countryside claims to have done it for the sake of pedestrian safety</a>. We are asked to believe that Republicans think it is safer to have pedestrians cross a state highway than to have them cross a local street.</p>
<p>I expect Republicans will really believe that, once they get the instructions to believe it.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e01bb5f337a908e6f745262433cfb351
title: Special SIM card blocks non-Tor data communication
uri: Special-SIM-card-blocks-non-Tor-data-communication
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Special_SIM_card_blocks_non-Tor_data_communication%29

content:
<p>A special SIM card blocks all non-Tor data communication, <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/d3qqj7/sim-card-forces-data-through-tor-brass-horn-communications">so that mobile services can't tell the user's real IP address</a> and perhaps not per location either.</p>
<p>However, the phone network can still determine the user's phone's location.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 07ab5c34db7bb17088f6824e9a6db25d
title: SCROTUS' tax attacks and benefits cuts
uri: SCROTUS-tax-attacks-and-benefits-cuts
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28SCROTUS%27_tax_attacks_and_benefits_cuts%29

content:
<p>SCROTUS' <a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/Lq4EXZePcoQ/1806615">proposed cuts to benefits programs equal the amounts they gave away to the rich</a> in last year's tax attacks.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 0eddec15c74e95779e3cbcc0bfce08fc
title: Don't normalize far right
uri: Don-t-normalize-far-right
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Don%27t_normalize_far_right%29
content:
<p>If you decide to debate with white supremacists, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/26/dont-normalise-far-right-sometimes-we-must-take-it-on">be careful not to endorse their claim to victim-hood while you do it</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 49a151a0cd8204e6342d48ad05fe8d86
title: US government tax havens
uri: US-government-tax-havens
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28US_government_tax_havens%29
content:
<p><a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/10/26/tax-havens-and-other-dirty-tricks-let-u-s-corporations-steal-180-billion-from-the-rest-of-the-world-every-year/">How tax havens corrupt the US government</a>, the world economy, and economics.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 2c8641582836e0cedfadabc4aff4c1e5
title: DMCA Section 1201 exemptions
uri: DMCA-Section-1201-exemptions
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28DMCA_Section_1201_exemptions%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/10/new-exemptions-dmca-section-1201-are-welcome-dont-go-far-enough">New Exemptions to DMCA Section 1201 Are Welcome, But Don’t Go Far Enough.</a></p>
<p>We should replace this law, which makes breaking Digital Restrictions Management a felony, with a law making DRM itself a felony.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 1f8108dcfd5a5973b5eb14a4f6e6da69
title: UK: Syrian journalist visa
uri: UK-Syrian-journalist-visa
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28UK%3A_Syrian_journalist_visa%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/26/syrian-itv-journalist-denied-visa-to-attend-awards-ceremony">A public scandal embarrassed the UK government</a> into granting a visa to Syrian journalist Humam Husari to attend a ceremony in the US where he may receive an award for his coverage of the civil war.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 96745103aba7d4270377326f3276fbc9
title: Urgent: Dr. Ruth Etzel
uri: Urgent-Dr-Ruth-Etzel
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Dr._Ruth_Etzel%29
content:
<p>
US citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/EPA-Etzel">call
on the EPA</a> to restore Dr. Ruth Etzel as the chief of the Office of
Children's Health Protection.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 53af5b404813d80d9d6b6b036412c035
title: Predatory asset-strippers
uri: Predatory-asset-strippers
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Predatory_asset-strippers%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/toys_r_us_sears">Predatory
asset-strippers</a> destroyed the companies Toys-Я-US and Sears,
deciding that their assets were worth more than keeping the companies
going.
<p>
I did not sign the petition, because the only message I want to send
them is "drop dead."  The response we need is a campaign to change laws
so that no one can do this again.  Electing progressives is a necessary
step on that path.


feed_id: 666d625c3e6f778c175f0f531c959834
title: Deported for criticizing
uri: Deported-for-criticizing
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Deported_for_criticizing%29
content:
<p>
If the US
government <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/10/27/ice-first-amendment-rights-ravi-ragbir/">deports
someone for criticizing the government</a>, does that violate the
First Amendment?
<p>
If it doesn't, that is a loophole for the US government to attack
democracy, which hurts everyone in the country including US citizens.


feed_id: 688980bf870c517518a0e51a7038d9aa
title: Facebook 'support groups'
uri: Facebook-support-groups
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Facebook_%27support_groups%27%29
content:
<p>
Facebook "support groups" must be a windfall for Facebook's profiling
and advertising.  They are also used
to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/10/facebook-emotional-support-groups/572941/">lure
people into expensive "therapy"</a>.


feed_id: c63da75ab13c0fca4a173f38b4ebc5c2
title: Migrants in Mexico
uri: Migrants-in-Mexico
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Migrants_in_Mexico%29
content:
<p>
The president of Mexico invited the migrants from Central America
to <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1807649">remain in
Mexico</a>.
<p>
That is a kind act.  However, Mexico is so violent that they may
not feel safe there.
<p>
By the time they reach the US, they may not feel safe here either.


feed_id: 6ba7cd0c5c16638f86cf30af44ef861d
title: UK welfare benefits
uri: 2018-11-07-UK-welfare-benefits
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28UK_welfare_benefits%29
content:
<p>
The Tories' redesign of welfare benefits, with various delays, cuts
and punishments designed in,
is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/27/universal-credit-fuels-homeless-crisis">boosting
homelessness</a> in the UK.


feed_id: 356e665ca25adbcf97223929cc44791e
title: Cease-fire in Idlib
uri: Cease-fire-in-Idlib
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Cease-fire_in_Idlib%29
content:
<p>
Russia, Germany, France and
Turkey <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/27/syria-leaders-call-for-ceasefire-at-last-rebel-held-stronghold-idlib">called
for a lasting cease-fire</a> in Idlib.
<p>
Since Russia is Assad's main backer, it might actually lead to that.


feed_id: 9fce72fa603d7bcaa0e1a2fdc15e599b
title: Prime minister of Sri Lanka
uri: Prime-minister-of-Sri-Lanka
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Prime_minister_of_Sri_Lanka%29
content:
<p>
The president of Sri Lanka is trying to put the former tyrant,
Rajapaksa, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/27/sri-lanka-political-crisis-mahinda-rajapaksa-prime-minister-sacked">into
power as prime minister</a>, unconstitutionally.
<p>
This is all very strange, since President Sirisena was elected by defeating
Rajapaksa in the presidential election.


feed_id: a34d995a126ecc62e82e6f6d954a9790
title: Amazon's surveillance
uri: Amazon-s-surveillance
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Amazon%27s_surveillance%29
content:
<p>
Amazon is in such a position of surveillance that it
can <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/10/amazon-selling-machine/574045/">exert
substantial control</a> over people's activities.
<p>
This is dangerous, and we should not allow Amazon to continue to track
people as it does.


feed_id: 21b1c8c52be705015778dfe16cf8bd8a
title: Transplanting endangered species
uri: Transplanting-endangered-species
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Transplanting_endangered_species%29

content:
<p>
Is <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/save-endangered-species-should-we-bring-them-our-cities-180970611/">transplanting
endangered species</a> into cities a good way to preserve them?
<p>
One of the reasons that protection programs for specific endangered
species are effective is that they need to protect their habitats, and
thus protect many other species that live there &mdash; even species
that we don't know about.
<p>
To save one species by transplanting it elsewhere is not going to have
this effect.  At best it would save the one species that gets
transplanted.


feed_id: 88d6e0504a1955effb6e44b62049fb4d
title: Sex according to porn
uri: Sex-according-to-porn
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Sex_according_to_porn%29
content:
<p>
The unrealistic picture of sex presented in most porn harms men as
well as women in their sex lives (though in different ways).  Their
sexual miseducation starts in adolescence, but
many <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/21/porn-not-only-messes-with-young-mens-minds-but-their-bodies-too">never
learn better</a>.
<p>
Our society's taboo cuts adolescents off from any way to learn about
sexual relationships and lovemaking other than from porn and from
other confused adolescents.  Everyone learns the hard way, often
slowly, and in many cases learns bad lessons.
<p>
The more effective the taboo, the deeper the ignorance.  In 18th
century France, teenage girls of good family emerged totally sexually
innocent from education in a convent.  Totally innocent and totally
exploitable (see <em>Dangerous Liaisons</em>).
<p>
Contrast this with Marquesan society, where adolescents are not kept
ignorant by a taboo on sex.  They have various relationships with
lovers of their choice, so they have many opportunities to see what
pleases and what doesn't.  Any one lover can please them more, or
please them less, but can't mislead them &mdash; they have standards
for comparison.  In that society, even adolescents understand
lovemaking better than a lot of American adults.
<p>
Inevitably, everyone starts out ignorant; the question is, how can
society offer people a path which leads them to learn to do things
well, rather than learning painfully to do them badly.


feed_id: 16dde2f020e6662fc82ac3c764a21cf7
title: Breathing polluted air
uri: Breathing-polluted-air
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Breathing_polluted_air%29
content:
<p>
Breathing polluted air is
killing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/27/air-pollution-is-the-new-tobacco-warns-who-head">7
million people a year</a> and harming billions more.


feed_id: c09628bc064a8f52b4f787efa2d59718
title: Postal bomb sender's house
uri: Postal-bomb-sender-s-house
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_%28Postal_bomb_sender%27s_house%29
content:
<p>
Postal bomb sender Sayoc had his
house <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/10/26/cesar-sayoc-foreclosure-steven-mnuchin/">taken
by fraudulent foreclosure</a> in 2009, by the bank owned mainly by
Steven Mnuchin.
<p>
Obama and
Holder <a href="https://www.alternet.org/story/152144/matt_taibbi_on_the_explosive_investigation_revealing_the_sec%27s_cover-up_of_wall_street%27s_crimes/?page=entire">protected
the bank</a> (and other banks too) from prosecution for this,
and supporters of the bullshitter helped protect it later.


feed_id: c499fc77afc6d515e154b322b6ab5a3e
title: Urgent: Keystone XL pipeline
uri: Urgent-Keystone-XL-pipeline
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Keystone_XL_pipeline%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/keystone_comments_2018">file
a comment</a> against the Keystone XL planet-roaster pipeline.
<p>
Here's the comment I sent:
<blockquote>
The Keystone XL planet-roaster pipeline is likely to do major local
damage to water supplies for wildlife and for humans that live near
the lakes and rivers it comes in contact with.
<p>
Even worse, it will rush the whole world towards global <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#climate">climate mayhem</a>
by accelerating <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a>.  Several years ago, scientists told us
we must leave 80% of the known fossil fuel reserves in the ground.
Based on newer results in climate modeling, that figure has probably
increased.  The first fuels to leave in the ground are the highly
polluting ones, in particular tar sands oil.
<p>
Your Environmental Impact Statement is a sham and based on flawed
data.  You must do a proper, honest study, taking account of all the
dangers; it will surely demonstrate that this pipeline should not be
built.
</blockquote>


feed_id: 2295110489b1f8995476cc1a72f72da6
title: Refugee depression
uri: Refugee-depression
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Refugee_depression%29
content:
<p>
The head of MSF's psychotherapy on Nauru reports that five years of
enforced pointless idleness have made the refugees more or less
suicidally depressed.  They say that parts of
them <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/28/the-nauru-paradox-why-help-patients-regain-hope-when-it-is-dashed-systematically">are
already dead</a>.


feed_id: 791b6d7e1cb2ac0fe8f14c3bb07494ec
title: Corporations, coups, and crazies
uri: Corporations-coups-and-crazies
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Corporations%2C_coups%2C_and_crazies%29

content:
<p>
A Tragedy in Three
Parts: <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/27/tragedy-three-parts-corporations-coups-and-crazies">Corporations,
Coups, and Crazies</a>.
<p>
Plutocrats convinced the public to disarm themselves of the one weapon
suitable for keeping the plutocrats' power in check: a powerful and democratic
government that recognizes them as dangerous.


feed_id: 9ccb6c4eea27e280e14501af193d869c
title: 'Smart' neighborhood
uri: Smart-neighborhood
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28%27Smart%27_neighborhood%29
content:
<p>
Ann Cavoukian tried to apply a careful and strict standard of privacy
for Google's "smart" neighborhood in Toronto: don't store data that
identifies people.  She resigned because Google
was <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/26/sidewalk-labs-ann-cavoukian-smart-city/">trying
to create loopholes</a> for surveillance.


feed_id: 7fabb79f29afec9aa4860938cf7e5c19
title: Working for a better life
uri: Working-for-a-better-life
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Working_for_a_better_life%29
content:
<p>
"Work was once the way to a better
life. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/oct/27/work-once-way-to-better-life-not-any-more-property-pensions">Not
any more.</a>"


feed_id: 0f7d889b034ca6097de609aa22e03693
title: Recruiting spies
uri: Recruiting-spies
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Recruiting_spies%29
content:
<p>
Chinese agents are systematically contacting French officials to try
to <a href="https://intelnews.org/2018/10/24/01-2423/">recruit them as
spies</a>.


feed_id: ea09e24c0102124154c03768f311cf78
title: Hedge fund
uri: Hedge-fund
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Hedge_fund%29
content:
<p>
<a href="http://prospect.org/article/it-was-vulture-capitalism-killed-sears">More
about</a> how a hedge fund destroyed Sears.


feed_id: b6dfb444b32e88ba392b1aeb45c1e842
title: International progressive movement
uri: International-progressive-movement
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28International_progressive_movement%29

content:
<p>
Sanders and Varoufakis will launch
an <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/26/sanders-and-varoufakis-announce-alliance-craft-common-blueprint-international-new">international
progressive movement</a>.


feed_id: 0b8f4cbfb76723e0a5af6c02e316ce7a
title: Pesticides and fetuses
uri: Pesticides-and-fetuses
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Pesticides_and_fetuses%29
content:
<p>
Toxicologists call for banning all organophosphate pesticides because
they <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/24/entire-pesticide-class-should-be-banned-for-effect-on-childrens-health">damage
the health of fetuses</a>.
<p>
I refuse to refer to fetuses as "prenatal children" &mdash; that term
will tend to help the theocratic campaign to ban abortions.  Causing
damage to a fetus that then develops into a human being is wrong
because that human being will suffer the damage.  We need not try to
support this conclusion by equating the fetus to a child.


feed_id: e3a071e22dd9b7ff0144cea423422255
title: College student voters
uri: College-student-voters
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28College_student_voters%29
content:
<p>
New
Hampshire <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/24/new-hampshire-voter-suppression-midterm-elections">passed
a law</a> to suppress the votes of college students.


feed_id: 82e156a92839fe3c6b8c4e293f20697c
title: Attacks on Uber drivers
uri: Attacks-on-Uber-drivers
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Attacks_on_Uber_drivers%29
content:
<p>
Uber drivers in Australia
frequently <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/24/uber-and-other-rideshare-company-drivers-ripped-off-assaulted-and-racially-abused">face
violent attacks and theft</a>.
<p>
I don't know whether this relates directly to the other injustices of Uber.
If it does, I am very interested to know how.


feed_id: 1352bf7352f43f3bcb3f0c8f45d4b15f
title: Google's 'smart city'
uri: Google-s-smart-city
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Google%27s_%27smart_city%27%29
content:
<p>
Toronto commissioned Google to make one neighborhood a "smart city".
Privacy expert Ann Cavoukian resigned from the project, saying she
hoped it would be a "smart city of privacy", but in fact it is
becoming
a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/23/toronto-smart-city-surveillance-ann-cavoukian-resigns-privacy">"smart
city of surveillance"</a>.
<p>
A data base of personal data, once collected <em>will</em> be misused.
So the only way to make a "smart city" respect privacy is to make it
not collect personal data about where people go, what they do, and who
they communicate with.
<p>
If instead the project aims to "protect" the personal data, it has
<a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">already
gone astray</a>.


feed_id: 44789a412c730d05a115c20b2102475f
title: Right-wing terrorism
uri: 2018-11-08-Right-wing-terrorism
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_%28Right-wing_terrorism%29
content:
<p>
A series of American violent right-wing terrorists said they were
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/10/27/here-is-a-list-of-far-right-attackers-trump-inspired-cesar-sayoc-wasnt-the-first-and-wont-be-the-last/">inspired
by the bully</a>.
<p>
A
killer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/27/pittsburgh-shooting-suspect-antisemitism">shot
13 people</a> at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, inspired by antisemitic
right-wing extremists.
This was clearly an act of right-wing terrorism.


feed_id: c3e70824bbca9ba19cf74cde58dfc874
title: Rate of unauthorized immigration
uri: Rate-of-unauthorized-immigration
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Rate_of_unauthorized_immigration%29

content:
<p>
The US is
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/25/us-illegal-border-crossings-analysis-trump-migrants">not
experiencing high levels of unauthorized immigration</a>; for the past
decade, the rate has been around 1/3 of what it was in 2000.


feed_id: 7fc10cf7ca28b1747a65e532d64678da
title: The need for equality
uri: The-need-for-equality
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28The_need_for_equality%29
content:
<p>
"To trust each other again, we 
<a href='https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/25/trust-equal-gap-rich-poor-inequality'>need
to become more equal</a>."


feed_id: 1a69712687bc8ca653cd6fd65c5bb628
title: Bully proposes imposing nominal gender
uri: Bully-proposes-imposing-nominal-gender
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Bully_proposes_imposing_nominal_gender%29

content:
<p>
About 2% of babies are born with genitals that are not entirely male
or female.  <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a>'s new proposal to impose a nominal gender on
each person based on per chromosomes 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/24/intersex-trump-transgender-policy">can't
cope with them at all</a>.
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a> is 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/24/trump-administration-gender-transgender-united-nations">trying
to make the UN rigid about gender</a>, too.


feed_id: b05b74309c71aa0f535cb4aa06f69c7f
title: Bezos-funded political attack ad
uri: Bezos-funded-political-attack-ad
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Bezos-funded_political_attack_ad%29

content:
<p>
Bezos is funding advertisements attacking a candidate for Congress,
<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeff-bezos-with-honor-fund-super-pac-brian-mast-lauren-baer-florida_us_5bd07f77e4b055bc94871f7f">claiming
that criticizing US policies is a kind of treason</a>.
<p>
Those ads oppose the freedom and democracy that America is supposed to
stand for; I accuse them of being un-American.


feed_id: 6daad0a8e629263cc5e7c7edcd22a944
title: Amazon face recognition systems
uri: Amazon-face-recognition-systems
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Amazon_face_recognition_systems%29

content:
<p>
Amazon 
<a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/amazon-pushes-ice-to-buy-its-face-recognition-surveillance-tech">actively
pitched its face recognition systems to the US deportation thugs</a>.
They could set up cameras in streets, schools, hospitals, courts, and
municipal offices, all to find people to deport.
<p>
Even more dangerous is the possibility that the government could use
such systems to detect dissidents and heroic whistleblowers.  I 
<a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">call
for laws restricting all face recognition systems</a> so that they
can't help do that.


feed_id: 4799706d4096ce669d2ea9be2dedb883
title: D&uuml;ndar and Pussy Riot
uri: Dündar-and-Pussy-Riot
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Dundar_and_Pussy_Riot%29
content:
<p>
Can D&uuml;ndar and Pussy Riot speak about facing 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/24/berlin-turkish-newsman-and-pussy-riot-risk-it-all-freedom-speech">state
repression in Turkey and Russia</a>.


feed_id: 3d0d6a5e7449e7d5f1a89fe66fb02cf4
title: UK's undercover "child" agents
uri: UK-s-undercover-child-agents
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28UKs_undercover_child_agents%29
content:
<p>
Most of the UK's 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/24/uk-police-recruited-teenager-to-spy-on-her-pimp">undercover
"child" agents</a> were actually age 17.  The youngest was 15.  None
of them was a child.


feed_id: 8bca620dedcdec682d905e8e7acdc9c3
title: US support for cruel regimes
uri: US-support-for-cruel-regimes
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28US_support_for_cruel_regimes%29
content:
<p>
FAIR: <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a> didn't lead the US astray.  Supporting cruel
regimes is 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/24/blaming-saudis-corrupting-otherwise-human-rights-loving-us">standard
US practice</a>.


feed_id: cd24c68c69eadf9338b009f35b1e2080
title: Catalog of bullshitter's public lies
uri: Catalog-of-bullshitter-s-public-lies
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Catalog_of_bullshitters_public_lies%29

content:
<p>
A 
<a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/columns/reasons-why-donald-trump-is-unfit-to-be-president">catalog
of the bullshitter's public lies</a>.  About 200 are listed; more
installments coming.


feed_id: 054f624dc958f4041c418651287c1184
title: Puerto Rico to pay too much to creditors
uri: Puerto-Rico-to-pay-too-much-to-creditors
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Puerto_Rico_to_pay_too_much_to_creditors%29

content:
<p>
Puerto Rico's imposed nondemocratic government plans to pay too much
to the creditors, using 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/10/23/oversight-board-reviews-new-fiscal-plan-puerto-rico">implausible
forecasts of economic growth</a> as an excuse.
<p>
Any payment to the creditors is too much.  Puerto Rico's debt 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-sep-dec.html#4_October_2017_(Puerto_Rico's_debt)">should
be canceled</a>.


feed_id: 694d261924c7a3b2512563a7cf50f176
title: Corporations United
uri: 2018-11-09-Corporations-United
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Corporations_United%29
content:
<p>
Nowadays, 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/23/not-what-democracy-looks-big-money-floods-midterm-election-races">anyone
can spend any amount of money on influencing US voters</a>, as a
result of the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#corporationsunited">Corporations United</a> decision.


feed_id: 7f605b38272135d7557fb30d077ac65e
title: Radio program choices tracked by GM
uri: Radio-program-choices-tracked-by-GM
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Radio_program_choices_tracked_by_GM%29

content:
<p>
GM tracked the choices of radio programs in its "connected" cars,
<a href="https://boingboing.net/2018/10/23/dont-touch-that-dial.html">minute
by minute</a>.
<p>
GM did not get users' consent, but it could have got that easily by
sneaking it into the contract that users sign for some digital service
or other.  A requirement for consent is effectively no protection.
<p>
The cars can also collect lots of other data: listening to you,
watching you, following your movements, tracking passengers' cell
phones.  <em>All</em> such data collection should be forbidden.
<p>
But if you really want to be safe, we must make sure the car's
hardware cannot collect any of that data.


feed_id: 99eb36f781d26d9096cb94ce0b3f906a
title: Absentee ballots in Georgia
uri: Absentee-ballots-in-Georgia
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Absentee_ballots_in_Georgia%29
content:
<p>
Judge 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/24/judge-halts-georgia-absentee-ballot-rejections-midterms">Orders
Georgia to Stop Tossing Absentee Ballots</a>, in Rebuke to GOP
Candidate (Kemp).
<p>
I am sure Kemp will try to appeal this; I expect that the right-wing
extremists that dominate the Supreme Court will invent some stupid
excuse to permit Kemp to rig the election, just as they invented an
excuse to make <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#dubya">Dubya</a> "win" in 2000.


feed_id: 1ad9b5c26f21c11e366c33e6790cabcf
title: Indiana trying to ban selective abortion
uri: Indiana-trying-to-ban-selective-abortion
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Indiana_trying_to_ban_selective_abortion%29

content:
<p>
Indiana is trying to prohibit abortion if done on the basis of the
sex, race or disability of the fetus, and 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1806575">Kavanaugh could be
the deciding vote to approve it</a>.  This concept of
nondiscrimination makes logical sense, 
<a href="https://stallman.org/articles/quantum-abortion.html">if you accept the irrational
assumption that a fetus is a person</a>.
<p>
I've warned for years that the campaign against sex selection by
abortion 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2013-sep-dec.html#07_September_2013_(Abortion_based_on_the_sex_of_fetus)">endangers
abortion rights in general</a>.  That theoretical threat has now
become real.
<p>
The campaign to prohibit sex-selective abortion is motivated by
disapproval of the sexist bias that usually motivates sex-selective
abortion.
<p>
I too disapprove of that bias.  However, the practice of voluntary
sex-selective abortion 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2012-may-aug.html#31_May_2012_(US_antiabortionists)">does
not mistreat any women</a> (unlike most other manifestations of sexist
bias, which do lead to real wrongs to real women).  To ban the
practice would not prevent any wrongs, only make a symbolic
declaration against sexism.
<p>
I think we should defend women's right to have an abortion for any
reason whatsoever, and use other methods to make symbolic declarations
against sexism.


feed_id: e5707fa8cd7aebc1890a6da8edd886e9
title: Censorship
uri: 2018-11-09-Censorship
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Censorship%29
content:
<p>
A rap festival in London has been 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/oct/25/swearing-banned-at-next-years-wireless-festival-in-london">ordered
to ban "swearing" from the presentations</a>.
<p>
Note how the censorship requirement (inexcusable) has been snuck in
alongside a limit on sound volume (justifiable).


feed_id: 604e25fc93bc1e20ab89615c97bca1cd
title: Threat to freedom of press in UK
uri: Threat-to-freedom-of-press-in-UK
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Threat_to_freedom_of_press_in_UK%29

content:
<p>
The UK 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/oct/25/counter-terror-bill-is-a-threat-to-press-freedom-say-campaigners">plans
to make it a crime to look at publications deemed "terrorist"</a>, and
to give <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> power to search and interrogate anyone entering the
country.  This would threaten freedom of the press.
<p>
The UK already imposes 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-may-aug.html#01_August_2015_(Imprisonment_for_having_books)">broad
repressive censorship</a> and has 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jan-apr.html#20_January_2016_(UKs_terrorism_law)">too
much power to search and question people</a>.  Who needs hostile
foreign states when your own state is so hostile to liberty?


feed_id: 8c2bac09354511547a44b2e3852159ad
title: White-supremacist agitators arrested
uri: White-supremacist-agitators-arrested
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28White-supremacist_agitators_arrested%29

content:
<p>
White-supremacist agitators have been 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/24/white-supremacist-members-arrested-charlottesville-riot">arrested</a>
for inciting violence in Charlottesville last year.


feed_id: 19979b4cbb365b20c2ad5d8cf0b7bcee
title: Bully's encouragement of violence
uri: Bully-s-encouragement-of-violence
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Bullys_encouragement_of_violence%29

content:
<p>
After the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a>'s persistent encouragement of violence, it is only
natural that someone 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/24/pipe-bombs-polarised-times-bring-the-awful-back-to-american-politics">sent
bombs to various people he targets</a>.


feed_id: d3b9d65306b59f217cf4798dcc9c6253
title: Repression of Rohingya in Burma
uri: Repression-of-Rohingya-in-Burma
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#8_November_2018_%28Repression_of_Rohingya_in_Burma%29

content:
<p>
The UN investigating mission says 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/24/rohingya-genocide-is-still-going-on-says-top-un-investigator">Burma
continues repression of the Rohingya</a> and more of them are fleeing
into exile.


feed_id: 832b7c11e4b4e6433da92769058c8bbb
title: Papua New Guinea election rigged
uri: Papua-New-Guinea-election-rigged
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Papua_New_Guinea_election_rigged%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/unprecedented-violence-and-hijacked-2017-png-election-report">The last election in Papua New Guinea was rigged and stolen</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: b9c665aa625e21cae023d9fbe9a316ca
title: Human impact on environment
uri: Human-impact-on-environment
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Human_impact_on_environment%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/30/humanity-wiped-out-animals-since-1970-major-report-finds">Humans have eliminated 60% of the world's population of wild vertebrates since 1970.</a></p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 090e08e10c088ef531a31a1ab8e81f4e
title: Schools and social networks
uri: Schools-and-social-networks
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Schools_and_social_networks%29
content:
<p><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/598xaa/remini-app-exposed-childrens-data-open-api">A non-free social network program for schools</a>, which invited students and teachers to enter students' personal data, demonstrated how much it violates students' privacy by allowing everyone to see that data.</p>
<p>Of course, that flaw will be fixed -- but all that data will remain accessible to <em>some</em> parties, including some companies. That's what parents should really object to.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: fcd2a3abf8256b2f344e8e16361556ec
title: Assange and embassy rules
uri: Assange-and-embassy-rules
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Assange_and_embassy_rules%29
content:
<p>An Ecuadorian court <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/oct/29/assange-must-follow-new-ecuador-embassy-rules-says-judge">ruled that Julian Assange must obey the rules</a> that the Ecuadorian embassy placed on him.</p>
<p>I think it is entirely reasonable to require him to clean his space, feed his cat, and pay for his laundry.  The other rules I've read about seem legitimate too, including that he clear visitors with the embassy staff in advance.  He is the embassy's guest, and he should act like a good guest.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 43af035586b97ae8d2b49b3366ddcf34
title: Tracing violent male bigotry
uri: Tracing-violent-male-bigotry
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Tracing_violent_male_bigotry%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/29/lone-wolf-terrorists-and-domestic-violence-its-time-to-start-joining-the-dots">Tracing violent male bigotry</a> to a root in men's violence against women.</p>
<p>The theory is interesting and could be true, but the article doesn't try to demonstrate it; instead it seems to say, "Too bad you don't pay any attention to this," which is not helpful and somewhat unfair.</p>
<p>The article also says this connection leads to ways of acting to prevent both of those kinds of violence, but it only hints at what those might be.  I am curious to learn more, from some article that would try to inform readers rather than rebuke them for not knowing.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: b50149b483ce64434e48e37430cb45fd
title: Venice: worst flooding since 2008
uri: Venice-worst-flooding-since-2008
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Venice%3A_worst_flooding_since_2008%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/29/venice-experiences-worst-flooding-since-2008">A storm caused especially high flooding in Venice</a>.</p>
<p>How many feet of sea-level rise could Venice survive?  I think it would need the lagoon to be dammed off from the Mediterranean.</p>
<p>Could we possibly dam the Mediterranean off from the Atlantic? Hundreds of old cities on the shore of the Mediterranean will be flooded otherwise.</p>
<p>This dam would require a system to transfer salt, and that would be expensive.  But it might be cheaper than the alternative.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 012df42f84f07453016ba63b6da9a78a
title: Dangerous Trump Rhetoric
uri: Dangerous-Trump-Rhetoric
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Dangerous_Trump_Rhetoric%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/29/donald-trumps-rhetoric-has-stoked-antisemitism-and-hatred-experts-warn">Donald Trump's Rhetoric Has Stoked Antisemitism And Hatred, Experts Warn</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 8eff41a74e6f9217f89e0c6458fc9bae
title: Trump organization being sued
uri: Trump-organization-being-sued
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Trump_organization_being_sued%29
content:
<p>The Trump family business is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/29/trump-organization-lawsuit-celebrity-apprentice-telemarketing">being sued for luring people to "invest" in a scheme</a> designed to swindle them.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: c2467f72db32e287bba0d90e883e6f8e
title: Brazil protests
uri: Brazil-protests
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Brazil_protests%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/29/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-protests-opposition">Brazilians opposed to state terrorism plan to hold protests</a> across the country.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f22c9c98ab6e6a9d038cde4a72367d82
title: US Muslims raise money for Pittsburgh victims' families
uri: US-Muslims-raise-money-for-Pittsburgh-victims-families
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28US_Muslims_raise_money_for_Pittsburgh_victims%27_families%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/29/us-muslims-charity-pittsburgh-synangogue-shooting-victims">US Muslims Raise More Than $120,000</a> for Families of Pittsburgh Shooting Victims.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: de1c61925ca2d9fa0893dc1e49b38307
title: Canada: Rural bus service
uri: Canada-Rural-bus-service
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Canada%3A_Rural_bus_service%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/29/canada-greyhound-bus-ending-urban-rural">Cutting off rural bus service</a> in Canada means that the people who live in small towns, and can't pay for a car, are simply unable to travel anywhere.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f716857b5d6a1e9fd9a2db5beee9dd51
title: Ships and sulfur emissions requirements
uri: Ships-and-sulfur-emissions-requirements
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Ships_and_sulfur_emissions_requirements%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/29/thousands-of-ships-could-dump-pollutants-at-sea-to-avoid-dirty-fuel-ban">A new requirement to reduce sulfur emissions into the air</a> from ships could be met by using low-sulfur fuel, or by scrubbers, and the cheap scrubbers dump the sulfur in the water.</p>
<p>Dumping substantial quantities of sulfur residue in the small area of a port could cause local harm, but if the dumping occurs in the open sea, will it have any significant effect on the sea?  The answer is not obvious to me -- what do scientists say?</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 5c84fc4cb351887697c79d5c88ba2c69
title: Qatar: hotel trafficked workers
uri: Qatar-hotel-trafficked-workers
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Qatar%3A_hotel_trafficked_workers%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/oct/29/agents-duped-us-into-forced-labour-at-top-qatar-hotel-say-migrant-workers-marsa-malaz-kempinski">A fancy hotel in Qatar is using trafficked workers</a> who have to pay to get a job.  They have to work for a months, even years, to pay back the debt, or else face punishment by the state.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 86bc8348666d8efb25ec9148798815d6
title: Brazilians in danger
uri: Brazilians-in-danger
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Brazilians_in_danger%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/28/jair-bolsonaro-wins-brazil-presidential-election">Black, gay, female, indigenous and leftist Brazilians are now in danger</a> from a president that has called for torturing and killing them.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 721784abe71aaa98a1650bfe5ca2e0de
title: UK: right-wing extremist investigation
uri: UK-right-wing-extremist-investigation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28UK%3A_right-wing_extremist_investigation%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/28/mi5-lead-battle-against-uk-rightwing-extremists-police-action">The UK's domestic intelligence agency will start investigating suspected right-wing terrorists</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: cdc268d1d9541555655213a77c18e210
title: Tyranny or revolution
uri: Tyranny-or-revolution
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Tyranny_or_revolution%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/22/rule-uber-rich-means-either-tyranny-or-revolution?cd-origin=rss">The Rule of the Uber-Rich Means Either Tyranny or Revolution</a>.  The author went to school on a scholarship with children of the uber-rich, and reports on what they were like.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 232fd83d6de0b4daffb57cdd6e9c03ba
title: Australia: foreign workers paid less than minimum wage
uri: Australia-foreign-workers-paid-less-than-minimum-wage
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Australia%3A_foreign_workers_paid_less_than_minimum_wage%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/oct/29/a-third-of-australias-foreign-workers-paid-less-than-half-minimum-wage-study">Foreign workers in Australia are systematically paid less than the minimum wage</a>, and apparently Australia will do nothing to prevent this.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 1f4a528e2153483658fcfd46133c5ba8
title: Republican candidates spouting antisemitism
uri: Republican-candidates-spouting-antisemitism
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Republican_candidates_spouting_antisemitism%29

content:
<p><a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/FMDO6h5G5ho/1807914">Many Republican candidates are now explicitly spouting antisemitism</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ac1a849a37baa24e4d5d574a26de407e
title: Europe: broad ban on offending believers
uri: Europe-broad-ban-on-offending-believers
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Europe%3A_broad_ban_on_offending_believers%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/28/none-of-us-should-enjoy-the-right-to-have-our-beliefs-shielded-from-abuse">Europe is replacing the old ban</a> on "blasphemy" with an even broader ban on offending the believers in whatever religion.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ace4fe001ede0b8b8a34981ed657b2c5
title: Analyzing politics of recent decades
uri: Analyzing-politics-of-recent-decades
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Analyzing_politics_of_recent_decades%29

content:
<p>Analyzing the politics of recent decades <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/28/nervous-states-how-feeling-took-over-the-world-william-davies-review">in terms of confused, upset, ambivalent feelings.</a></p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 075aafa4b7f5e3ae394926c6792b4504
title: Big Pharma midterms
uri: Big-Pharma-midterms
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Big_Pharma_midterms%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/27/big-pharma-midterms-republicans-democrats">A PAC that opposes the power of big pharma</a> is attacking various candidates that support those companies.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e8926281a7f2f1765687d66dfb62704c
title: Urgent: REI workers
uri: Urgent-REI-workers
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_REI_workers%29
content:
<p>
In the
US: <a href="https://www.coworker.org/petitions/boycott-the-rei-co-op-wages-matter-hours-matter-we-matter">Call
on REI</a> to give its workers better wages and working conditions.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 31732b0c597c655ea0f3df6f283b5923
title: Urgent: Breaking up big banks
uri: Urgent-Breaking-up-big-banks
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Breaking_up_big_banks%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/break_up_banks_2018">call
on Congress</a> to support the bill to break up big banks.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: c7c42ad735e8dec3261480d91cadec8b
title: Growing bacteria for food
uri: Growing-bacteria-for-food
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Growing_bacteria_for_food%29
content:
<p>
It may be possible to mass-produce food far more efficiently by
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/31/electric-food-sci-fi-diet-planet-food-animals-environment">growing
bacteria</a> using solar-generated electricity.
<p>
I hope it doesn't all taste and feel the same.


feed_id: 379aace21ae5c592d1a2b358b73facbf
title: Republican political ads
uri: Republican-political-ads
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Republican_political_ads%29
content:
<p>
Republican political ads in 2016 were designed
to <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/10/31/donald-trump-2016-election-economic-distress/">link
economic issues with bigotry</a> in a calculated way.


feed_id: 8a0ddd8d463d22bf3cf3e22c5ad4add4
title: Neo-Nazis in Germany
uri: Neo-Nazis-in-Germany
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Neo-Nazis_in_Germany%29
content:
<p>
Parts of Germany are
now <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/31/neo-nazi-eastern-chemnitz-germany-saxony">dominated
by violent neo-Nazis</a> like the ones that the bully encourages in
the US.


feed_id: 2f55f4e189d899d67566f6794a25d31d
title: Asia Bibi
uri: Asia-Bibi
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Asia_Bibi%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/31/asia-bibi-verdict-pakistan-court-overturns-blasphemy-death-sentence">Asia
Bibi has been freed</a> after 8 years in solitary confinement in
Pakistan, on charges of "blasphemy".
<p>
Now she needs
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/31/quashing-of-asia-bibis-blasphemy-charge-will-not-end-her-suffering">flee
into exile</a> or be assassinated by fanatical Muslims.


feed_id: 8e01448bb82ec727258f9a2158314033
title: Being arrested for protesting
uri: Being-arrested-for-protesting
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Being_arrested_for_protesting%29
content:
<p>
A Green member of the European
Parliament <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/31/law-breaker-save-planet-direct-action-civil-disobedience">declares
her willingness</a> to get arrested for protests to stop fracking and
other planet-roasting activities.


feed_id: 0a3c811538ffad1ae41f25883f9f5b92
title: Matthew Hedges
uri: Matthew-Hedges
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Matthew_Hedges%29
content:
<p>
Dubai has released Matthew Hedges on bail, but
he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/29/uk-academic-matthew-hedges-detained-spying-dubai-released-bail">shows
the ill effects</a> of almost 6 months of solitary confinement.
<p>
He will have to face a bogus trial represented by a lawyer he cannot
communicate with.
<p>
I am sad to say that the US also keeps prisoners in solitary
confinement
for <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-sep-dec.html#02_September_2015_(Solitary_confinement_of_gang_leaders)">long
periods of time</a> and gives some of
them <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jan-apr.html#20_February_2016_(Released_after_43_years_in_solitary_for_bogus_charges)">bogus
trials</a>
or <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-sep-dec.html#16_December_2017_(Guantanamo_injustices)">no
trial at all</a>.
This does not excuse Dubai.


feed_id: 2b131c21bb1dd7d532296716224617ec
title: Frequent small wars
uri: Frequent-small-wars
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Frequent_small_wars%29
content:
<p>
The tripartite world order, with frequent small wars and constant
cyberwar, will create lots of situations where a nuclear war could
start.  "Small" nuclear weapons, much larger than the Hiroshima
bomb, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/30/road-world-war-iii">could
make it easier</a> to start using them against conventional armies.
<p>
We need arms control treaties more than ever.


feed_id: 89a3ffc5244639da50e1000335f748f4
title: Halloween 'dangers'
uri: Halloween-dangers
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Halloween_%27dangers%27%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://letgrow.org/the-trifecta-of-halloween-urban-myths/">Refuting
urban legends</a> about Halloween "dangers".


feed_id: 9b3385a26afe9848f554b1d3f7d3f373
title: Effort to strip healthcare
uri: Effort-to-strip-healthcare
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Effort_to_strip_healthcare%29
content:
<p>
With Midterms in One
Week, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/30/midterms-one-week-bernie-sanders-says-gop-effort-strip-healthcare-32-million-should">Bernie
Sanders Says</a> GOP Effort to Strip Healthcare From 32 Million Should
Be Highlighted 'Every Hour of Every Day'.


feed_id: c29318ead0a1504c302c69eb3b5cf369
title: Cholesterol denialists
uri: Cholesterol-denialists
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Cholesterol_denialists%29
content:
<p>
Cholesterol
denialists <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/oct/30/butter-nonsense-the-rise-of-the-cholesterol-deniers">are
very persistent</a> in the face of mountains of facts.


feed_id: fa730bff705b786e26731e33c9944a44
title: Netanyahu on Pittsburgh murders
uri: Netanyahu-on-Pittsburgh-murders
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Netanyahu_on_Pittsburgh_murders%29

content:
<p>
Netanyahu condemned the murder of Jews in Pittsburgh by a right-wing
bigot,
while <a href="https://972mag.com/wish-mourn-pittsburgh-one-jewish-people-cant/138385/">continuing
to praise</a> the right-wing bigot that fomented this &mdash; and is
his main foreign ally.
And he's not the only one.


feed_id: 2c8a1f921ddecde1d654cce756c4aa75
title: Israeli policy
uri: Israeli-policy
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Israeli_policy%29
content:
<p>
B'Tselem: The Israeli left-wing camp and human rights organizations
<a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/10/israel-united-palestinians-united-nations-bds-lara-alqasem.html">seem
to have woken up</a> and are ready to fight the Netanyahu government
and its occupation policies.


feed_id: 81954a71cd8cbb25c5c8827eedf8dfac
title: Bolsonaro on the environment
uri: Bolsonaro-on-the-environment
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Bolsonaro_on_the_environment%29
content:
<p>
Bolsonaro is ideologically opposed to protecting the environment,
and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/30/bolsonaro-brazil-slayer-amazon">said
he would eliminate</a> the Ministry of the Environment.
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">Global heating</a> has made the Amazon forest vulnerable.  Continued attacks
could make it disappear shockingly fast.
<p>
He also proclaimed a campaign of genocide against indigenous peoples
that live in the forest.


feed_id: 13ea04cb15eaacb013fadf67c8441779
title: NRA discounts
uri: NRA-discounts
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28NRA_discounts%29
content:
<p>
FedEx
is <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1808489">terminating its
program</a> of discounts for NRA members.


feed_id: dee9b439673422001170a55ce9af5863
title: Hungarian journalist
uri: Hungarian-journalist
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_%28Hungarian_journalist%29
content:
<p>
A
Hungarian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/31/hungary-court-acquits-morally-incorrect-journalist-who-kicked-refugees">was
acquitted</a> by the Supreme Court of kicking and tripping refugees
rushing past her.
<p>
Her excuse is bullshit.  A person could indeed reasonably be
frightened of a mob of people running toward per; but kicking and
tripping them as they hurry past reflects not fear but malice.
<p>
I suspect therefore that this decision was a political stand disguised
as justice.


feed_id: dd2649d8858f6ba7d4d67a129314f9a3
title: Texas voting machines
uri: Texas-voting-machines
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Texas_voting_machines%29
content:
<p>
Texas Voting Machines Have Been 
<a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/negayg/texas-voting-machines-have-been-a-known-problem-for-a-decade">'a
Known Problem' for a Decade</a>.


feed_id: 7c02110bb3ac41e125a0b7d0971ee586
title: Planned assassination in Denmark
uri: Planned-assassination-in-Denmark
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Planned_assassination_in_Denmark%29

content:
<p>
Denmark 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/denmark-says-foiled-iranian-plot-kill-opposition-activist">says
that an Iranian state agency planned an assassination in Denmark</a>.
<p>
I speculate that this agency is controlled by the unelected mullahs,
not by the elected (but less powerful) president of Iran.
Does anyone know?


feed_id: 2f57f2bf470cf4e472d9bdc154cb10cb
title: Canadian glaciers
uri: Canadian-glaciers
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Canadian_glaciers%29
content:
<p>
Canadian glaciers are 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/canada-glaciers-yukon-shrinking">shrinking
even faster than was expected</a>.


feed_id: 6c0cdb9b72ecc093786e5664b5a0e49a
title: Salafi Arabia's propaganda
uri: Salafi-Arabia-s-propaganda
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Salafi_Arabias_propaganda%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a> gives money to the UN for humanitarian aid for Yemen,
and 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/oct/30/saudis-demanded-good-publicity-over-yemen-aid-leaked-un-document-shows">requires
that the aid agencies support <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a>'s propaganda for the
invasion</a>.


feed_id: 228cce45282a8d87a83862d3b0067848
title: Persistent harassment of black farmers
uri: Persistent-harassment-of-black-farmers
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Persistent_harassment_of_black_farmers%29

content:
<p>
Black farmers in Louisiana face persistent harassment and sabotage,
apparently racist,
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/america-black-farmers-louisiana-sugarcane">aimed
at driving them out</a>.


feed_id: ceb4821800c9a4b1e2dcfb65a67a6a57
title: Physical hobbies and surgery
uri: Physical-hobbies-and-surgery
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Physical_hobbies_and_surgery%29
content:
<p>
People who grew up using screens instead of doing physical hobbies
have trouble learning surgery in med school, because they 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/30/medical-students-raised-on-screens-lack-skills-for-surgery">have
never practiced making things with their hands</a>.


feed_id: 4fd7210ef213610c9644fb39861b1882
title: Building up Afghan "strong men"
uri: Building-up-Afghan-strong-men
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Building_up_Afghan_strong_men%29

content:
<p>
The US has a 
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/10/30/afghanistan-war-taliban-abdul-raziq/">practice
of building up Afghan "strong men"</a> on the premise that they can
hold down the Taliban.


feed_id: d1a5982e67e170272db608247230755c
title: Rohingya villages being erased
uri: Rohingya-villages-being-erased
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Rohingya_villages_being_erased%29

content:
<p>
The Burmese government is 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/no-one-wants-the-terrorists-back-signs-of-rohingya-erased-in-rakhine-state">erasing
all signs of the Rohingya villages</a> whose inhabitants were
violently chased out.
<p>
Nonetheless, Bangladesh 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/bangladesh-and-myanmar-agree-to-start-rohingya-repatriation-in-mid-november">plans
to start sending some Rohingya back to Burma</a>.  To where in Burma?


feed_id: 147bbcb1f0119128a6f65e7766d246e9
title: Face-recognition surveillance in schools
uri: Face-recognition-surveillance-in-schools
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Face-recognition_surveillance_in_schools%29

content:
<p>
Schools are 
<a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/j53ba3/facial-recognition-school-surveillance-v25n3">installing
face-recognition surveillance</a>.  The system is designed to
recognize only a list of specified undesirables, not to track
students.  This reduces the harm it does, but it can still cause
problems.  It could still train students to accept face-recognition
surveillance as normal.


feed_id: 5b119b3a6e55e9e2b44d4fdd4fe18d50
title: Bully claims he can override Constitution
uri: Bully-claims-he-can-override-Constitution
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Bully_claims_he_can_override_Constitution%29

content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a> 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/30/trump-birthright-citizenship-executive-order-14th-amendment">claims
he has the power to override the Constitution</a> and deny US
citizenship to the children born in the US to foreigners.


feed_id: ea98065745445ccebb05504c607829cb
title: The need to eliminate fossil fuel use
uri: The-need-to-eliminate-fossil-fuel-use
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28The_need_to_eliminate_fossil_fuel_use%29

content:
<p>
With the world's carbon sinks diminishing in effectiveness, we 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/30/climate-change-action-effective-ipcc-report-fossil-fuels">need
to eliminate use of fossil fuels</a>.
<p>
But don't forget the deforestation, and the cows, that also emit
greenhouse gases.


feed_id: ac0f9c96816e51965c7df63808a88a40
title: US brown bears
uri: US-brown-bears
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28US_brown_bears%29
content:
<p>
With 300,000 brown bears living in the US, they 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/black-bears-conservation-population-coexisting-humans">increasingly
enter into conflict with humans</a>.
<p>
What population level of brown bears do we want to have?


feed_id: 9a37fa089bcd676cafb20200d2f9fc5c
title: Teaching respect for women
uri: Teaching-respect-for-women
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Teaching_respect_for_women%29
content:
<p>
If the Men of Tomorrow Are to Respect Women, 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/30/men-respect-women-parents-patriarchy-boys">Parents
Have to Teach It</a>.


feed_id: f6f251ed9255f3d1cf986af6d01cd5d7
title: Suppression of North Dakota's voters
uri: Suppression-of-North-Dakota-s-voters
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Suppression_of_North_Dakotas_voters%29

content:
<p>
Since the Supreme Court accepted suppression of North Dakota's
indigenous voters, 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1808020">a campaign has
organized to help them satisfy the onerous requirements</a> so they
can vote after all.


feed_id: 3f1d29cd0f1e8ef285bce9f4a79234d5
title: Climate mayhem
uri: 2018-11-10-Climate-mayhem
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Climate_mayhem%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#climate">Climate mayhem</a> 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/migrant-caravan-causes-climate-change-central-america">shares
responsibility</a> for driving refugees out of Central America.


feed_id: 02943ca2340623ba87968e7be6b8dcf9
title: The win by Brazilian fascist
uri: The-win-by-Brazilian-fascist
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28The_win_by_Brazilian_fascist%29
content:
<p>
After Win by Brazilian Fascist Jair Bolsonaro, World's Capitalists
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/29/after-win-brazilian-fascist-jair-bolsonaro-worlds-capitalists-salivate-over-new">Salivate
Over 'New Investment Opportunities'</a>.
<p>
The word "investment" is misleading: these opportunities are for
asset-stripping (extraction).


feed_id: b03a270390b96ef82cb55b58b5529b38
title: US far-right extremism
uri: US-far-right-extremism
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28US_far-right_extremism%29
content:
<p>
"It seems clear that US far-right extremism is a hotbed of hatred
against both Jews and Muslims, and that 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/29/does-anti-muslimism-enable-anti-semitism">its
proponents mix the two up</a>."
<p>
Right-wing Christians are 
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/technology/hate-on-social-media.html">trying
to blame Jews for the September 2001 terrorist attacks</a>.
<p>
2000 years ago Christians tried to blame Jews for the execution of
Jesus, which (as far as we can tell) was done by the Romans who
considered him a rebel leader.  Elaine Pagels says Christians did this
hoping to avoid being considered rebels too.


feed_id: e6d676e1b5253ed3e1c8f3beb6ddfbe9
title: Teaching patients about global heating
uri: Teaching-patients-about-global-heating
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Teaching_patients_about_global_heating%29

content:
<p>
Teaching medical students to teach their future patients about 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/29/clock-ticking-addressing-climate-change-med-students-can-help">how
global heating will affect their health</a>.


feed_id: f75aabb8b991bfed421b9ff926648f30
title: Tories' cruelty to the poor
uri: Tories-cruelty-to-the-poor
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Tories_cruelty_to_the_poor%29
content:
<p>
The Tories announce they will end their policy of cruelty to the poor,
saying it has done its job.  But 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/29/no-mention-climate-crisis-and-more-austerity-theresa-mays-uk-budget-decried-insult">they
don't really plan to end it</a>.
<p>
At least, not in a substantial sense.  They have proposed 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/30/budget-income-tax-cuts-to-overwhelmingly-benefit-the-rich">substantial
tax cuts, almost entirely for fairly wealthy people</a>.
<p>
Local governments face ever more 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/30/salford-mayor">funding
cuts</a>.
<p>
To truly end the cruelty policy would mean restoring to the poor the
way of life that they had before.  Tories will never do that, because
the job they are trying to do is that of <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#doohnibor">dooH niboR</a>, and his work is
never finished.


feed_id: 024a2fd6d45b873836cd3e65f729ccf4
title: Sessions rebuked for lacking charity
uri: Sessions-rebuked-for-lacking-charity
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Sessions_rebuked_for_lacking_charity%29

content:
<p>
Christian ministers rebuked Sessions for lacking charity in an event
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1808175">supposedly in favor
of religious freedom</a>.  He had them removed.
<p>
In legal terms, Sessions was within his rights.  The First Amendment
doesn't grant a right to be in a private meeting if the organizers do
not wish it.  However, in moral terms, their point was irresistible.


feed_id: 4038650a37c9949a41d0391bdfde74a7
title: EU's link tax
uri: EU-s-link-tax
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28EUs_link_tax%29
content:
<p>
The EU's Link Tax 
<a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/10/eus-link-tax-will-kill-open-access-and-creative-commons-news">Will
Kill [free publication of news] and Creative Commons News</a>.


feed_id: 193a9bdda252c780b51cd4c8aeabcd57
title: The synagogue targeted by the terrorist
uri: The-synagogue-targeted-by-the-terrorist
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28The_synagogue_targeted_by_the_terrorist%29

content:
<p>
The synagogue used as the terrorist's target was 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/29/solidarity-after-massacre-jews-pittsburgh-and-how-best-defend-ourselves">known
for aiding and defending immigrants in the US</a>.


feed_id: c340cbd9b53d235c54e3cb51df2998ff
title: Bigot's "stochastic terrorism"
uri: Bigot-s-stochastic-terrorism
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Bigots_stochastic_terrorism%29
content:
<p>
What the bigot in chief practices is 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/further/2018/10/27/once-again-be-whole">"stochastic
terrorism"</a>: stirring up others to commit terrorism against
randomly chosen members of groups he demonizes.
<p>
The 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/29/gab-forced-offline-following-anti-semitic-posts-by-pittsburgh-shooter">hate
groups</a> in which people speak in favor of violence, in a way that
will sooner or later bring about real violence, can be described as
"collective incitement to stochastic violence."
<p>
Perhaps this can lead to a good criterion for judging the proper
boundaries of freedom of speech, which have never included incitement
to violence.


feed_id: 3f3e6c668eae00c9ff514a00c1b0831c
title: Anti-semitism
uri: Anti-semitism
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Anti-semitism%29
content:
<p>
Right-wing bigots 
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/10/24/conspiracy-theories-about-soros-arent-just-false-theyre-anti-semitic/">target
George Soros as a stand-in for Jews in general</a>.  What they are
doing is anti-semitism.
<p>
Now that anti-semitism is a real danger, in the US and other
countries, with help from the bigot in chief, let's make sure not to
confuse the issue by mixing it up with support for the human rights of
Palestinians.


feed_id: 704c073bdbb7d6c33613b89a13c6c62e
title: Children breathing toxic air
uri: Children-breathing-toxic-air
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Children_breathing_toxic_air%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/29/air-pollution-worlds-children-breathing-toxic-air-who-study-finds">90%
of World's Children</a> Are Breathing Toxic Air.
<p>
The particulate pollution causes 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2006-may-aug.html#01%20June%202006%20(Air%20pollution%20in%20pregnancy)">permanent
damage to their mental capacity</a>.  The fact that the plutocratic
system refuses to act to fix this demonstrates its moral bankruptcy.
However, fascists would not be any better &mdash; I expect they would
rejoice that the public will be less intelligent 20 and 40 years from
now, and easier for them to manipulate into supporting fascists.
<p>
Real democracy, even the imperfect democracy that we used to have,
did a better job.


feed_id: 771e5cd56303ac64bdd63675799442d1
title: Salafi Arabia
uri: 2018-11-10-Salafi-Arabia
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Salafi_Arabia%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a> wants to invest in promotion of its good name
by 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/commentisfree/2018/oct/28/may-i-have-a-word-about-sports-washing-and-cover-ups">sponsoring
another form of football competition</a>.
<p>
Don't forget the 1978 football world cup, with which the Argentine
military dictatorship tried to use to distract from 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jul-oct.html#10_August_2016_(Henry_Kissinger_mass_killings)">murderous
tyranny</a>.


feed_id: f97f5922a90ee6ba787f75b01e605ecc
title: Urgent: Social media monitoring
uri: Urgent-Social-media-monitoring
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Social_media_monitoring%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.freepress.net/sign/internet_spying_social">call
on Congress</a> to put a stop to social media monitoring for purposes
of repressing protests.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: ca6c237e96b682d9f5920658bbbc9196
title: EPA climate pages
uri: EPA-climate-pages
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28EPA_climate_pages%29
content:
<p>
The EPA's pages on <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#climate">climate mayhem</a> were taken down a year ago for an
"update".  Apparently that
is <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/8xjwpz/the-epa-page-that-provided-climate-change-information-is-just-gone-now">Republican-speak
for "deletion"</a>.


feed_id: a05d396a9922d840314297b91c371f33
title: Thirty Meter Telescope
uri: Thirty-Meter-Telescope
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Thirty_Meter_Telescope%29
content:
<p>
Hawaii's supreme
court <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/01/hawaii-telescope-mauna-kea-conservation">approved
construction</a> of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea.
<p>
I support construction of the telescope.  Advances in astronomy serve
all of humanity.  The claim that "the whole mountain is sacred because
we have rituals in various places" is too weak to justify blocking
anything.  No religion merits the level of political power that is
being claimed here.


feed_id: d68c4f0b9307faf5764dd980e4327352
title: Brazil's embassy in Israel
uri: Brazil-s-embassy-in-Israel
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Brazil%27s_embassy_in_Israel%29
content:
<p>
Bolsonaro says he will align Brazil with the Israeli occupation of
Palestine
by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/01/bolsonaro-brazil-embassy-jerusalem">moving
Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem</a>.
<p>
ISTR that Bolsonaro is an evangelical.  Many evangelicals think of
Jews as their allies in the end of the world &hellip; up to the last
stage, in which the Jews are to
be <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2011-may-aug.html#03_May_2011_(Converting_Immigrants)">bullied
into converting</a> to Christianity.
<p>
It is possible in principle for Jerusalem to be shared as the capital
of Israel and the capital of Palestine, but Netanyahu would never
tolerate such a just solution.


feed_id: 953550eff0e9ff1f9eec42cc6e1baa8a
title: UK heatwaves
uri: UK-heatwaves
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28UK_heatwaves%29
content:
<p>
Manifest <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a> effects: heatwaves in the UK
last <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/nov/02/uk-heatwaves-lasting-twice-as-long-as-50-years-ago-met-office">more
than twice as many days</a> as they did 50 years ago.


feed_id: 36ae24af7cff8d730ffb68c6dfc2de73
title: Sunscreen ban
uri: Sunscreen-ban
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Sunscreen_ban%29
content:
<p>
Palau
will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/02/pacific-island-to-introduce-world-first-reef-toxic-sunscreen-ban">ban
most sunscreens</a> because they contain chemicals that are damaging
the coral in the lagoon.


feed_id: d614d75b84111b468c3dec4339f621fc
title: Oceans absorbing heat
uri: Oceans-absorbing-heat
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Oceans_absorbing_heat%29
content:
<p>
Better measurements of temperatures in the oceans show that they have
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/31/startling-new-research-finds-large-buildup-heat-oceans-suggesting-faster-rate-global-warming/">absorbed
60% more heat</a> than scientists previously believed.


feed_id: 11603f63d072cf27edf2d81ab86bed44
title: Unionized jet-engine repairmen
uri: Unionized-jet-engine-repairmen
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Unionized_jet-engine_repairmen%29

content:
<p>
In the 1970s, when unions in Britain were strong, unionized jet-engine
repairmen <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/01/on-your-way-pinochet-factory-workers-fought-fascism-from-glasgow-chile-coup-nae-pasaran">grounded
Pinochet's air force</a> by refusing to overhaul its engines.


feed_id: 18c0a1b018f086575434b16fe3fd26cb
title: Early voter suppression numbers
uri: Early-voter-suppression-numbers
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Early_voter_suppression_numbers%29

content:
<p>
(satire) &hellip; representatives from Brian Kemp’s gubernatorial
campaign were reportedly energized Thursday
after <a href="https://politics.theonion.com/brian-kemp-campaign-energized-after-seeing-early-voter-1830158728">perusing
early voter suppression numbers</a>.  "It's very exciting to see that
with five days to go before the election, thousands of Georgians have
already unsuccessfully attempted to cast their ballots&hellip;"


feed_id: 79e853d4868ece855d19bccaac221bef
title: Sources of political violence
uri: Sources-of-political-violence
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Sources_of_political_violence%29

content:
<p>
Right-wing and racist views
motivate <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/01/blaming-both-sides-hate-plays-hands-right-wing-media">70%
of political violence</a> in the US.
<p>
Left-wing views were behind a minuscule 3 percent.


feed_id: 63e30457583ac5779da03b6576b48172
title: Index of internet freedom
uri: Index-of-internet-freedom
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Index_of_internet_freedom%29
content:
<p>
Most of the world is subject to increasing censorship, surveillance
and manipulation of the internet; the index of internet freedom has
been <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/01/global-internet-freedom-plummets-governments-use-censorship-and-surveillance-quash">declining
for eight years</a> now.


feed_id: 8ee7698a0278543e129ea55d1a284784
title: Advice from US veterans
uri: Advice-from-US-veterans
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Advice_from_US_veterans%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/01/your-commander-chief-lying-you-veterans-issue-open-letter-active-duty-us-soldiers">US
veterans tell soldiers</a>: "You should refuse his orders to deploy to
the southern U.S. border should you be called to do so."


feed_id: bbd78e86110c54c83a9624971ec0b889
title: Global heating initiatives
uri: Global-heating-initiatives
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Global_heating_initiatives%29
content:
<p>
The <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#planet">planet roasters</a>
are <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/10/31/big-oil-sloshing-crude-tsunami-across-country">spending
millions to defeat</a> state-level voter initiatives to try to reduce
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a>.


feed_id: b83a34dd5d011588f7e865b243ee3788
title: Killing people for "blasphemy"
uri: Killing-people-for-blasphemy
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Killing_people_for_blasphemy%29
content:
<p>
Fanatical Muslims' 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/01/asia-bibi-anti-blasphemy-protests-spread-across-pakistan">protests
in favor of killing people for "blasphemy"</a> brought Pakistan to a
halt.


feed_id: 65bd983ef817e48a34e8d1159fde43f9
title: North Atlantic right whales
uri: 2018-11-11-North-Atlantic-right-whales
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28North_Atlantic_right_whales%29
content:
<p>
Canada should close more fishing areas to protect North Atlantic right
whales, which are 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/01/canada-urged-expand-fisheries-closures-save-north-atlantic-right-whale">headed
for extinction and often killed by fishing gear</a>.


feed_id: 13f1849fb7ac03935669825d6f563182
title: Return of former Maldives president
uri: Return-of-former-Maldives-president
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Return_of_former_Maldives_president%29

content:
<p>
Former Maldives President Nasheed has 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/01/former-maldives-president-mohamed-nasheed-who-sought-asylum-in-uk-returns">returned
from exile</a>.


feed_id: 9cb1cd3179bdd8d47afa91a3e04a81cb
title: Migrations to the US
uri: Migrations-to-the-US
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Migrations_to_the_US%29
content:
<p>
"Spate of caravans [from Central America] doesn't mean that more
people are migrating [to the US] &mdash; they are
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/01/migrant-caravan-el-salvador-more-visible">just
doing so in a more visible manner</a>."


feed_id: 3e85952494611b71094cafd6cfca86bd
title: Removal of children from prison in Nauru
uri: Removal-of-children-from-prison-in-Nauru
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Removal_of_children_from_prison_in_Nauru%29

content:
<p>
The Australian government says it will remove all children (does that
mean all minors?) from prison in Nauru 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/01/the-coalition-is-right-to-remove-children-from-nauru-but-theres-very-little-to-celebrate">by
the end of the year</a>, along 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/01/decision-to-bring-children-from-nauru-an-admission-of-failure-by-government">with
their families</a>.
<p>
The children will not be allowed to stay in Australia, so where will
they go?  Will Australia drop them in another island tyranny?
<p>
The adult prisoners are also being driven mad by their conditions.


feed_id: 8adb7d2a972a2ccec66b5538467a0776
title: Franking and earthquakes in the UK
uri: Franking-and-earthquakes-in-the-UK
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Franking_and_earthquakes_in_the_UK%29

content:
<p>
Fracking in the UK is running into trouble with standards for 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/01/minor-earthquakes-emerge-uk-major-fracking-threat-lancashire">how
big an earthquake it is permitted to cause</a>.
<p>
Naturally, the frackers respond by saying, "Relax the standards."  I
expect the Tories will do that sooner or later, since the planet
roasters are one of their principal sponsors.
<p>
The vital reasons to ban fracking are the danger of 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-sep-dec.html#26_December_2016_(Impacts_of_fracking_on_drinking_water)">contaminating
water supplies</a> and, above all, the 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#20_June_2014_(Oil_and_frack_wells_leaking_methane)">contribution
to global heating</a>.  All 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_(The_need_to_eliminate_fossil_fuel_use)">extreme
fossil fuels</a> need to be protected from extraction, and most of the
rest: in all,
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jan-apr.html#20_February_2016_(Fight_to_keep_fossil_fuel_in_ground)">80%
of known reserves must be left in the ground</a>.


feed_id: af34c4b8714b1bee1df97984b9166724
title: Sri Lanka's Prime Minister
uri: Sri-Lanka-s-Prime-Minister
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Sri_Lankas_Prime_Minister%29
content:
<p>
Sri Lanka's parliament 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/01/sri-lanka-president-to-recall-parliament-in-bid-to-resolve-pm-row">will
meet to decide who is Prime Minister</a>.
<p>
That resolves the immediate constitutional crisis, but the prospect of
giving power back to the 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2008-nov-feb.html#14%20January%202009%20(Lasantha%20Wickramatunga)">murdering</a>
and 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2013-jan-apr.html#26_March_2013_(Sri_Lanka_keeps_Tamils_in_prison)">torturing
Rajapaksa</a> is still present.


feed_id: 4d47ecb523a68ef20c2eb16a98f7acb4
title: Town in Burma inundated by sea
uri: Town-in-Burma-inundated-by-sea
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Town_in_Burma_inundated_by_sea%29

content:
<p>
A town in Burma is being steadily inundated by the sea.  The town's
well now yields salt water.  Annual rains have become rapid, 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/01/we-feel-like-hermit-crabs-myanmar-climate-dispossessed">flooding
150,000 people off their land</a>.


feed_id: c5eecb0c92c5c2571d200f1183e69aec
title: Polling places closed by officials
uri: Polling-places-closed-by-officials
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Polling_places_closed_by_officials%29

content:
<p>
Republican state officials have 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1808978">closed
thousands of polling places</a> to make it harder for typically
Democratic demographics to vote.


feed_id: 129894b946d165b346414347caa80a34
title: Push for cease-fire in Yemen
uri: Push-for-cease-fire-in-Yemen
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Push_for_cease-fire_in_Yemen%29
content:
<p>
Mattis's push for a cease-fire in Yemen reflects i
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/10/31/mattiss-call-yemen-ceasefire-shows-congress-getting-closer-forcing-us-military">pressure
in the Senate</a> for an end to US support for Salafi Arabia's
invasion and bombardment of Yemen.


feed_id: 746d91a17756dcb7d2439b787d8e1f7f
title: Singapore's censorship
uri: Singapore-s-censorship
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Singapores_censorship%29
content:
<p>
Singapore's censorship 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/30/singapore-police-arrest-17-year-old-amos-yee-critical-lee-kuan-yew-video">makes
it a crime to insult people</a>, especially dead rulers of Singapore.
<p>
Singapore also joins in the world-wide trend to 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#9_November_2018_(Europe:_broad_ban_on_offending_believers)">prohibit
blasphemy against any religion</a>, which dents freedom of speech in
many parts of the world.


feed_id: f6245c6ea184eded66af655f54074fbb
title: Another financial crisis
uri: Another-financial-crisis
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Another_financial_crisis%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#cheater">The cheater</a> has given US banks 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/31/needlessly-gambling-taxpayer-money-trumps-fed-moves-gut-big-bank-safeguards">permission
to run closer to the edge</a> of another financial crisis.
<p>
The financial crisis of 2008-2009 caused big paper losses in the stock
market, but they were temporary.  Meanwhile, it gave banks a special
opportunity to take millions of Americans' homes by 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_September_2018_(Financial_crisis_of_2008)">fraudulent
foreclosures</a>.  Maybe they would like to have another crisis.


feed_id: 90d59ce0e69b641145a6cdddf32a8b7c
title: Funds for deradicalizing terrorists
uri: Funds-for-deradicalizing-terrorists
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Funds_for_deradicalizing_terrorists%29

content:
<p>
The US government used to funds efforts to deradicalize potential
right-wing terrorists.  <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a> 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1808828">shifted it to focus
on potential Islamist terrorists</a>.
<p>
Apparently he wanted to demonize Muslims (whether Islamists or not)
and legitimize right-wing terrorism.
<p>
But now he plans to shut the program down entirely.


feed_id: 00b1d02dffbb323ee98e1661f9088d57
title: Thug charged after beating up teenager
uri: Thug-charged-after-beating-up-teenager
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Thug_charged_after_beating_up_teenager%29

content:
<p>
A <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thug</a> who beat up and kicked a teenager that he was arresting, and
stated the intention to frame him, has been 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/31/racist-police-attack-accusations-latino-teen-massachusetts">charged</a>.
<p>
The <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thug</a> committed two distinct acts that are, or ought to be,
separate crimes.  One was physical violence with no need or
justification.  The other was threatening to frame someone.
<p>
Either one should disqualify him from working for any <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thug</a> department
ever again.


feed_id: eb89dd24cb5a0f3877a4ea410633f0bd
title: End of war in Yemen
uri: End-of-war-in-Yemen
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28End_of_war_in_Yemen%29
content:
<p>
The 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/31/khashoggi-may-be-tipping-point-in-yemens-agony">reaction
to Khashoggi's murder</a> may make it possible to end the war in
Yemen.


feed_id: 7c02052bcdb4af0a7338b74d0e99be49
title: Wilderness areas
uri: Wilderness-areas
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Wilderness_areas%29
content:
<p>
Most of the world's remaining wilderness areas are in 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/31/five-countries-hold-70-of-worlds-last-wildernesses-map-reveals">Australia,
the US, Brazil, Russia and Canada</a>.
<p>
All of them are ruled by extractivists.


feed_id: 747f54a1e9b8160ba35e374f7c6bc286
title: Book censorship in Hong Kong
uri: Book-censorship-in-Hong-Kong
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#10_November_2018_%28Book_censorship_in_Hong_Kong%29
content:
<p>
China has 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/oct/31/a-chapter-closes-last-hong-kong-bookshop-selling-titles-banned-in-china-shuts">fully
imposed</a> its book censorship on Hong Kong.


feed_id: 32f6b5d8d94049c901813d3b082f457b
title: Urgent: Progressive agenda
uri: Urgent-Progressive-agenda
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Progressive_agenda%29
content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/midterms_18">Call
on congressional Democrats</a> to champion a progressive agenda and
not shy away from conflict with the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> and his plutocrats.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 83df70b63dd7d2bf7e6070622fd60387
title: Google's nonfree JS code
uri: Google-s-nonfree-JS-code
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Google%27s_nonfree_JS_code%29
content:
<p>
Google now requires all users
to <a href="https://security.googleblog.com/2018/10/announcing-some-security-treats-to.html">run
nonfree JS code</a> in order to log in.
<p>
It says this is for "security" &mdash; security against entities other
than Google.  However, running Javascript code controlled by Google's
web site, or by any other web site, makes you vulnerable.  If the
Javascript
code <a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html">carries
a free license</a> then we are legally allowed to maintain our own
modified versions to use instead.


feed_id: 736caeed83c8c1bfa1af36d69037e909
title: Creek nation slaves
uri: Creek-nation-slaves
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Creek_nation_slaves%29
content:
<p>
The descendants of black slaves owned by the Creeks, and taken with
them to Oklahoma,
are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/02/black-americans-native-creek-nation">suing
to be recognized</a> by the Creek nation.


feed_id: c8427aa182eff2ed6df405150ecad984
title: Deportation thugs at courthouses
uri: Deportation-thugs-at-courthouses
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Deportation_thugs_at_courthouses%29

content:
<p>
Unauthorized immigrants are in great danger if they go to a courthouse
in New York City.  The deportation <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> prowl
around <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/02/ice-arrests-video-nyc-courts/">looking
for targets to deport</a>.
<p>
When they are defendants, they get worse verdicts and sentences
because the usual options offered are impossible for them in
immigration prison.
<p>
Or they may be witnesses, in which case others are denied justice due
to the lack of their testimony.
<p>
The nastiest thing is that city <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> seem to be reporting them
to the deportation <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a>.


feed_id: 59de41bfd247d67d36f7c5851e04a076
title: Big Oil ads
uri: Big-Oil-ads
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Big_Oil_ads%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-big-oil-dodges-facebooks-new-ad-transparency-rules">How
Big Oil Dodges</a> Facebook’s New Ad Transparency Rules.
Apparently they are rather weak rules.


feed_id: 3e29dc60f99e3d8ddb1e51698535433d
title: Recalcitrant seeds
uri: Recalcitrant-seeds
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Recalcitrant_seeds%29
content:
<p>
1/3 of the endangered plant
species <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/xwjqzj/seed-vaults-cant-save-a-third-of-critically-endangered-plants">produce
"recalcitrant" seeds</a> which can't be saved in a seed bank, because
they can't survive being dried and frozen.
<p>
The problematical plants include oaks and mangoes.


feed_id: 87f0deb2488e6476df89414c3183e120
title: Asia Bibi stopped
uri: Asia-Bibi-stopped
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Asia_Bibi_stopped%29
content:
<p>
Pakistan has bowed to fanatical Muslims
by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/02/outrage-as-pakistani-government-vows-to-stop-asia-bibi-leaving">stopping
Asia Bibi</a> from leaving the country.
This will give the fanatics what they demand: a chance to murder
her.


feed_id: 3f6df9a7b8a9df08bd5f0b170131ee28
title: Medicine and food to Iran
uri: Medicine-and-food-to-Iran
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Medicine_and_food_to_Iran%29
content:
<p>
US banking sanctions against Iran will block the import of medicine
and food.  This
will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/02/iran-sanctions-us-european-humanitarian-supplies">kill
sick people</a>.
<p>
Something similar happened with the US sanctions against Iraq in the
90s: nominally food and medicine was exempt, but in practice importing
them was difficult.


feed_id: bdecf59f5b3be8f0a6671b408b27b95c
title: Broken police force
uri: Broken-police-force
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Broken_police_force%29
content:
<p>
A broken (financial) police force is great for the super-rich.
But <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/02/broken-police-force-super-rich">not
for the rest of us</a>.


feed_id: de9926cfd7847b35fbed1ad54b45f7af
title: Biden's privacy bill
uri: Biden-s-privacy-bill
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Biden%27s_privacy_bill%29
content:
<p>
Senator Biden's privacy bill has admirably firm sanctions, but still
<a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/11/proposed-data-privacy-law-could-send-company-execs-to-prison-for-20-years/">has
the usual flaw</a> that it regulates mainly the use of data rather
than trying to stop it from being collected.
<p>
This means that the data bases will still be waiting for the FBI to
hoover up everything about everybody's activities using PAT RIOT Act.


feed_id: b04be7389563160b176cc4bb6710bd3f
title: Antarctic ocean nature reserve
uri: Antarctic-ocean-nature-reserve
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Antarctic_ocean_nature_reserve%29

content:
<p>
Russia, China, and Norway killed
the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/02/plan-create-worlds-biggest-nature-reserve-antarctic-rejected">proposed
Antarctic ocean nature reserve</a>.


feed_id: aeadd0b6d4d999ad90c5b114802cbeb4
title: War in Yemen
uri: 2018-11-11-War-in-Yemen
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28War_in_Yemen%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a> responded to US talk of a cease-fire
by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/02/end-war-yemen-children-conflict-escalates-around-hodeidah-hospital">increasing
the intensity of the war</a>.


feed_id: c632dcfa1e8c48a6bbbf5d2106e78f26
title: Vulnerable banking system
uri: Vulnerable-banking-system
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Vulnerable_banking_system%29
content:
<p>
More about how the plutocratists are making the US banking
system <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/02/dodd-frank-rollback-wall-street-volcker-rule/">more
vulnerable again</a>.


feed_id: 4906e32281d79a7dc0fc306d7a615f8f
title: In-vitro fertilization and adoption
uri: In-vitro-fertilization-and-adoption
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28In-vitro_fertilization_and_adoption%29

content:
<p>
In the UK, as in-vitro fertilization becomes more effective, 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/03/england-adoption-rates-falling-as-ivf-improves-says-senior-official">adoption
declines</a>.  Some children can't find parents, and that tends to
hurt them badly.
<p>
This is yet another reason to discourage IVF.


feed_id: 967690e3f230f6e10b85aab55499fa28
title: Lion Air skips maintenance
uri: Lion-Air-skips-maintenance
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Lion_Air_skips_maintenance%29
content:
<p>
Indonesia's low-priced airline Lion Air appears to reduce costs by
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/03/why-did-it-fly-grief-mixes-with-anger-over-crashed-lion-air-flight">skipping
maintenance</a>.
<p>
Airlines would do this in other countries too, but it depends on being
able to corrupt the aviation safety inspectors.


feed_id: 23a8a4f4afc9fe5d6b677074410421cd
title: Plan to kick unemployed people off Medicaid
uri: Plan-to-kick-unemployed-people-off-Medicaid
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Plan_to_kick_unemployed_people_off_Medicaid%29

content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a> 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1809191">approved Scott
Walker's plan</a> to kick unemployed people off Medicaid.


feed_id: 8cb85f1d3502231f5516eaf59c3dde7f
title: Delayed release of imprisoned refugee minors
uri: Delayed-release-of-imprisoned-refugee-minors
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Delayed_release_of_imprisoned_refugee_minors%29

content:
<p>
"Happy Birthday, we're sending you to prison."  The deportation <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a>
artificially delay the release of imprisoned refugee minors for
months, so it can have a chance to
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1809447">move them
permanently to prisons for adult refugees</a>.


feed_id: 1c7d62777e7c7f6aee18e589c4910e50
title: Elsevier condemned as parasite on science
uri: Elsevier-condemned-as-parasite-on-science
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Elsevier_condemned_as_parasite_on_science%29

content:
<p>
A Swedish ISP, which has been 
<a href="https://torrentfreak.com/swedish-isp-protest-site-blocking-by-blocking-rightsholders-website-and-more-181102/">ordered
to block access to Sci-Hib</a>, has blocked Elsevier.com as well,
diverting it to a site that condemns Elsevier as a parasite on
science.


feed_id: a3b69df39471f7731c971179c448a1d0
title: Terrorists attack bus in Egypt
uri: Terrorists-attack-bus-in-Egypt
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Terrorists_attack_bus_in_Egypt%29

content:
<p>
Islamist terrorists in Egypt attacked a bus and 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/03/egypt-attack-gunmen-kill-coptic-christians-bus-ambush">killed
seven Christian pilgrims</a>.
<p>
They have used a strained excuse to scapegoat Christians for the
military coup &mdash; this reminds me of what the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> does to his
preferred scapegoats.


feed_id: 0f9ea287a9b5fc4c844c78a92c27579f
title: Digital payments and ATMs
uri: Digital-payments-and-ATMs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Digital_payments_and_ATMs%29
content:
<p>
Australia has been hit by a 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/03/eftpos-outage-carry-cash-says-telstra-as-problem-continues-for-second-day">nationwide
outage of digital payments and ATMs</a>.
<p>
This is a superficial reason to carry cash and pay cash.
It will presumably be temporary.
<p>
I hope people will see the deeper reason to carry cash and pay cash,
since that is likely to be permanent unless we can get the world to
adopt our anonymous digital purchase payment system, 
<a href="https://taler.net/">GNU Taler</a>.


feed_id: 2d21cfc8f705e5e2a3ab1925fb578147
title: Thousands of Google staff protest
uri: Thousands-of-Google-staff-protest
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Thousands_of_Google_staff_protest%29

content:
<p>
Thousands of Google staff 
<a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/11/google-offices-from-mountain-view-to-atlanta-protest-sexual-misconduct/">demand
the company respect the rights of employees that make accusations of
sexual harassment</a>.
<p>
I support this cause, but since the victims of this particular wrong
are limited to Google's workers, I think that Google's injustices to
its users (nonfree software, surveillance and tracking, soon perhaps
censorship in China) are overridingly bigger wrongs.
<p>
The "solutions" Google promotes for surveillance and tracking, which
include "transparency" ("We tell you roughly how much we track people
for the state") and "security" ("We protect your data from some sorts
of misuse by parties other than Google and the state"), are
fundamentally inadequate.  And Google does not even recognize 
<a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">nonfree
software</a> as an injustice, whether in
<a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html">web
pages</a> or in 
<a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/android.html">phones</a>, and
nearly all Google products and services offer no way to escape nonfree
software except the one I use: reject them.
<p>
What Google needs to do, to avoid injustice to its users, is stop
collecting data about individuals, stop asking users to run nonfree
software, and refuse to censor for China or any other state.


feed_id: c52e5b8a1ca1966b335cd3e6420d1c08
title: Ending America's culture of militarism
uri: Ending-America-s-culture-of-militarism
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Ending_Americas_culture_of_militarism%29

content:
<p>
"No matter what cause you feel most passionate about, ending America’s
culture of militarism would benefit it."  But 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/01/why-arent-more-young-people-involved-anti-war-movement">young
Americans tend to disregard the US's global war</a>.
<p>
The US's global war is spread across many countries, low
intensity in most of them, and often carried out via proxies such as
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a>.  These things make it easier for Americans to ignore.


feed_id: 047267f893dd8473024707799cd1a79b
title: Avoiding global climate disaster
uri: Avoiding-global-climate-disaster
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Avoiding_global_climate_disaster%29

content:
<p>
We have 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/01/we-have-12-years-save-or-lose-our-only-home">12
years to avoid global climate disaster</a> &mdash; and we need to
start the work long before that.  The work includes region-level and
global actions, which require political decisions.


feed_id: db7cb5a954cee559d8745ba2e87d78b0
title: US electric power system
uri: US-electric-power-system
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28US_electric_power_system%29
content:
<p>
The US electric power system 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/01/pjm-study-repeats-obvious-coal-retirements-are-not-impacting-grid-reliability">does
not need to keep old coal and nuclear power plants running</a>.
<p>
However, we need to move away from fossil fuels faster than that.
We should get moving constructing energy storage so that we can
move completely to renewable generation.


feed_id: e9eb80e9cdf3c680ae2d7d5a41236dda
title: Bully's cruel policies
uri: Bully-s-cruel-policies
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Bullys_cruel_policies%29
content:
<p>
Some of the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a>'s cruel policies 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/02/targeting-vulnerable-refugees-trumps-racist-fearmongering-make-his-billionaire">pay
off tremendously for some of his billionaire backers</a>.


feed_id: 1e1e7a3388fe7126af7821404ea5075f
title: Investigator Mueller
uri: Investigator-Mueller
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Investigator_Mueller%29
content:
<p>
The election results will affect 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/02/robert-mueller-ballot-year-too">whether
the bully dares to fire investigator Mueller</a>.


feed_id: 82c3d30340e2cb9e340eed5e6f7d6c16
title: Imprisoned refugee minors in Tornillo
uri: Imprisoned-refugee-minors-in-Tornillo
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Imprisoned_refugee_minors_in_Tornillo%29

content:
<p>
The US government 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/02/warehousing-immigrant-children-texas-desert">keeps
over a thousand refugee minors prisoner</a> in Tornillo, Texas.  To
make sure they will stay a long time, the US demands fingerprints and
background checks for everyone that lives with the family that wants
to sponsor them.
<p>
Demanding someone's fingerprints is asking too much.  I would not give
my fingerprints for almost anything unless I am coerced into it.
Because that demand drives off possible sponsors &mdash; and not to
mention that someone else living there may not dare call the attention
of the deportation <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> &mdash; this policy is a gratuitous cruelty
to the prisoners.
<p>
It is a mistake to call them "children".  Some of them are 16 or 17
years old, which is too old to be called that.


feed_id: 7a6ed81f47c9b05058c03116b483c9f3
title: Billionaire Super PACs
uri: Billionaire-Super-PACs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Billionaire_Super_PACs%29
content:
<p>
Just 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/02/just-56-megadonors-funnel-nearly-half-billion-dollars-super-pacs">56
[billionaire plutocrats]</a> Funnel Nearly Half a Billion Dollars to
Super PACs.
<p>
That is more than 1/3 of the campaign spending for this election.  If
their attempt to buy the election is successful, it threatens to lock
the US into lasting domination by those enemies of democracy.
<p>
Here is 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/02/midterm-spending-top-political-donors-sheldon-adelson">information
on the 20 biggest spenders</a>.
<p>
Some of them are labeled as "Liberal", but in several cases the PACs
they donate to seem to support plutocratist Democrats &mdash; not
really Liberals as I understand the word.


feed_id: 02287d900f05715f06daa3b34ff10444
title: City for nation's wealthiest residents
uri: City-for-nation-s-wealthiest-residents
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28City_for_nations_wealthiest_residents%29

content:
<p>
(satire) &hellip; the nation’s wealthiest residents 
<a href="https://www.theonion.com/wealthy-americans-assure-populace-that-heavily-armed-fl-1830183535">assured
the rest of the American public Friday that the heavily armed city
being built in the sky high above the central United States had
nothing to do with anything</a> and could just be ignored.
<p>
The sad thing is, they are 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-jul-oct.html#14_July_2018_(Billionaire_consultation)">really
doing this</a>, but in a less visible way.


feed_id: 80bec64ffbc37814cc86c38885a1ac81
title: Troll's cut in land deals
uri: Troll-s-cut-in-land-deals
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Trolls_cut_in_land_deals%29
content:
<p>
(satire) &hellip; the White House revealed Friday that it was
concerned Ryan Zinke had 
<a href="https://politics.theonion.com/white-house-concerned-ryan-zinke-made-land-deal-without-1830183348">made
a land deal without giving a cut to President Trump</a>.


feed_id: e8a99a689e4ba1cc478d0f15f970e3db
title: The lessons of Sanders
uri: The-lessons-of-Sanders
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28The_lessons_of_Sanders%29
content:
<p>
Applying 
<a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/what-a-rural-maine-house-race-can-teach-the-left/">the
lessons of Sanders</a> to a state house district in Maine.


feed_id: 1d7945ca6b9cc30ba46cf506096c7ed7
title: Republican voter-suppression policies
uri: Republican-voter-suppression-policies
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Republican_voter-suppression_policies%29

content:
<p>
US courts 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/02/gop-attacks-voting-rights-federal-court-rulings-enable-suppression-days-ahead">approved
Republican voter-suppression policies</a> that target everyone in
Dodge City, and indigenous people in North Dakota.


feed_id: 68bcc8ec7410e99f7d0bc1c661d88e32
title: Religious extremists
uri: Religious-extremists
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Religious_extremists%29
content:
<p>
(satire) A former Christian extremist from Florida 
<a href="https://local.theonion.com/conservative-floridian-enjoys-living-under-sharia-law-m-1830188924">feels
right at home</a> as a Muslim.


feed_id: ca2e131952039be070e5e2670263a318
title: The Georgia election
uri: The-Georgia-election
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28The_Georgia_election%29
content:
<p>
A court has 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/02/victory-over-gop-suppression-scheme-court-rules-thousands-georgians-must-be-allowed">rejected
another one of Kemp's schemes</a> for rigging the Georgia election.


feed_id: d65ba79f9b03f8cea0081372bc327798
title: US deportation thugs
uri: 2018-11-12-US-deportation-thugs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28US_deportation_thugs%29
content:
<p>
US deportation <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> jailed Guadalupe Plascencia, refusing to believe
she was a US citizen, and 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1808855">treated her with
contempt</a>.
<p>
Part of this was a mistake, and everyone makes mistakes.  However,
treating prisoners with contempt is wrong even if they are not
citizens.


feed_id: c2423f2e2d29b348d75f8f62ac810d79
title: Protesters shot by Nigerian soldiers
uri: Protesters-shot-by-Nigerian-soldiers
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Protesters_shot_by_Nigerian_soldiers%29

content:
<p>
Nigerian soldiers 
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/world/africa/nigeria-trump-rocks.html">shot
at a crowd of protesters</a>, killing quite a few, after some started
throwing rocks.
<p>
Officials said they were 
<a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/11/01/equating-rocks-with-rifles-trump-proposes-radical-new-rules-of-engagement-for-troops-along-border/">getting
their human rights guidance from the bullshitter</a>.
<p>
Rocks are weapons, but not very effective weapons, especially when
thrown by hand by people without special training.  (Since they cited
David and Goliath, keep in mind that David reportedly used a sling to
throw the rock hard, and had trained his aim through hunting.)  The
soldiers were presumably protected by armor including helmets, and in
hardly any danger.  They should have held their fire.
<p>
This shooting is likely to lead to worse violence.


feed_id: da7308292f808fde77db8c639221c92a
title: Zero-tolerance gods
uri: Zero-tolerance-gods
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Zero-tolerance_gods%29
content:
<p>
It's 
<a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/01/brickbats">not
unusual</a> for officials to make zero-tolerance their god, and cause
harm in the name of strictness, their god.


feed_id: a765cb17b2a71a805862d58c5f5558ed
title: Effective treatment for child's epilepsy
uri: Effective-treatment-for-child-s-epilepsy
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Effective_treatment_for_childs_epilepsy%29

content:
<p>
One child's effective treatment for epilepsy 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/01/mother-says-cannabis-oil-has-been-saviour-for-epileptic-son-alfie">might
propel the UK into legalizing medical marijuana</a>.


feed_id: 88274973e1d3213db2a8d33df7ac2c50
title: Ohio's 12-to-4 Republican gerrymander
uri: Ohio-s-12-to-4-Republican-gerrymander
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Ohios_12-to-4_Republican_gerrymander%29

content:
<p>
The ACLU: 
<a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/gerrymandering/ohios-congressional-map-broken-here-are-3-ways-fix-it">how
to correct Ohio's 12-to-4 Republican gerrymander</a>.


feed_id: 0efcea6aac6dedff89aef2e92ba9d18e
title: Officials with power to suppress vote
uri: Officials-with-power-to-suppress-vote
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#11_November_2018_%28Officials_with_power_to_suppress_vote%29

content:
<p>
ACLU: 
<a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression/state-officials-who-have-power-suppress-vote">The
State Officials Who Have the Power to Suppress the Vote</a>.
<p>
Be sure to vote to replace the Republicans.


feed_id: 2d927f811b033850914a6a458d0fd35c
title: Very urgent: Florida recount
uri: Very-urgent-Florida-recount
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Very_urgent%3A_Florida_recount%29

content:
<p>
If you're a lawyer in Florida, offer to help the Gillum campaign with
the recount.  Write to volunteer@andrewgillum.com and send your name,
count(ies) you can assist in, days available this week, best phone
number, and best email address.
</p>


feed_id: a7a54d1dd3730f8995dbd33c47bffae1
title: Urgent: Press conferences
uri: Urgent-Press-conferences
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Press_conferences%29
content:
<p>
US citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/acosta">call on
the US press</a> to boycott the bully's "press conferences".</p>
<p>
I don't agree 100% with this petition.  It urges the press to boycott
the worthless "press conferences" until the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> permits Acosta to
attend them.  I think the press should shun these lie opportunities as
long as that's what they are.  However, the petition is close enough
to that as to convince me to sign it.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: b4f9a58993aec01ecbdf61bb097c0e98
title: Spanking children
uri: Spanking-children
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Spanking_children%29
content:
<p>
The American Association of Pediatricians says that spanking children,
and punishment in general, tends
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/05/spanking-children-makes-them-more-aggressive-us-pediatricians-body-says">make
them more aggressive</a> and to cause other mental problems.
<p>
My limited experience suggests that parents are more likely to be harsh
to their children when they (the parents) feel stress.  For instance,
when they are poor.  The children's resulting mental problems will tend
to keep them poor.
<p>
A good welfare system can interrupt this generational cycle of suffering.


feed_id: 0d5ec316978ed80a78a4c1de9393777f
title: Election standards
uri: Election-standards
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Election_standards%29
content:
<p>
By international standards, US
elections <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/05/u-s-elections-are-neither-free-nor-fair-states-need-to-open-their-doors-to-more-observers/">don't
qualify as free and fair</a>.


feed_id: a9477fded9daac06ed7b3796d62d45fd
title: Khashoggi's body
uri: Khashoggi-s-body
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Khashoggi%27s_body%29
content:
<p>
Khashoggi's
sons <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/05/jamal-khashoggis-sons-appeal-fathers-body-to-be-returned">demand
his body</a> so they can bury it.
<p>
The inability to produce the body will embarrass <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a> even more,
especially with Muslims.


feed_id: c7c43305566c42606e05e9c3fd6bbc28
title: Newsroom demographics
uri: Newsroom-demographics
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Newsroom_demographics%29
content:
<p>
When Newsrooms Are Dominated by White People,
They <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2018/nov/05/newsroom-diversity-media-race-journalism">Miss
Crucial Facts</a>.
<p>
I deplore the use of virtue-signifying terms such
as <a href="https://stallman.org/antiglossary.html#poc">"of color"</a>
and <a href="https://stallman.org/antiglossary.html#latinx">"Latinx"</a>,
but the point is valid.  News reporting is an area where representing
demographic groups is directly pertinent to doing the job properly.


feed_id: 10180af2a754e8d7e897fd01a451f560
title: Air pollution
uri: 2018-11-13-Air-pollution
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Air_pollution%29
content:
<p>
Air
Pollution: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/05/air-pollution-everything-you-should-know-about-a-public-health-emergency">Everything
You Should Know</a> About a Public Health Emergency.
<p>
I think the word "emergency" is ill-chosen because it means a
transitory problem.  This problem could go on indefinitely until
we correct it.


feed_id: cecbd221c1686fa4e69238ff05484f4a
title: Refugees in Papua New Guinea
uri: Refugees-in-Papua-New-Guinea
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Refugees_in_Papua_New_Guinea%29
content:
<p>
Some of the refugees that Papua New Guinea imprisoned for Australia
got badly sick and were being treated in a hospital in Port Moresby,
capital of Papua New Guinea.  But an international summit is about to
take place there, so Papua New Guinea sent the patients back to Manus,
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/05/papua-new-guinea-moves-sick-refugees-from-port-moresby-to-manus-before-apec-summit">interrupting
their treatment</a>.
<p>
Supposedly this is to make space in the hospital in case delegates get sick.
I suspect, though, that Australia demanded this so that the people
attending the summit can't talk with any of the refugees.


feed_id: d48c12a0d46617caf0f21c28f4f96361
title: Salafi Arabia's repression
uri: Salafi-Arabia-s-repression
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Salafi_Arabia%27s_repression%29
content:
<p>
Outrage over the assassination of Jamal
Khashoggi <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/05/jamal-khashoggi-coverage-victim-saudi">helps
focus the world's attention</a> on every level of Salafi Arabia's
repression and injustice, and on all the ways other countries support
it.
<p>
The long-term way to weaken the vicious monarchy there is with
a carbon tax, that will make the country's oil lose commercial value,
while slowing <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a>.


feed_id: 0444f59fc3e5308b6ae6a5ec47283588
title: Kris Kobach
uri: Kris-Kobach
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Kris_Kobach%29
content:
<p>
Kris Kobach, Republican candidate for governor of Kansas, has been
involved for a decade
with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/05/trump-ally-kris-kobach-donations-white-nationalists">organized
white-supremacist bigots</a>.


feed_id: 0773b4d47cdc988c6d8c8ba97096fdc2
title: Wang Yam's trial
uri: Wang-Yam-s-trial
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Wang_Yam%27s_trial%29
content:
<p>
It was obvious that Wang Yam's trial was a recipe for injustice.
Evidence for his defense was ignored.
<p>
Now a European court is
considering <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/04/book-gives-hope-chinese-mi6-informer-jailed-for-murder">whether
he deserves a new trial</a>.
<p>
A secret trial is an unjust trial, an opportunity to impose a political
outcome and call it "justice".


feed_id: 2d78e6f1ad1d0a2b8138d82432daff96
title: Shooting as cause of death
uri: Shooting-as-cause-of-death
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Shooting_as_cause_of_death%29
content:
<p>
Shooting is a major cause of death for minors in the US.  And
it's <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1809351">a lot more
so</a> in states that don't properly regulate guns.
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-may-aug.html#3_June_2016_(Gun_control_measures)">Toddlers
kill their parents</a> with guns, too.


feed_id: 68d8b822325f316e481089691d20eb2b
title: Plutocratist minority rule
uri: Plutocratist-minority-rule
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Plutocratist_minority_rule%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/05/joseph-stiglitz-america-should-be-a-warning-to-other-countries">Joseph
Stiglitz warns</a> other countries that the calamity of plutocratist
minority rule, seen in the US, can happen to them too.


feed_id: ee535d3b1b7d785ace5ab79bbabd3268
title: Salafi Arabia execution
uri: Salafi-Arabia-execution
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_November_2018_%28Salafi_Arabia_execution%29
content:
<p>
Salafi
Arabia <a href="https://www.freedomunited.org/news/outrage-as-saudis-secretly-execute-indonesian-worker">executed
an Indonesian domestic worker</a> for defending herself from rape.
<p>
I bet the other nine men that raped her afterward were left alone
because, under Shari'a law, a woman's testimony is worth only half a
man's testimony.  Islamic
Law <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-may-aug.html#14_June_2016_(The_cruelty_of_Sharia_law)">shows
contempt for everyone's human rights</a> in various ways.


feed_id: c46d2a0192eab6af7703948f1539748e
title: Urgent: Mueller's investigation
uri: 2018-11-13-Urgent-Mueller-s-investigation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Mueller%27s_investigation%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Whitaker_unacceptable">call
on Congress</a> to protect Mueller's investigation.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 91ea0321aecc73bb5ae32f9195af30ec
title: Voting Rights Act enforcement
uri: Voting-Rights-Act-enforcement
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Voting_Rights_Act_enforcement%29

content:
<p>
The saboteurs at the Department of Justice
have <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/civil-rights-division-has-not-filed-a-single-voting-rights-act-case-under-trump-792914a2689a/">stopped
enforcing</a> the Voting Rights Act.
<p>
It's <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1810088">not sending out
very many monitors</a> for voting, either.
<p>
The Election Assistance
Commission <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/election-assistance-commission-came-not-to-care-so-much-about-election-security">has
become quiescent</a>.
<p>
At this rate they may do an even worse job of protecting our elections
than of helping Puerto Rico.


feed_id: d2aeb229df2f54e5e8b022afe552c87d
title: Treating the Pittsburgh murderer
uri: Treating-the-Pittsburgh-murderer
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Treating_the_Pittsburgh_murderer%29

content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/further/2018/11/04/jewish-nurse-love-face-evil-gives-others-hope">About
the Jewish nurse</a> who treated the antisemitic murderer in
Pittsburgh.


feed_id: b77d91c1910e5c3e4d5f460065e5b83f
title: Central election vulnerability
uri: Central-election-vulnerability
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Central_election_vulnerability%29

content:
<p>
The use in the US of just a few models of voting machines, mainly from
two companies, results in central vulnerability for rigging elections.
Communications for reporting the
totals <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/05/voting-machines-what-could-possibly-go-wrong">are
also vulnerable</a>.
<p>
For trustworthy elections, voters should mark their votes by hand on
paper.


feed_id: 08f71988615112611b77c7f23b350b3f
title: Good fascist bad fascist
uri: Good-fascist-bad-fascist
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Good_fascist_bad_fascist%29
content:
<p>
Scum vs scum: a plutocratist Democrat vs a Republican is the
plutocratic system
playing <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/05/scum-vs-scum-2018-midterm">good
fascist / bad fascist</a>.
<p>
This has been true for 20 years.  What is changing now is that
progressive Democrats are increasing.  In 2020 we need to knock off
a lot more of the plutocratist Democrats in the primaries.


feed_id: 97add0f28bb4d5ae0b24a05ce91a271d
title: Arms-control treaties
uri: Arms-control-treaties
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Arms-control_treaties%29
content:
<p>
Arms-control treaties are likely to
have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/05/entering-second-nuclear-age">prevented
nuclear war</a>.


feed_id: 3662c938c37d4a9a6fc68f893016d84a
title: Undetonated bombs
uri: Undetonated-bombs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Undetonated_bombs%29
content:
<p>
(satire) &hellip; the United States sent Laos a bill Monday for
the <a href="https://www.theonion.com/united-states-sends-laos-bill-for-80-million-undetonate-1830228891">80
million still-undetonated bombs</a> left in the country from the
Vietnam War.


feed_id: 1c6d617481ea8aa0e2c8d796218ea44d
title: Orango Island
uri: Orango-Island
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Orango_Island%29
content:
<p>
On Orango Island, the irrational traditional religion protects the
forests and maintains solidarity, while the irrational evangelical
church would introduce
the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/06/our-god-is-stronger-can-biodiverse-bijagos-fend-off-evangelical-threat">"brotherhood"
of extractivist competition</a>.


feed_id: 55ec502ae36ee75f7b740c7b1b34625c
title: Jury nullification
uri: 2018-11-13-Jury-nullification
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Jury_nullification%29
content:
<p>
A federal judge wants
to <a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/06/judge-advocates-jury-nullification">allow
a request to the jury</a> to exercise jury nullification, shocked as
he is by a 15-year prison sentence for a no-op.
<p>
Of course,
I <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-may-aug.html#24_August_2015_(Jury_nullification)">support
jury nullification</a>.  That is, indeed, the reason why trial by jury
is a fundamental right.
<p>
I also agree that the "interstate commerce" clause of the constitution
has been stretched too far.  It is hard to find anything, nowadays,
that it could not cover; and if it has been interpreted as universally
inclusive, that proves it has been misinterpreted.  This is especially
bad nowadays, seeing as the federal
government <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_September_2018_(Recognizing_plutocracy)">is
a plutocracy</a> and democracy remains only in state and local
governments (where not abolished locally
by <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-nov-feb.html#7_January_2018_(Election_rigging)">Republican
election-rigging</a>).
<p>
If we ever reestablish democracy in the US government, perhaps we
should give the federal government power over activities that have
major effects on the economy, social conditions or environment of the
whole country or world, to compensate for narrowing the interstate
commerce clause.
<p>
I would never make, or propose to make, a recording or photo of sex,
or of a nude woman, if she did not mean it for publication, or at
least insist that its publication wouldn't bother her.  I am sure I
would never publish it against her wishes, but she might not be as
sure of that as I am.  Then there is the risk it might leak or be
stolen.  The image would create gratuitous anxiety.  I'd rather
avoid the anxiety by not making the thing at all.


feed_id: 2a0c0c32574deea7aab1489c7745a2ae
title: Demanding low taxes
uri: Demanding-low-taxes
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Demanding_low_taxes%29
content:
<p>
A general weakness of democracy in the English-speaking countries is
that
people <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/06/raise-tax-british-political-disease-public-services">demand
low taxes above all</a>.
<p>
I want fair taxes, meaning that the rich can't get out of paying their
high, fair share.


feed_id: c5d622cd4edb4c687ef80c6a65b7e654
title: Teaching about Gandhi
uri: Teaching-about-Gandhi
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Teaching_about_Gandhi%29
content:
<p>
Fanatical Hindus assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.  Now their
successors are trying
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/05/gandhi-scholar-quits-university-india-labelled-anti-national">take
over universities</a> so that Gandhi cannot be taught.


feed_id: 61baf126bb89501310befe6fcd8ddd06
title: Anti-immigration ad
uri: Anti-immigration-ad
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Anti-immigration_ad%29
content:
<p>
The bigot-in-chief has discovered where the line is, as important
advertising
channels <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/05/trump-anti-immigration-ad-pulled-fox-news-nbc-facebook">reject
his racist ad</a>.


feed_id: d84483bda09858ea95fa21038dfd0328
title: Montreal treaty
uri: Montreal-treaty
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Montreal_treaty%29
content:
<p>
The Montreal treaty
is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/05/ozone-layer-healing-after-aerosols-un-northern-hemisphere">healing
the ozone hole</a>.  With enough political will, we could curb global
heating the same way.


feed_id: 4cd4295702dd0a1823fc99cf50d647b6
title: The troll
uri: 2018-11-14-The-troll
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28The_troll%29
content:
<p>
Rebecca Solnit: Trump is a 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/04/the-american-civil-war-didnt-end-and-trump-is-a-confederate-president">Confederate
president</a>.


feed_id: 8ee64e82b5d61b82f17bc85f814f6632
title: Federal Reserve
uri: Federal-Reserve
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Federal_Reserve%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#cheater">The cheater</a> is criticizing the Federal Reserve, perhaps so as to put
the blame for the next recession on it.  The article explains 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/04/trumps-war-fed">why
reducing its independence might be an improvement</a>.
<p>
However, breaking up the big banks and replacing them partly with 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_September_2018_(Public_ownership_of_banks)">public
banks</a> might be better.


feed_id: ab692aa746ab52f419b5e09e17cdea7c
title: Nitrogen dioxide and childhood obesity
uri: Nitrogen-dioxide-and-childhood-obesity
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Nitrogen_dioxide_and_childhood_obesity%29

content:
<p>
Childhood obesity linked to 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/04/childhood-obesity-linked-to-air-pollution-from-vehicles">nitrogen
dioxide pollution from vehicles</a>, especially in a baby's first
year.
<p>
NO<sub>2</sub> comes especially from diesel trucks.


feed_id: 59a8da7ca4ab11ff261f9f85ef2f6792
title: Voters recognizing they were cheated
uri: Voters-recognizing-they-were-cheated
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Voters_recognizing_they_were_cheated%29

content:
<p>
Some of the voters that <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#cheater">the cheater</a> won over by promising to bring
jobs back to the US 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/04/disaffected-trump-voters-jobs-midwest-midterms">have
recognized that they were cheated</a>.


feed_id: 667b69a885cfb4a53322b70c70ecf649
title: China orders Hong Kong to cancel art show
uri: China-orders-Hong-Kong-to-cancel-art-show
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28China_orders_Hong_Kong_to_cancel_art_show%29

content:
<p>
China ordered Hong Kong to cancel an art show 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/04/pussy-riot-activists-lend-star-power-to-campaign-for-hong-kong-freedoms">because
of its politics</a>.


feed_id: 26eb13b9d1922302ef0755df6acbb5b7
title: EU's subservience to banksters
uri: EU-s-subservience-to-banksters
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28EUs_subservience_to_banksters%29

content:
<p>
Europeans are 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2018/nov/04/setting-sail-one-womans-year-alone-at-sea">getting
fed up with the EU's subservience to banksters</a>.  Unless the left
offers a path to fix that, voters are likely to elect racists that
tell beguiling lies and only want to impose tyranny.


feed_id: eb8072aed412103715b946bf2b7e9104
title: Republican candidates' racist lies
uri: Republican-candidates-racist-lies
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Republican_candidates_racist_lies%29

content:
<p>
Republican candidates 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/04/us-midterms-2018-trump-racist-attack-ads-republicans">have
used racist lies to campaign against Democrats for decades</a>.


feed_id: d25fe93fa8628771d6822d02c4f621ea
title: Imprisoned political opposition leaders
uri: Imprisoned-political-opposition-leaders
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Imprisoned_political_opposition_leaders%29

content:
<p>
Bahrain has 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/04/bahrain-court-gives-opposition-figures-life-sentences-for-spying">sentenced
political opposition leaders to life in prison</a>.
<p>
The repression of dissent in Bahrain was imposed in 2011 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2011-jan-apr.html#03%20April%202011%20(Intervention%20Against%20Gaddafi)">with
the help of troops from Salafi Arabia</a>.


feed_id: 448bab5960cc7a14cd5fac1325f9f940
title: Voting machines sold with data on disks
uri: Voting-machines-sold-with-data-on-disks
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Voting_machines_sold_with_data_on_disks%29

content:
<p>
Used voting machines are being 
<a href="http://web-old.archive.org/web/20181101205425/https://www.wired.com/story/i-bought-used-voting-machines-on-ebay/">sold
without wiping their disks</a>, and they are very helpful for
developing unobtrusive ways to attack voting machines still in use.


feed_id: e5b8dcf8152ab83ef9280a8e3640466a
title: Right-wing bigotry
uri: Right-wing-bigotry
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Right-wing_bigotry%29
content:
<p>
The man who murdered two people in Florida had 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/04/florida-yoga-shooting-two-killed">published
right-wing bigotry</a>; apparently he committed right-wing terrorism.


feed_id: e057ac7fc42cae432f5df6f79543f69d
title: Sleazy campaign funding
uri: Sleazy-campaign-funding
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Sleazy_campaign_funding%29
content:
<p>
The sleazy and perhaps illegal campaign funding that convinced Britons
to vote (very narrowly) to leave the EU has resulted in a 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2018/nov/03/threats-bullying-and-vindictiveness-how-arron-banks-repels-charges-against-him">criminal
investigation of the plutocrat at the center</a>.
<p>
These practices represent a 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/04/arron-banks-brexit-democracy-2016-referendum">continuing
threat to democracy</a>.
<p>
I don't think that such an <em>irreversible</em> change should be
approved by such a small margin.


feed_id: f5a88f24208bd9123d479d320cfbab88
title: Railroad rerouted for plutocrat family
uri: Railroad-rerouted-for-plutocrat-family
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Railroad_rerouted_for_plutocrat_family%29

content:
<p>
A local plutocrat family persuaded Queensland to 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/05/wealthy-queensland-family-lobbied-for-inland-rail-line-to-run-past-their-airport">reroute
a planned railroad past its private airport</a>, showing contempt for
those who would be harmed.


feed_id: 2d7e502f6c05d17784092ecefc4fce9b
title: Action against prospecting for oil
uri: Action-against-prospecting-for-oil
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Action_against_prospecting_for_oil%29

content:
<p>
Erdo&gbreve;an 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/04/turkey-warns-oil-companies-against-drilling-near-cyprus">warns
of military action</a> against prospecting for oil near Cyprus.
<p>
Although Erdo&gbreve;an is acting like a <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a>, if the result is to
prevent drilling for oil in one portion of the sea, that is good on
the whole world's ecosphere &mdash; a step towards what we need, which
is to ban undersea fossil fuel extraction everywhere.


feed_id: 732f7cd1a6d1d43ee0853a5f206d5722
title: Nike buying control of Oregon government
uri: Nike-buying-control-of-Oregon-government
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Nike_buying_control_of_Oregon_government%29

content:
<p>
If you buy any Nike products, you are helping the company 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/04/nike-founder-phil-knight-oregon-governor-republican-midterms">buy
control of the Oregon government and the University of Oregon</a>.


feed_id: 7b69aa6988ce0a6060cf897e72d16ae2
title: Murder of journalists
uri: Murder-of-journalists
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Murder_of_journalists%29
content:
<p>
Our Leaders 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/04/our-leaders-must-stop-killers-of-journalists-acting-with-impunity">Must
Stop Killers of Journalists Acting with Impunity</a>.
<p>
The challenge is to do this over the opposition of the murderers and
bigots that have power in so many countries, including the US.


feed_id: 81f32e81d7add22f331b6b8c49e339ea
title: Mergers in agribusiness
uri: Mergers-in-agribusiness
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Mergers_in_agribusiness%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/01/over-200-farm-food-and-rural-groups-endorse-agribusiness-merger-moratorium-bills">A
bill</a> would put a moratorium on mergers in agribusiness.
<p>
Republicans will not pass this bill, but it will put pressure
on politicians.
<p>
I think we should make it difficult for any large companies to merge
or acquire even small companies.


feed_id: 76bbcc57f2844fff10016db92a8c0eb3
title: US immigration judges
uri: US-immigration-judges
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28US_immigration_judges%29
content:
<p>
US immigration judges have 
<a href="https://www.vqronline.org/reporting-articles/2018/10/culture-no">totally
different practices for deciding on asylum claims</a>.  Some approve
most claims.  Some reject nearly all claims.


feed_id: b746e06520c0131ee56c02076b9605d3
title: Detection of CIA's servers on internet
uri: Detection-of-CIA-s-servers-on-internet
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Detection_of_CIAs_servers_on_internet%29

content:
<p>
The CIA used the internet to communicate with spies in countries such
as Iran, China and Russia.  When Iran figured out how to detect the
CIA's servers on the internet, it caught all the spies.  Iran may have
told China how to do this, and they may have told Russia as well.
<p>
The CIA seems to have 
<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/cias-communications-suffered-catastrophic-compromise-started-iran-090018710.html">punished
an internal whistleblower who figured out what was happening</a>, and
allowed the problem to continue.
<p>
What horrible judgment.


feed_id: 5c152f60613891328d834253a0bfa5da
title: Solidarity against all bigotry
uri: Solidarity-against-all-bigotry
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Solidarity_against_all_bigotry%29

content:
<p>
Our response to the massacre of Jews in Pittsburgh should be
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/03/world-mourns-jews-after-pittsburghs-synagogue-shooting-what-about-other-targets">solidarity
against all bigotry</a> &mdash; no matter who is the target next time.
<p>
How about an evening vigil every evening against racist violence at
the source of it: the White House?


feed_id: 177cb55cb531d677a48cffc3e6efd423
title: Fermi Paradox
uri: Fermi-Paradox
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Fermi_Paradox%29
content:
<p>
The 
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1809560">Fermi Paradox</a>,
considered in the light of what we now know, leads towards the
conclusion that a technological civilization cannot last very long.
The fact that ours seems on track to wipe itself out gives more
support to that conclusion.
<p>
Nuclear war is not the only threat to our technological civilization.
Resource exhaustion and <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a> will stimulate various local
wars which, even without nuclear weapons, could collapse the global
manufacturing system.  (Its very concentration and lack of redundancy
makes it extra vulnerable.)
<p>
Humans are adaptable.  I don't think an eco-catastrophe would wipe out
our species, but we might never get another try at advanced technology
on our exhausted planet.


feed_id: 97365c8b2bc578f749abc1edb29101ce
title: US border thugs
uri: 2018-11-14-US-border-thugs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28US_border_thugs%29
content:
<p>
The US border <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> are 
<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-migrant-caravan-border-troops-1196855">worried
more about right-wing extremists that might come to the border to
"support" them</a>, than about poor border-crossers from Central
America.
<p>
The Pentagon refused to send troops to the Mexican border unless the
bullshitter declares an emergency, because outside of that it is
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/02/politics/white-house-pentagon-troops-border/index.html">illegal
to use soldiers for law enforcement</a>.


feed_id: b5c53c745b3a9631965c73df903a18f0
title: Malls doing face recognition
uri: Malls-doing-face-recognition
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Malls_doing_face_recognition%29
content:
<p>
If malls in Canada are 
<a href="https://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/your-mall-is-watching-you/">doing
face recognition and analysis</a>, surely US malls are doing it too.
<p>
We need laws to regulate what kinds of analysis and recognition they
are allowed to do &mdash; as well as any and all transmission of
images of faces off site.


feed_id: 4c9e3ee78e81d27dfc5d98dd96592378
title: Wealthy organizations' campaign donations
uri: Wealthy-organizations-campaign-donations
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Wealthy_organizations_campaign_donations%29

content:
<p>
Campaign donations from wealthy organizations have a 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1809377">noticeable
effect</a> on how congressional staff estimate public opinion.


feed_id: 6c0be40f21d9161f8dc54760642f4860
title: UK welfare cuts
uri: 2018-11-14-UK-welfare-cuts
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28UK_welfare_cuts%29
content:
<p>
UK welfare cuts, supposedly meant to make more people work,
end up 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/03/benefit-cap-leaves-poor-families-with-mounting-debt-study-shows">crushing
disabled people who couldn't possibly work</a>.


feed_id: 7442c476e029824e9e7ec566e05c42d2
title: Face recognition
uri: 2018-11-14-Face-recognition
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Face_recognition%29
content:
<p>
The TSA 
<a href="https://papersplease.org/wp/2018/10/15/tsa-announces-biometrics-vision-for-all-commercial-aviation-travelers/">wants
to impose face recognition on all air travellers</a>, and various
companies will get to use the photos for their own private
surveillance.


feed_id: 1e4c292d842c5b733d5b403a3193859e
title: Tax on meat
uri: Tax-on-meat
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Tax_on_meat%29
content:
<p>
Based on the 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/06/taxing-red-meat-would-save-many-lives-research-shows">harm
they do to human health</a>, WHO recommends a 20% tax on unprocessed
meat, and 110% tax on bacon and sausages.


feed_id: 9d06dd655560886d46922b07dc9677b4
title: Voting coercion by US companies
uri: Voting-coercion-by-US-companies
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Voting_coercion_by_US_companies%29

content:
<p>
Many US companies try to 
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/06/midterms-2018-voting-coercion-bosses-employees/">pressure
their workers into voting a certain way</a>.  Often it is illegal, but
no one enforces these laws.


feed_id: dbb4dab891caeaf530e1aadf15bb925d
title: Recording votes in blockchain
uri: Recording-votes-in-blockchain
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Recording_votes_in_blockchain%29

content:
<p>
Recording votes in blockchain 
<a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/11/blockchain-based-elections-would-be-a-disaster-for-democracy/">would
not make online elections trustworthy</a>.


feed_id: 013b6671b5e31fd7a38eae6ce9c06184
title: US imposing sanctions on Russia
uri: US-imposing-sanctions-on-Russia
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28US_imposing_sanctions_on_Russia%29

content:
<p>
The US is imposing sanctions on Russia 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/06/russia-us-sanctions-skripal-poisoning">for
its use of chemical weapons to poison the Skripals</a>.


feed_id: 5d5118c7ea61895432114f39d367e286
title: China's methods of controlling information
uri: China-s-methods-of-controlling-information
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Chinas_methods_of_controlling_information%29

content:
<p>
China's methods of controlling information on the internet mostly
operates by 
<a href="media/bdcae8da.Roberts_gsas.harvard_0084L_11469.pdf" data-original-source="https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/12274299/Roberts_gsas.harvard_0084L_11469.pdf">flooding
the net with the state-endorsed way of thinking and making any
alternative inconvenient</a>.
<p>
It is unfortunate that the author fell for the fashionable words
"consuming content", since these lead attention away from the reasons
people might want to do something other than what China leads the
public to do.


feed_id: f31fc40619895b34a5c7f6b2b7221cc0
title: Barter agency for trade with Iran
uri: Barter-agency-for-trade-with-Iran
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Barter_agency_for_trade_with_Iran%29

content:
<p>
European countries are setting up a 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/06/european-clearing-house-to-bypass-us-sanctions-against-iran">barter
agency for trade with Iran</a>.
<p>
It must be humiliating that the US can force them into such
contortions.  I expect powerful hostility towards the US to follow.
If the US is lucky the hostility will follow the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> when he leaves
office, but I expect Europe to prepare to be less vulnerable in the
future.  For instance, it may place security restrictions on the use
of US-made parts in weapons, planes, cars, etc.


feed_id: 62fd81ed897bc8e4176d421cca42fc70
title: Students' email addresses sold to campaigns
uri: Students-email-addresses-sold-to-campaigns
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Students_email_addresses_sold_to_campaigns%29

content:
<p>
A right-wing university is 
<a href="https://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/lu-makes-email-addresses-available-to-campaigns-for-a-fee/article_f3d9681b-48f0-5a10-ae84-e7bf52acb081.html">taking
liberties with its students' email addresses</a>.


feed_id: 14f60c73d5e4a21096f210c9bece5bae
title: Torture
uri: 2018-11-15-Torture
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Torture%29
content:
<p>
Ashurbanipal's artists depicted 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/nov/06/i-am-ashurbanipal-review-british-museum">torture
of enemy armies that surrendered</a>.
<p>
I hope the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> does not get a chance to see this.


feed_id: f702ba8c1653d88008c9775f5226a532
title: US Congress makes decisions secretly
uri: US-Congress-makes-decisions-secretly
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28US_Congress_makes_decisions_secretly%29

content:
<p>
Since 2008 or so, the US Congress has mostly ceased to debate on and
amend bills.  
<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-congress-stopped-working">All
the decisions are made secretly</a>, and most members of Congress have
hardly any role in the process.
<p>
It should be noted that 2008 was ten or more years after democracy
effectively ceased at the federal level.  Since the 1990s, 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_September_2018_(Recognizing_plutocracy)">public
opinion has little influence on US government decisions</a>.
<p>
The polarization reported for the past decade is between the
plutocratist center-right (most Democrats) and the rigid plutocratist
right-wing (which, over the past two years, the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> has converted
into the extremist racist right-wing).


feed_id: 58eb2c724a5abef2727219609a6e20ba
title: Racism in US thug departments
uri: Racism-in-US-thug-departments
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Racism_in_US_thug_departments%29

content:
<p>
It is no accident that US policing is racist.  US <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thug</a> departments are
pervaded by racist <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> that 
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/05/new-york-times-police-white-supremacy/">support
campaigns of right-wing violence</a>, sometimes even blatantly.


feed_id: b51fffbcb4bf66e6f77030a4cd4624cc
title: Ebola in zones of chaotic war
uri: Ebola-in-zones-of-chaotic-war
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_November_2018_%28Ebola_in_zones_of_chaotic_war%29

content:
<p>
When Ebola gets into a zone of chaotic war between gangs, curbing its
spread is 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/06/doctor-fear-of-armed-attack-ebola-patients-congo-drc">almost
impossible</a>.


feed_id: 39af1ef6ea02b26144975dc60547748d
title: Jury nullification
uri: 2018-11-15-Jury-nullification
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28Jury_nullification%29
content:
<p>
A federal judge wants
to <a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/06/judge-advocates-jury-nullification">allow
a request to the jury</a> to exercise jury nullification, shocked as
he is by a 15-year prison sentence for a no-op.
<p>
Of course,
I <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-may-aug.html#24_August_2015_(Jury_nullification)">support
jury nullification</a>.  That is, indeed, the reason why trial by jury
is a fundamental right.
<p>
I also agree that the "interstate commerce" clause of the constitution
has been stretched too far.  It is hard to find anything, nowadays,
that it could not cover; and if it has been interpreted as universally
inclusive, that proves it has been misinterpreted.  This is especially
bad nowadays, seeing as the federal
government <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_September_2018_(Recognizing_plutocracy)">is
a plutocracy</a> and democracy remains only in state and local
governments (where not abolished locally
by <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-nov-feb.html#7_January_2018_(Election_rigging)">Republican
election-rigging</a>).
<p>
If we ever reestablish democracy in the US government, perhaps we
should give the federal government power over activities that have
major effects on the economy, social conditions or environment of the
whole country or world, to compensate for narrowing the interstate
commerce clause.
<p>
I would never make, or propose to make, a recording or photo of sex,
or of a nude woman, if she did not mean it for publication, or at
least insist that its publication wouldn't bother her.  I am sure I
would never publish it against her wishes, but she might not be as
sure of that as I am.  Then there is the risk it might leak or be
stolen.  The existence of the image would cause her avoidable anxiety.
I'd rather avoid the anxiety by not making the thing at all.


feed_id: 925a112163ead90b55ab921613bd487a
title: EU's subservience to banksters
uri: 2018-11-15-EU-s-subservience-to-banksters
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#13_November_2018_%28EUs_subservience_to_banksters%29

content:
<p>
Europeans are 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/04/brexit-sideshow-for-eu-beset-by-problems">getting
fed up with the EU's subservience to banksters</a>.  Unless the left
offers a path to fix that, voters are likely to elect racists that
tell beguiling lies and only want to impose tyranny.


feed_id: ebab0a993ccf7ff59f5562ffe359f73b
title: Urgent: TSA face recognition
uri: 2018-11-15-Urgent-TSA-face-recognition
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_TSA_face_recognition%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.demandprogress.org/sign/tell-tsa-shut-down-their-facial-recognition-program/">call
on the TSA</a> to cancel its plans for face recognition of every
airline passenger.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: cfd0b3960014fcc46afabb7ec6ddfe02
title: Urgent: Border wall
uri: Urgent-Border-wall
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Border_wall%29
content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/no_wall_sbcc">call
on Congress</a> not to fund the bully's border wall.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 1c314cbc0ba781d2222dcaf3ca0844e1
title: UK government contracts
uri: UK-government-contracts
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28UK_government_contracts%29
content:
<p>
The Tories
are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/08/government-gagging-orders-brexit-grenfell">imposing
silence requirements</a> on organizations that get government
contracts in the UK.


feed_id: e819b4daaae785ec5e2595df1a5a2e63
title: Poverty spread by the Tories
uri: Poverty-spread-by-the-Tories
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Poverty_spread_by_the_Tories%29
content:
<p>
The UN
is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/08/life-on-the-poverty-frontline-un-turns-its-gaze-on-uk">studying
the poverty</a> that the Tories have spread in Britain.
<p>
The people who implement this system have no excuse.  Their duty is to
quit.


feed_id: 05e976aa31025890e69dec7c1b79ffff
title: Ballot questions on abortion
uri: Ballot-questions-on-abortion
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Ballot_questions_on_abortion%29
content:
<p>
Two states <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1810715">adopted
ballot questions</a> with constitutional amendments to impede abortion
rights.


feed_id: 43a5ddfee5489a1b16a161a1cbf71beb
title: Fossil fuel ballot questions
uri: Fossil-fuel-ballot-questions
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Fossil_fuel_ballot_questions%29
content:
<p>
The fossil fuel industry
bought <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/07/midterm-elections-green-ballot-measures-fossil-fuel/">four
state-level elections</a> last week.  The elections were ballot
questions for policies that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
<p>
One of them was for Washington's carbon tax.


feed_id: f65d58a24d6b1960695bf0d89c547899
title: Rwandan opposition leader
uri: Rwandan-opposition-leader
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Rwandan_opposition_leader%29
content:
<p>
A Rwandan opposition leader
faces <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/07/rwandan-dissident-politician-diane-rwigara-protests-innocence-as-trial-opens">22
years in prison</a> for charges that are obviously political.
<p>
President Kagame has a history of such repression.


feed_id: 4dad99a1e4a8350a611348495b381b6f
title: Broken voting machines
uri: Broken-voting-machines
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Broken_voting_machines%29
content:
<p>
One reason so many voting machines are broken, every election, is that
they are proprietary and there
are <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/59vzgn/heres-why-all-the-voting-machines-are-broken-and-the-lines-are-extremely-long">few
who know how to fix them</a>.


feed_id: 1c7307df3bb3a208029f42d1abc81a4b
title: Investigations and subpoenas
uri: Investigations-and-subpoenas
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Investigations_and_subpoenas%29
content:
<p>
Democratic control of the House of Representatives means that the
executive agencies
will <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/so-the-house-democrats-just-won-subpoena-power-now-what-41bc228e7715/">face
investigations and subpoenas</a>.


feed_id: 7f63c7d21fd9dd99f455e58d3c6828d0
title: Bad election security
uri: Bad-election-security
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Bad_election_security%29
content:
<p>
The owner's manual for a widely used voting machine instructs US
election agencies
to <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kzvejx/voting-machine-manual-instructed-election-officials-to-use-weak-passwords">practice
bad security</a>.


feed_id: c66d7515b805ba624f2725857278330b
title: Election interference
uri: 2018-11-15-Election-interference
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Election_interference%29
content:
<p>
Coordinated Trolling Efforts Are Serving
Up <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20181106/09023840989/coordinated-trolling-efforts-are-serving-up-small-scale-election-interference-across-country.shtml">Small-Scale
Election Interference</a> Across The Country.  It takes the form of
false-flag lies &mdash; pretending to be progressive and saying things
calculated to disturb others that are leaning progressive, so that
they won't vote.
<p>
The "Republican" conspiracy has no respect for anything that stands in the
way of its grab for power.  "By hook or by crook," is its motto.


feed_id: 1c37d0b6443490b4197717eff2e8d9d5
title: Acting attorney general
uri: Acting-attorney-general
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Acting_attorney_general%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a> has fired Sessions as attorney general, and the new acting
attorney general Whitaker
has <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1810952">declared his
opposition</a> to Mueller's investigation.
<p>
Whitaker is
also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/07/matthew-whitaker-trump-attorney-general-us-firm">connected
with a company</a> charged with cheating the public with false
promises.  This reminds me
of <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-nov-feb.html#8_February_2018_('Trump_University'_settlement)">Trump
University</a>.
<p>
A court must consider people as innocent unless proven guilty.  That
is because the court has power and its exercise of that power needs to
be restrained.
<p>
We who do not have such power need not be so restrained.  If the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a>
succeeds in preventing courts from considering his apparent crimes,
that should count as proof of guilt, for the public.


feed_id: 287f2d3864a8b0edb81c14e20419682a
title: Right to vote in Florida
uri: Right-to-vote-in-Florida
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Right_to_vote_in_Florida%29
content:
<p>
Florida has voted
to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/06/repealing-one-countrys-worst-jim-crow-laws-florida-restores-voting-rights-14-million">restore
the right to vote</a> to most of the residents that were convicted of
felonies.
<p>
I've read that disenfranchisement of convicted felons was adopted with
racist motives, as a way to suppress the black vote.  It is well
established that blacks
are <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#26_August_2014_(Outcomes_of_trials_in_Florida)">more
likely to be convicted</a> of a felony than whites, when they have
done the same thing.
<p>
<a href="https://thinkprogress.org/four-states-made-it-easier-to-vote-in-future-elections-three-states-made-it-harder-1e2ccf99b474/">Here's
a summary</a> of state-level ballot questions that have made it
easier, or harder, for people to vote in that state.


feed_id: 9cc49a214fa6a22477c0aabc2ef3fd0f
title: Racism in France
uri: Racism-in-France
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Racism_in_France%29
content:
<p>
In France, "Race doesn’t exist
&mdash; <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/black-lives-matter-movement-comes-to-france-but-will-it-translate/2016/08/07/7606567e-58cd-11e6-8b48-0cb344221131_story.html">unless
you need a job</a>, an apartment, to get into school or if the police
stop you."
<p>
I hope we will achieve a society in which race matters less and less.
But we can't eliminate existing bigotry by refusing to recognize it
exists.


feed_id: 8e0c6f7ca4fed83d6b451efc7937d4ce
title: Appealing to the worst
uri: Appealing-to-the-worst
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Appealing_to_the_worst%29
content:
<p>
Trump Appealed to the Very Worst in
America. <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/07/trump-appealed-very-worst-america-too-often-it-worked">Too
Often, It Worked.</a>


feed_id: 44154e36ec057e5137f8d070505aa227
title: Asia Bibi in jail
uri: Asia-Bibi-in-jail
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Asia_Bibi_in_jail%29
content:
<p>
Pakistan blasphemy case: Asia
Bibi <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/07/pakistan-blasphemy-case-christian-farm-labourer-asia-bibi-still-in-jail">remains
in jail</a> despite acquittal.
<p>
Many years ago, probably 15 or more, I got an invitation to speak in
Pakistan.  I decided that the state's repression was so dangerous that
I should not set foot in that country.  If anything, the repression
has got worse.  Please spread the word: don't go to Pakistan.


feed_id: aa3e2e71c7dab1a0b9d4023082cad221
title: Ethical investment criteria
uri: Ethical-investment-criteria
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#15_November_2018_%28Ethical_investment_criteria%29
content:
<p>
The world's big banks are revising their ethical investment criteria.
At the same time, several of them
are <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/06/big-banks-just-flunked-their-own-test-climate-indigenous-rights">contravening
it directly</a> by increasing their investment in the Dakota Access
Pipeline.


feed_id: 65d8311eeb78c90ffdbccc69105085a0
title: Keystone XL construction stopped
uri: Keystone-XL-construction-stopped
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Keystone_XL_construction_stopped%29

content:
<p>A US court stopped construction of the Keystone XL planet-roaster pipeline, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/09/keystone-xl-pipeline-judge-environment">recognizing that the environmental impact statement was totally bogus</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 5d6bb2fd32847ec70c9ed28f20349b6f
title: Russia: Taliban peace talks
uri: Russia-Taliban-peace-talks
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Russia%3A_Taliban_peace_talks%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/09/russia-hosts-talks-between-taliban-and-afghan-peace-council">Russia is hosting peace talks</a> between the Taliban and a group called the Afghan Peace Council, which apparently includes some government officials.</p>
<p>I hope it leads to peace.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: a217126a08a7b9bd16155464b82f69cc
title: US journalists should walk out
uri: US-journalists-should-walk-out
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28US_journalists_should_walk_out%29

content:
<p>US journalists should <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/08/us-press-corps-trump-journalists-press-conferences">stop acting helpless as the bully abuses them</a>. They should at least walk out.</p>
<p>What the bully says is nothing but manipulation, so they should walk out and stay out.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 3b0a19b54a10ba682bbb1ab09bb00014
title: Libya: refugee prison stops tuberculosis medicine
uri: Libya-refugee-prison-stops-tuberculosis-medicine
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Libya%3A_refugee_prison_stops_tuberculosis_medicine%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/08/refugee-libyan-camp-people-dying">A refugee in a refugee prison in Libya says</a> that the tuberculosis medicine has been stopped, and everyone is likely to have caught it. Guards hand out blankets and cleaning products when international inspectors visit, then take them back after the visit.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 6e1befb2883f4a1d77bc6b8d9efc457a
title: California wildfires
uri: 2018-11-16-California-wildfires
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28California_wildfires%29
content:
<p>It's 6 weeks to the start of winter, but a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/08/northern-california-wildfire-chico-paradise-evacuations">rapidly growing wildfire</a> is about to convert Paradise, California, into an inferno.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/09/california-fires-malibu-evacuations-latest-news-updates-today">Other wildfires threaten Malibu</a>.</p>
<p>In a decade or two, there may be nonstop wildfire in California.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 3b29b7cce58406d84f8f7fa01b1263d0
title: Interior department sued
uri: Interior-department-sued
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Interior_department_sued%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/08/interior-department-sued-center-for-biological-diversity-species-status-assessment">The Saboteur of the Interior has replaced experts with unqualified staff</a> for judging protection of endangered species, and is disregarding science.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 92efe28e76e5940510a33ef0c3a371f7
title: Refugee minors testify by video
uri: Refugee-minors-testify-by-video
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Refugee_minors_testify_by_video%29

content:
<p>Making refugee minors testify in court by video <a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/_8sNfnVR-SI/1811274">will predictably give people a more negative impression of them</a>, and thus hurt their chances for asylum.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 885693e3044ae656a4df5c0df91c7033
title: Older women and retirement
uri: Older-women-and-retirement
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Older_women_and_retirement%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/09/pension-older-women-retire-later">Can't Get a Pension, Can't Get Work: a special dystopia for older women</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 088c676b5b87ad127d43d0f926bd9347
title: Venezuela migrants fleeing
uri: Venezuela-migrants-fleeing
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Venezuela_migrants_fleeing%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/08/venezuela-migrants-fleeing-exodus-increase-united-nations">Around 8% of the population of Venezuela has fled</a> to neighboring countries.  That is 2.6 million refugees.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: fb63d8267f1c55fadbd00c0add4aa3cc
title: Whitaker could neutralize Mueller investigation
uri: Whitaker-could-neutralize-Mueller-investigation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Whitaker_could_neutralize_Mueller_investigation%29

content:
<p><a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/3QTXDve278I/1811192">Whitaker can effectively neutralize Mueller's investigation in secret</a>.  We won't know about it except by a lack of further progress.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: b662ef92d71ad121a681f5921fbf0b6f
title: White House doctored video
uri: White-House-doctored-video
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28White_House_doctored_video%29
content:
<p><a href="https://gizmodo.com/white-house-spreads-doctored-video-to-justify-temper-ta-1830306855">White House Spreads Doctored Video to Justify Temper Tantrum Against CNN Reporter</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: d0034337acc5c6896e40fdabc501330a
title: Security firm to pay damages to anti-asbestos campaigners
uri: Security-firm-to-pay-damages-to-anti-asbestos-campaigners
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Security_firm_to_pay_damages_to_anti-asbestos_campaigners%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/08/security-firm-pays-damages-to-anti-asbestos-activists-it-spied-on">A private spying company agreed to pay damages</a> to the anti-asbestos campaigners that it secretly infiltrated.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 3710767c27d1e4bff0b0cff2331d40da
title: Tanzania: systematically repressing homosexuals
uri: Tanzania-systematically-repressing-homosexuals
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Tanzania%3A_systematically_repressing_homosexuals%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/08/tanzania-men-arrested-for-gay-marriage-face-anal-examinations">Tanzania is systematically repressing homosexuals, as well as political opposition figures and human rights defenders</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: c2c35bb5583304dcda273b5bd0ec2033
title: Nevada: 10,000-year-old mummy found
uri: Nevada-10-000-year-old-mummy-found
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Nevada%3A_10%2C000-year-old_mummy_found%29

content:
<p>A 10,000-year-old mummy found in Nevada <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/nov/08/scientists-prove-10000-year-old-mummy-is-native-american-ancestor">proves to be closely related to indigenous American peoples</a>.</p>
<p>I don't find this surprising -- we already knew that ancestors of historic indigenous Americans were living in North America somewhat earlier, in the time of the Clovis culture.</p>
<p>However, it is a mistake to jump to the conclusion that the mummy is associated with any particular subgroup which lived near that place in historical times, because we cannot project human groups back that far.  10,000 years is long enough for groups to merge, split, move thousands of miles, and change their identities beyond all recognition.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e70bfaf6fd1947a055acaaf74939473f
title: Trump Administration and DACA
uri: Trump-Administration-and-DACA
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Trump_Administration_and_DACA%29

content:
<p>An appeals court <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/08/judge-trump-administration-continue-dreamers-program">ordered the bully to continue DACA</a>.</p>
<p>Alas, this is not a final decision.  The bully could appeal to the Supreme Court, where Gorsuch and Kavanaugh might cancel DACA finally.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: b97c6781b69e8c2272ccd673a4912fcd
title: Fossil fuel companies kill carbon tax initiative
uri: Fossil-fuel-companies-kill-carbon-tax-initiative
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Fossil_fuel_companies_kill_carbon_tax_initiative%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/07/big-oil-spends-tens-millions-successfully-kill-washingtons-plan-drastically-curb?cd-origin=rss">Fossil fuel companies had to spend record sums</a> to defeat Washington's carbon tax initiative.</p>
<p>Could they afford to spend that much in every state, every year? They only need to do it for a decade, and then it will be too late.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 21dffe91107421451e83730ccc4ed90c
title: US: peace representatives
uri: US-peace-representatives
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28US%3A_peace_representatives%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/07/peace-candidates-win-elections?cd-origin=rss">Several new representatives</a> in Congress are opposed to the US's unjustified wars.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: d7d8c8383d1e2420d2d4f0ed7ed00759
title: Jamal Khashoggi pathway for justice
uri: Jamal-Khashoggi-pathway-for-justice
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Jamal_Khashoggi_pathway_for_justice%29

content:
<p><a href="https://cpj.org/blog/2018/10/the-paths-to-justice-in-jamal-khashoggis-murder.php">Possible pathways for winning justice for Jamal Khashoggi</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 705836f30304d43289cbb62d0584d08f
title: ACLU: criminal justice reform
uri: ACLU-criminal-justice-reform
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28ACLU%3A_criminal_justice_reform%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/2018-midterm-elections-were-big-win-criminal-justice-reform-ballot-initiatives">The ACLU reports</a> on voter initiatives just approved that will reduce sources of gratuitous injustice in the US.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f7aef1a28b70ad64e872d4cba8b5b140
title: Australia: native wildlife protections
uri: Australia-native-wildlife-protections
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Australia%3A_native_wildlife_protections%29

content:
<p>Australians that misguidedly sympathize with feral intrusive horses <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/08/top-scientists-demand-nsw-commit-to-feral-horse-cull-in-kosciuszko-national-park">are blocking the efforts to protect native wildlife by culling the horses</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 3d230ae176a7a1cea7280098e704ba4e
title: Sessions loyal to US rather than to Trump
uri: Sessions-loyal-to-US-rather-than-to-Trump
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Sessions_loyal_to_US_rather_than_to_Trump%29

content:
<p>In his own cruel right-wing way, <a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/KvJ9jstrwiw/1811042">Sessions was loyal to the US rather than to the bullshitter</a>.  That's why the bullshitter fired him.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f1cf763dcb6fb9dda70a9b1ed2c652bd
title: Hong Kong: dissident author event canceled
uri: Hong-Kong-dissident-author-event-canceled
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Hong_Kong%3A_dissident_author_event_canceled%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/08/hong-kong-arts-centre-cancels-chinese-dissident-author-event">Hong Kong Arts Centre Cancels Chinese Dissident Author Event</a>. More precisely, the venue canceled that particular talk and one other.</p>
<p>If the Arts Center allows itself to be censored this way without resistance, it will become a tool of the regime.  It would be better to cancel the event entirely.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 8ac29f013b196967245d4e4a58a615c8
title: Malaysia: Samsung uses enslaved workers
uri: Malaysia-Samsung-uses-enslaved-workers
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Malaysia%3A_Samsung_uses_enslaved_workers%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/08/samsung-should-try-imagining-a-world-where-big-firms-respect-workers">Samsung's manufacturing in Malaysia uses enslaved workers</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f6c945fa59e5a18b1fb3df93127104a4
title: Tax on digital stores and services
uri: Tax-on-digital-stores-and-services
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Tax_on_digital_stores_and_services%29

content:
<p>
Timid EU national leaders have 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/06/eu-stumbles-in-plan-to-levy-3-digital-tax-on-major-firms">backed
down from the tax on digital stores and services</a>, fearing this
will displease the US.
<p>
If you want your country to be a good place to live, you need to
defeat the plutocrats, including the states they control (which
includes the US).  So bite the bullet and fight them.


feed_id: 29e091d5259724359dada8132a27a1f5
title: Ballot shredder
uri: Ballot-shredder
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Ballot_shredder%29
content:
<p>
(satire) Georgia election worker Mitchell Hamlin reportedly assured a
black man that the ballot scanner was 
<a href="https://politics.theonion.com/georgia-election-worker-assures-black-man-ballot-scanne-1830266358">supposed
to sound like a shredder</a>.


feed_id: b57d3904bf9eff7ed3e5653534608107
title: Birthright citizenship
uri: 2018-11-17-Birthright-citizenship
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Birthright_citizenship%29
content:
<p>
For <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#cheater">the cheater</a>, eliminating birthright citizenship is simply a way to
eliminate 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/06/attacks-birthright-citizenship-are-just-beginning">future
Democratic voters</a>.


feed_id: 69d7d52d4a90b74b9368d67168647cec
title: The US college racket
uri: The-US-college-racket
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28The_US_college_racket%29
content:
<p>
The US college racket: 
<a href="http://dreamcafe.com/2018/11/02/sixteen-credits/">Sixteen
credits and what do you get</a>?
<p>
If we eliminated college loans, a lot fewer people would get
degrees, and the employers that use "college degree" as
an arbitrary filter would have to hire people without degrees.
<p>
However, there is a benefit to society from having more people
go to college: they learn to think more carefully.  At least,
it used to have that effect.


feed_id: ad4e595b508cc7f46d3b1b5982baeeb0
title: Democratic socialists
uri: Democratic-socialists
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Democratic_socialists%29
content:
<p>
Democratic Socialists 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/06/democratic-socialists-rise-capitalism-having-increasingly-hard-time-hiding-its-ugly">on
the Rise</a> as Capitalism Having Increasingly Hard Time Hiding Its
Ugly Face.
<p>
The US Chamber of Commerce and other plutocratic organizations are 
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/05/2018-midterms-elections-ocasio-cortez-business-lobby/">lobbying
to oppose the new Socialist movement in the US</a>.


feed_id: 00836cb74f842b114a014956f546c533
title: Attack on Palestinian seminar
uri: Attack-on-Palestinian-seminar
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Attack_on_Palestinian_seminar%29

content:
<p>
Israeli soldiers 
<a href="http://imemc.org/article/soldiers-abduct-jerusalem-governor-and-three-other-palestinians/">attacked
a Palestinian seminar</a> near Jerusalem and arrested regional
Palestinian officials.


feed_id: 2cb237de37bc8067e874dea510417bff
title: Ethnic cleansing against Palestinians
uri: Ethnic-cleansing-against-Palestinians
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Ethnic_cleansing_against_Palestinians%29

content:
<p>
Israel 
<a href="https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=781657">confiscated
tractors from Palestinians that live in the Jordan Valley</a>.  Israel
systematically practices ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians of
that area.


feed_id: 2506e7cf0842008b6217d474a470da7c
title: Lawsuit over criticism of occupation
uri: Lawsuit-over-criticism-of-occupation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Lawsuit_over_criticism_of_occupation%29

content:
<p>
Supporters of Israel's occupation of Palestine tried suing a professor
at San Francisco State University, making false accusation that his
criticism of the occupation somehow endangered Jews there.  Their
suit has been 
<a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/victory-san-francisco-state-professor-over-pro-israel-lawfare-suit">finally
rejected</a>.


feed_id: f148a5210b51213c11ff76f719328da1
title: Netanyahu and fascist-leaning leaders
uri: Netanyahu-and-fascist-leaning-leaders
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Netanyahu_and_fascist-leaning_leaders%29

content:
<p>
Cozying up to individual fascist-leaning leaders (even when they are
anti-semitic) is 
<a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5385432,00.html">not
even in Israel's practical interest</a>, except momentarily.
<p>
As Netanyahu allies himself ever more closely with fascist-leaning
leaders, the fascist nature of his own policies, such as 
<a href="https://972mag.com/rise-global-far-right-energize-anti-occupation-movement/138470/">bigotry
in Israel and the occupation/siege of Palestine</a>, becomes
undeniable.


feed_id: 69dd5644332ea0950f0f8c88f2a3b9a1
title: Death penalty in Israel
uri: Death-penalty-in-Israel
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Death_penalty_in_Israel%29
content:
<p>
Israel's government 
<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-lawmakers-debate-death-penalty-palestinian-terrorists-2136908281">wants
to make it easier to apply the death penalty to Palestinian
prisoners</a>.
<p>
The death penalty is wrong in all circumstances, but in this particular
situation I fear that Israel will frame Palestinians and kill them.


feed_id: ce5d0ecb039030c13cfd9ca1ff24db6c
title: Attack on blindfolded Palestinian
uri: Attack-on-blindfolded-Palestinian
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Attack_on_blindfolded_Palestinian%29

content:
<p>
An Israeli soldier 
<a href="http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=79040">faces
charges</a> for attacking a Palestinian prisoner that was bound and
blindfolded.
<p>
Things like this happen around the world; no government can magically
make sure it won't.  What a government can do is adopt a clear and
firm policy against it.  I will be glad if Israel turns its slogan,
"the world's most moral army," into a reality.


feed_id: c61c786d51efb01d04107a9da267ccbe
title: Plutocratist Democrats
uri: 2018-11-17-Plutocratist-Democrats
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Plutocratist_Democrats%29
content:
<p>
"Trump lost the House, but he 
<a href='https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/07/trump-congress-midterms-fight-lie-another-day'>lives
to fight &mdash; and lie &mdash; another day</a>."
<p>
Many of the Democrats in Congress are plutocratist today
just as they were last week.  What they propose to do 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/07/rapprochement-not-impeachment-democrats-likely-approach-to-trump">sounds
good</a>, but preventing global heating disaster is not an item
mentioned in this article.  And there is the issue of the enormous
budget deficit caused by last year's tax cuts for the rich.  The
Republicans 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#12_September_2018_(US_deficit)">want
to use this to justify shafting the poor</a>.  If the Democrats oppose
that, what will they propose instead?


feed_id: e21d47d194951f4ec903d7d10c4228af
title: Deportation thugs and Motel 6
uri: Deportation-thugs-and-Motel-6
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Deportation_thugs_and_Motel_6%29

content:
<p>
Motel 6 has 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/07/motel-6-settles-lawsuit-hispanic-guests-ice-agents">agreed
to pay damages and not tell the deportation <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> about its guests
without a warrant</a>.
<p>
If it puts the data in a computerized data base, the FBI could collect
it every day with a "national security letter", and nothing stops it
from giving the whole list to other agencies including the deportation
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a>.


feed_id: 8d3f4e4be9609c5fb99f70db243033f5
title: Protest against climate inaction
uri: Protest-against-climate-inaction
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Protest_against_climate_inaction%29

content:
<p>
Australian Students Plan 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/07/australian-students-plan-school-strikes-to-protest-against-climate-inaction">School
Strikes</a> to Protest against Climate Inaction.


feed_id: ac0ea4ad7b94b3ca016c30d19562b4d4
title: Hodeida bombarded with US-made bombs
uri: Hodeida-bombarded-with-US-made-bombs
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Hodeida_bombarded_with_US-made_bombs%29

content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a> is heavily bombarding Hodeida, including civilian areas,
with 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/07/yemen-hodeidah-airstrikes-saudi-led-coalition-ceasefire-calls">US-made
bombs</a>.
<p>
Although Mattis called for a cease fire, that is nothing more than an
idea.


feed_id: 49536291dbd37ab2bf9c69012971af0a
title: Environmental threat to wildlife
uri: Environmental-threat-to-wildlife
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Environmental_threat_to_wildlife%29

content:
<p>
David Attenborough 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/07/david-attenborough-world-environment-bbc-films">intentionally
downplays</a> the environmental threat to the wildlife he films, to
avoid "turning off" viewers.
<p>
The problem with this approach is that the environmental threat will
"turn off" many of the species presented, in just a few decades, if we
don't take action &mdash; and fast.


feed_id: 196aa1ac80cf757cb72a52e9f67e83fb
title: Protecting children from familial trauma
uri: Protecting-children-from-familial-trauma
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Protecting_children_from_familial_trauma%29

content:
<p>
It is 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2018/nov/07/ace-adverse-childhood-experience-trauma">possible
to coach parents</a> to protect their children from the effects of
familial trauma.
<p>
I suspect, though, that success depends on giving the parents enough
money to protect them from the further trauma that poverty typically
causes families.


feed_id: 6af7a76697c9273e07ed61ae403d6d86
title: Banks in the service of the NRA
uri: Banks-in-the-service-of-the-NRA
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Banks_in_the_service_of_the_NRA%29

content:
<p>
New York Governor Cuomo is using 
<a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/07/andrew-cuomos-unconstitutional-assault-o">strained
arguments to pressure banks to stop serving the NRA</a>.
<p>
This reminds me of how US marijuana businesses find it impossible
to get bank accounts.
<p>
I support petition campaigns calling on companies to break their
special deals with the NRA.  These campaigns follow a legitimate
pathway.  I also support further regulation of guns, including
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-jan-apr.html#1_March_2018_(Banning_assault_weapons)">prohibition
of high-velocity rifles</a> (often called
"assault weapons") and large magazines.
<p>
I would also support a campaign calling on an insurance company to
refuse to work with the NRA to sell insurance to other parties.  (It
sounds like that's what the insurance company is doing.)
<p>
However, the state should not pressure banks or insurance companies to
refuse to provide lawful services <em>to</em> the NRA, or to any other
lawful organization, based on what it stands for.


feed_id: 555de8cc3f078fa3f5711f3bdb4e04c7
title: Universal Postal Union
uri: Universal-Postal-Union
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Universal_Postal_Union%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#cheater">The cheater</a> 
<a href="http://www.antikrieg.eu/aktuell/2018_11_07_usa.htm">plans to
pull the US out of the Universal Postal Union</a>, which would
reportedly make it impossible to mail letters between the US and any
other country.


feed_id: 7d2392010d7425e3c02860fd8e8d8539
title: Female genital mutilation
uri: 2018-11-17-Female-genital-mutilation
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Female_genital_mutilation%29
content:
<p>
There is considerable progress in ending female genital mutilation,
and 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/07/fgm-rates-in-east-africa-drop-20-years-study-shows">great
progress in most of East Africa</a>.
<p>
The article mentions population growth there without taking note of
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_September_2018_(800_million_people_without_enough_to_eat)">the
disaster that this portends</a>.  Girls &mdash; and likewise boys
&mdash; born in Africa now are headed for a horrible fate.


feed_id: dfe5e1c34187ab56a5070478019bbc9a
title: Voting
uri: Voting
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Voting%29
content:
<p>
The US must reorganize voting so that people running for office
are 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/05/democracy-under-siege-systemic-flaws-may-override-record-electoral-participation">never
in charge of administering it</a>.


feed_id: e9f65fcf3a3e7b5daee8ae92003b1213
title: Suspicious voting machine failures
uri: Suspicious-voting-machine-failures
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Suspicious_voting_machine_failures%29

content:
<p>
Voting machines 
<a href="https://thinkprogress.org/four-hour-lines-voting-georgia-2f8545647f2b/">suspiciously
failed</a> in a suburb of Atlanta, making voters wait for hours.
<p>
Why did so many people have to vote in that one place?
I suspect that too was an act of sabotage.


feed_id: 11be33de9abe7d7bb25211d127cdbc69
title: US journalists should walk out
uri: 2018-11-17-US-journalists-should-walk-out
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28US_journalists_should_walk_out%29

content:
<p>US journalists should <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/08/us-press-corps-trump-journalists-press-conferences">stop acting helpless as the bully abuses them</a>. They should at least walk out.</p>
<p>What the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> says is nothing but manipulation, so they should walk out and stay out.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: d20ce1b127ae44cf995c96b2d59482bd
title: Trump Administration and DACA
uri: 2018-11-17-Trump-Administration-and-DACA
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#16_November_2018_%28Trump_Administration_and_DACA%29

content:
<p>An appeals court <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/08/judge-trump-administration-continue-dreamers-program">ordered the bully to continue DACA</a>.</p>
<p>Alas, this is not a final decision.  <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a> could appeal to the Supreme Court, where Gorsuch and Kavanaugh might cancel DACA finally.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 32922ca106bb1bba632e25fd48df75f8
title: Urgent: Immigrant soldiers
uri: Urgent-Immigrant-soldiers
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Immigrant_soldiers%29
content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.winwithoutwar.org/act/Sec-Mattis-Stop-Attack-On-Immigrant-Recruits">call
on Mattis</a> to investigate the persecution of immigrant soldiers.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 7dcdbdacb8652b58fe11b9068b683643
title: Urgent: Observers to the US border
uri: Urgent-Observers-to-the-US-border
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Observers_to_the_US_border%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/un_immigration">call
on the UN</a> to send observers to the US border with Mexico to check
for human rights violations.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 672a377bc7e5c554e3413aa81f9d1548
title: Fake fingerprints
uri: Fake-fingerprints
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Fake_fingerprints%29
content:
<p>
A single fake fingerprint can
match <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/15/fake-fingerprints-can-imitate-real-fingerprints-in-biometric-systems-research">20%
of all real fingerprints</a>, in many fingerprint authentication
systems.


feed_id: 5b99dd12416ef899d412b1cda734ade8
title: Ads against deforestation
uri: Ads-against-deforestation
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Ads_against_deforestation%29
content:
<p>
A UK supermarket's ad campaign was banned because
it <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/09/iceland-christmas-tv-ad-banned-political-greenpeace-orangutan">focused
on stopping deforestation</a>.


feed_id: 3c53fd9744d668058c6d0d375e4914e0
title: Obstructing vote counting
uri: Obstructing-vote-counting
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Obstructing_vote_counting%29
content:
<p>
Republicans
are <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/09/just-count-votes-where-voter-suppression-not-quite-enough-gop-now-trying-stop-ballot">trying
to obstruct counting</a> of some votes in four close races.


feed_id: 6e64a5021c6a37c5b54984c30089c26d
title: Lies about Jim Acosta
uri: Lies-about-Jim-Acosta
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Lies_about_Jim_Acosta%29
content:
<p>
Republicans' <a href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1060511898347692032.html">obvious
lies about Jim Acosta</a> illustrate clearly their general strategy of
obvious lies.
<p>
Those who do not favor lying should follow a strategy designed
to thwart theirs.  For instance, focusing on the substantial harm
that they do, and the further harm that they are trying to do.


feed_id: 68d01ba92dd612587683e3ab0dc6b448
title: Newly elected Democrats
uri: Newly-elected-Democrats
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Newly_elected_Democrats%29
content:
<p>
This year's newly elected Democratic representatives is
the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/09/these-14-democrats-are-core-what-bernie-sanders-calls-most-progressive-freshman">most
progressive such group ever</a>.


feed_id: e4046fe3396ce2eec82cc1d1cff26337
title: Things to do in the House
uri: Things-to-do-in-the-House
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Things_to_do_in_the_House%29
content:
<p>
Juan Cole:
The <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/09/top-11-things-dems-absolutely-must-do-house">Top
11 Things</a> the Dems Absolutely Must Do in the House.
<p>
Some of these things are easier said than done, but passing a bill
in the House of Representatives would affect politics even if
it doesn't become a law now.
<p>
I disagree about Syria.  The small remaining US involvement in Syria
is aimed at fighting <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#pissi">PISSI</a> and perhaps (I hope) protecting Rojava.


feed_id: 7d1873c6e088604f392a23875211cefa
title: Bullshitter's payoffs
uri: Bullshitter-s-payoffs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Bullshitter%27s_payoffs%29
content:
<p>
Prosecutors <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/online/new-wsj-report-prosecutors-have-evidence-of-trump-involvement-in-payoffs-to-stormy-daniels-mcdougal/">have
evidence</a> that the bullshitter was directly involved in organizing
payoffs to Stormy Daniels and another sex partner.
<p>
This might lead to a prosecution.


feed_id: 670606a4c59d2a03930293f50c843683
title: Partisan gerrymandering
uri: 2018-11-17-Partisan-gerrymandering
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Partisan_gerrymandering%29
content:
<p>
Eliminating partisan gerrymandering in the US will not be easy, but
several states' populations
have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/09/polarized-americans-are-they-agree-gerrymandering-wrong">voted
to take control away</a> from the partisan elected officials.


feed_id: 85dbe513ebf775e55893f7c5e3fed7b9
title: Curriculum in Scotland
uri: Curriculum-in-Scotland
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Curriculum_in_Scotland%29
content:
<p>
Scotland
will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/nov/09/scotland-first-country-approve-lgbti-school-lessons">teach
all students</a> about what it means to be homosexual, transgender,
etc.


feed_id: f92379a86423c3d705682bbddf085705
title: Deaths from US wars
uri: Deaths-from-US-wars
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Deaths_from_US_wars%29
content:
<p>
A new report estimates that the US wars in this century
have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/09/half-million-killed-americas-global-war-terror-just-scratches-surface-human">killed
half a million people</a>.
<p>
It estimates only 200,000 killed in Iraq, but I have doubts about
that, since
the <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2007-jan-apr.html#30%20March%202007%20(Lancet%20study)">report
published in the Lancet</a> estimated a lot more than that.


feed_id: bf7631218fd7c5e86960a4d7445376e4
title: Vietnam War whitewashing
uri: Vietnam-War-whitewashing
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Vietnam_War_whitewashing%29
content:
<p>
The Pentagon is whitewashing the history of the Vietnam War,
including <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/09/misremembering-vietnam">factual
falsehoods</a>.
<p>
The US troops that fought in Vietnam deserve condolences and an
apology, right after the apology that the Vietnamese deserve.
I don't see anything to "honor" them for.
<p>
This is not to say that the North Vietnamese victors' side
was any better.


feed_id: 44af99b39b9ef67c1b5fbf7c51ebab47
title: Ranked choice voting
uri: 2018-11-17-Ranked-choice-voting
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Ranked_choice_voting%29
content:
<p>
A congressional race in Maine will
be <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/07/history-making-maines-new-ranked-choice-voting-likely-decide-key-congressional-race">decided
by ranked choice voting</a>, making the first time this occurs in the
US.
<p>
As a citizen of Cambridge, Mass, I've used ranked choice voting for
decades in elections for the city council, and I'm in favor of
extending the practice to other offices.  Other flexible
systems <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-may-aug.html#08_May_2015_(Range_voting)">seem
even better</a>.


feed_id: 0370cffca86af021d0a3fdd2068207e0
title: Jim Acosta
uri: Jim-Acosta
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Jim_Acosta%29
content:
<p>
The bullshitter denied CNN reporter Jim Acosta access to White House
press-insult sessions.  Naturally, the reason
cited <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/07/cnn-jim-acosta-reporter-credentials-revoked">was
a lie</a>.
<p>
These sessions
are <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-mar-jun.html#21_June_2017_(White_House_press_briefing)">worthless
anyway</a>.  CNN should show it doesn't care about this by covering
something important instead of them.


feed_id: 3f3ddfad392c18730a8c3fec220f7caf
title: UK nuclear power plant
uri: UK-nuclear-power-plant
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28UK_nuclear_power_plant%29
content:
<p>
The UK is desperate to build another nuclear power plant, but
companies
keep <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/08/toshiba-uk-nuclear-power-plant-project-nu-gen-cumbria">refusing
to build one</a>, even with
the <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-mar-jun.html#29_May_2018_(Nuclear_plant_subsidies)">enormous
subsidies</a> that the UK offers.
<p>
There is speculation that the real motive for building new nuclear
plants has to do with maintaining the capability
to <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-sep-dec.html#21_December_2017_(Expensive_nuclear_plant)">build
and operate nuclear submarines</a>, and that part of the cost of the
submarines is being hidden by lumping it into electric generation.
<p>
Renewable generation plus batteries will do the job, and safely too.


feed_id: 21e57ccd618c5a33f034f6d693afa778
title: Election day discounts
uri: Election-day-discounts
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#17_November_2018_%28Election_day_discounts%29
content:
<p>
(satire) Uber
Offering <a href="https://www.theonion.com/uber-offering-discounted-wages-for-election-day-1830262748">Discounted
Wages For Election Day</a>.


feed_id: de067147fc9e544dfbd77568aa374c9c
title: Immigrant minors still in prison
uri: Immigrant-minors-still-in-prison
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Immigrant_minors_still_in_prison%29

content:
<p>
100 days after the court ordered the US government to return minors
that border <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> took away from their parents, 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1810064">47 remain in
prison</a>.


feed_id: 1a63e69996952ff35c920294f81e46c2
title: Brazil elections
uri: Brazil-elections
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Brazil_elections%29
content:
<p>
Brazil has as many voters as the US, and much less money, but it 
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/07/the-remarkable-participation-and-efficiency-of-brazils-elections-proves-how-shameful-and-deliberate-is-the-chaos-and-suppression-in-the-u-s/">avoids
the gross problems that plague US elections.
<p>
One problem that Brazil might have is that it uses digital voting
machines and the totals cannot be audited.


feed_id: df560ca208069bfd580a15af7aad40b0
title: Paying companies to "create jobs"
uri: 2018-11-18-Paying-companies-to-create-jobs
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Paying_companies_to_create_jobs%29

content:
<p>
Scott Walker's megadeal to buy Foxconn jobs was not only not worth the price
Wisconsin paid in tax funds.  It was also a fraud, since Foxconn 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/06/absolute-fraud-after-billions-taxpayer-subsidies-championed-trump-ryan-and-walker">plans
to bring over Chinese workers</a> instead of providing the promised
jobs to American workers.
<p>
The idea of paying companies to "create jobs" is 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-sep-dec.html#6_September_2017_(Paying_a_business_to_create_jobs)">fundamentally
idiotic</a>.


feed_id: c57e9e530080690290b098a3dca22de1
title: Urgent: Bernard McNamee
uri: Urgent-Bernard-McNamee
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Bernard_McNamee%29
content:
<p>
US citizens: <a href="https://act.climatetruth.org/sign/FERC/">Tell
Senators</a> to vote no on Bernard McNamee for Federal Energy and
Natural Resources Committee.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 9fd3f18dce45bfac9a650f08f31bd173
title: Urgent: Advertisers on Fox News
uri: Urgent-Advertisers-on-Fox-News
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Advertisers_on_Fox_News%29

content:
<p>
Everyone: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/fox-advertisers-2018">call
on advertisers</a> to drop Fox News.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: bacf6520b005c666e9073d28847b6e95
title: RFID chips for employees
uri: RFID-chips-for-employees
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28RFID_chips_for_employees%29
content:
<p>
There is a danger that companies will pressure employees into getting
RFID
chips <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/11/alarm-over-talks-to-implant-uk-employees-with-microchips">implanted
in their bodies</a>.
<p>
Often the only effective way to stop companies from coercing thousands
or millions of people into some practice is to make that practice
entirely illegal.  A mere requirement for consent is ineffective
because it is easy to pressure people into "consent."


feed_id: 23e7545f69c7d33f62803ebee6676208
title: San Francisco tax
uri: San-Francisco-tax
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28San_Francisco_tax%29
content:
<p>
San
Franciscans <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/08/san-francisco-passes-prop-c-homeless-tech-tax">voted
to tax large companies</a> to fund help for the homeless.
<p>
This is good, but for San Francisco to reduce homelessness, it needs
to make more places for people to live.
<p>
Cities and states should not be allowed to offer special tax breaks or
subsidies to attract a company to locate there.  That practice ends up
enriching companies at the expense
of <a href="https://stallman-org/articles/states-union.html">cities
and most people</a>.


feed_id: 094feff00637bd48fe84c61670bfffb6
title: Gait analysis in China
uri: Gait-analysis-in-China
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Gait_analysis_in_China%29
content:
<p>
Gait analysis software developed in
China <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/11/06/asia-pacific/chinese-gait-recognition-technology-identifies-people-walk/">recognizes
people reliably</a> by their bodies and their gait.
<p>
We can't count on any country to be safe from this.  Peoples that want
freedom need to adopt laws against systems that can identify people on
the street.


feed_id: 788ff51af4e4404be3f36ca093ad1b3e
title: Alabama's abortion amendment
uri: Alabama-s-abortion-amendment
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Alabama%27s_abortion_amendment%29

content:
<p>
Alabama's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/07/alabama-passes-extreme-anti-abortion-ballot-initiative">anti-abortion
constitutional amendment</a> would allow prosecuting women for using
IUDs or for not getting prenatal care.
<p>
This shows the absurdity of treating fetuses as human beings.


feed_id: c2378589d9ff0971a2118d83afc51733
title: UK campaign cheaters
uri: UK-campaign-cheaters
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28UK_campaign_cheaters%29
content:
<p>
Organizations that cheated in campaigning for the UK to vote to leave
the
EU <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/11/shahmir-sanni-brexit-taxpayers-alliance-fight-for-truth">also
persecuted a whistleblower</a> who revealed their cheating.


feed_id: 2180e12090c32bafcb19089fa31e403b
title: Commercial effect on body image
uri: Commercial-effect-on-body-image
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Commercial_effect_on_body_image%29

content:
<p>
Young men are now subject
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/11/men-suffer-as-much-as-women-in-their-pursuit-of-the-perfect-body">commercially-stimulated
distaste</a> for their bodies, much as women have been for a long
time.
<p>
I once heard two women conversing about a TV personality (they said a
name I did not recognize).  One of them was rebuking her for making no
attempt to obey fashion.  It came to me only later that I should have
spoken up and praised her for resisting the power of the fashion
industry.


feed_id: 5d04071f4f212dd2d5a288a857fa87b9
title: Bombing al-Shabaab
uri: Bombing-al-Shabaab
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Bombing_al-Shabaab%29
content:
<p>
Bombing al-Shabaab is killing lots of its fighters, but is not
hampering <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/11/us-airstrikes-fail-to-weaken-al-shabaab-grip-on-somalia">its
ability to fight</a>.
<p>
It is typical for guerrilla groups that killing many of their fighters
has no effect, because they can easily get as many as they want.  In
the past this was usually because they were successful only based on
popular support.  In the case of al-Shabaab, it seems to be due to
conscription.
<p>
If the people in the areas they rule get fed up with al-Shabaab's high
taxes and conscription, they might be willing to support the government.


feed_id: fa2d4457949129d77369c5e3ab5eb9ca
title: Fighter plane sales
uri: Fighter-plane-sales
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Fighter_plane_sales%29
content:
<p>
The UK plans
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/11/jamal-khashoggi-murder-britain-sells-arms-to-saudi-arabia">sell
more fighter planes</a> to Salafi Arabia.


feed_id: 9c6a1cc4086e8834e1baaf58318f7e14
title: Bank account closures
uri: Bank-account-closures
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Bank_account_closures%29
content:
<p>
UK banks are closing the accounts of thousands of individuals,
and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/nov/10/natwest-customers-dumped-and-left-unable-to-pay-bills">refuse
to tell them why</a>.


feed_id: 87bb673cd14917ee195bcbfbebb0187a
title: Canada's arms sale to Salafi Arabia
uri: Canada-s-arms-sale-to-Salafi-Arabia
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Canada%27s_arms_sale_to_Salafi_Arabia%29

content:
<p>
Trudeau says that Canada's arms sale to Salafi
Arabia <a href="http://angusreid.org/saudi-arabia-canada-khashoggi/">includes
a prohibition</a> on explaining why cancelling it would be
difficult.
<p>
If that is true, it is an additional reason why it is Trudeau's
duty to cancel the deal.


feed_id: ae11bfaf83168e3b474c4ed80e58c991
title: Nazi violence
uri: Nazi-violence
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28Nazi_violence%29
content:
<p>
Nazi
violence <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/further/2018/11/09/kristallnacht-what-happens-when-we-stop-looking-out-one-another">changed
rather quickly</a> from discrimination through violence into mass
murder.
<p>
It should be noted that during the 1930s the Nazis' goal was not
specifically to kill Jews. The Nazis hated Jews but thought of exiling
them from Germany &mdash; perhaps to the east. They started systematically
killing Jews in 1941 after conquering a large part of Russia.
<p>
This correction doesn't make any level of repression more
excusable. Rather, it shows that we can't take for granted that a hate
movement won't quickly turn into murder or even mass murder.


feed_id: 95e79f637184dfe36472ceec2782da2e
title: US drone bombers
uri: US-drone-bombers
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#18_November_2018_%28US_drone_bombers%29
content:
<p>
US drone bombers
have <a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/11/no-more-vietnam-syndrome">put
an end to the "Vietnam syndrome"</a> and enabled the US to rain
unchecked violence on countries around the world.


feed_id: e70a26329478c8da2aaaf105fd6239a9
title: Bully denying asylum
uri: Bully-denying-asylum
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Bully_denying_asylum%29
content:
<p><a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/vFvgPSKZlA4/1811551">The bully has arbitrarily ordered denying asylum</a> to anyone that crosses the border.  The ACLU will sue.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: a891b407e78d3d1a6d6d5f02685b5dd7
title: Texas state park border wall
uri: Texas-state-park-border-wall
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Texas_state_park_border_wall%29
content:
<p>The first segment of the bully's "wall" against Mexico <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/09/new-border-wall-will-destroy-butterfly-center-texas-state-park/">will protect the US from a butterfly sanctuary, an old church, and a state park</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 8750f55154648dcb5dbfc6a1d1c11cae
title: Whitaker's dishonest political prosecution history
uri: Whitaker-s-dishonest-political-prosecution-history
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Whitaker%27s_dishonest_political_prosecution_history%29

content:
<p>Whitaker's history of dishonest political prosecution <a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/uV3g_ZFoHog/1811499">disqualifies him from any government position</a>, especially in the Justice Department.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 7998303109a26b588ef776d6afe77536
title: PayPal: fascists equivalent to antifascists
uri: PayPal-fascists-equivalent-to-antifascists
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28PayPal%3A_fascists_equivalent_to_antifascists%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/09/paypal-proud-boys-antifa-ban-gavin-mcinnes-criticism">PayPal treats antifascists as equivalent to fascists</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 443467b3c70a1f43f1ce14b9cc21cbdd
title: Paradise, California destroyed by a wildfire
uri: Paradise-California-destroyed-by-a-wildfire
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Paradise%2C_California_destroyed_by_a_wildfire%29

content:
<p>The town of Paradise, California, was completely destroyed by a wildfire. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/09/california-wildfire-paradise-chico-camp-fire">It sprang up and engulfed the town in less than one day</a>.</p>
<p>Does anyone know whether trees in that region have been killed by pests whose range has extended due to global heating?</p>
<p>Meanwhile, some rich people's <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/09/malibu-wildfire-caitlyn-jenner-lady-gaga-celebrities-evacuated">mansions were burned in Malibu</a>.  I hope this teaches them to support efforts to curb global heating.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 99b9bcbfafe620f635869c76c6a07e31
title: US: halts aircraft refueling
uri: US-halts-aircraft-refueling
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28US%3A_halts_aircraft_refueling%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/10/us-stops-refuelling-of-saudi-led-coalition-aircraft-in-yemen-war">The US has dropped one form of support</a> for Salafi Arabia's bombardment of Yemen.</p>
<p>However, <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/09/the-u-s-will-stop-refueling-saudi-led-coalition-jets-in-yemen-but-progressives-in-congress-want-more/">it is possible that Salafi Arabia can now do its own refueling</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: d5cfb717896bd74ad1ceb02e362f746c
title: US: Anti-Semitism Awareness Bill
uri: US-Anti-Semitism-Awareness-Bill
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28US%3A_Anti-Semitism_Awareness_Bill%29

content:
<p>The "Anti-Semitism Awareness" bill <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/trumps-civil-rights-enforcer-could-use-law-silence-students">would do nothing about real anti-semitism</a> (promoted by right-wing extremists under the aegis of the cheater), but would set up repression of activism for Palestinians' rights.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 03633d78c41cbeb1d621bc98cfda75a2
title: Chile: former army chief convicted
uri: Chile-former-army-chief-convicted
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Chile%3A_former_army_chief_convicted%29

content:
<p>Pinochet's chief of the army <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/09/chile-former-army-chief-convicted-pinochet-regime">has been convicted of planning to kill 15 dissidents</a> after Pinochet's coup in Chile.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 603431eaf76a804b17cce575172ef3e5
title: Veterans Administration union rights attacked
uri: Veterans-Administration-union-rights-attacked
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Veterans_Administration_union_rights_attacked%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/08/largest-va-union-slams-trump-administration-move-silence-workers-voices?cd-origin=rss">The bully is again attacking union rights</a> at the Veterans Administration.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 981a3b3994276de1e17f50bee3667e49
title: Yemen war deaths underestimated
uri: Yemen-war-deaths-underestimated
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Yemen_war_deaths_underestimated%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/08/yemeni-war-deaths-underestimated-five-one?cd-origin=rss">Experience and statistics suggest</a> that the casualties of fighting in Yemen number more than 70,000, and that the other deaths due to secondary effects of the war must number in the hundreds of thousands.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: a87c0437753f7582306b6cd3dd7839af
title: Satire: US national parks
uri: Satire-US-national-parks
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Satire%3A_US_national_parks%29
content:
<p>(Satire): <a href="https://www.theonion.com/department-of-interior-reopens-national-parks-after-fil-1830319620">Making US national parks safe for visitors</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 300c99fabb5fd6750ce61b87bb32eb62
title: UK: Mariana Mazzucato residency rejected
uri: UK-Mariana-Mazzucato-residency-rejected
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28UK%3A_Mariana_Mazzucato_residency_rejected%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/08/anger-as-mariana-mazzucato-has-uk-residency-bid-rejected">The UK denied permanent residency to an Italian professor</a> who has lived and taught in the UK for 20 years.  It made a minor error, then used that as an opportunity to cause a big problem.</p>
<p>The bureaucrats have been taught to imitate a Hollywood exaggeration of bureaucratic cruelty.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 42b1eb4935682e6edd95728f2593aad5
title: Protests to defend Mueller
uri: Protests-to-defend-Mueller
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Protests_to_defend_Mueller%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/09/hundreds-protests-nationwide-call-protecting-mueller-russia-investigation-0?cd-origin=rss">Hundreds of thousands of Americans participated</a> in protests to defend Mueller's investigation of the bully's apparent collaboration with Russia.</p>
<p>I don't know whether protests can achieve anything against the shameless dishonesty of Republicans.  Protests won't dissuade the bully -- he would love to imprison every protester and boast of how powerful he is.  A year ago, some Republican officials said that they wanted to defend the investigation.  Do they care any more?</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: aafa7aca9d183c137c78ae1c306af9ee
title: Sessions' final act
uri: Sessions-final-act
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Sessions%27_final_act%29
content:
<p>Refusing to interfere with Mueller's investigation is the only decent thing that Sessions did.  <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/09/final-evil-act-jeff-sessions-reminds-everyone-yet-again-why-hes-been-worst-attorney?cd-origin=rss">He has consistently worked to harm and imprison refugees, and to give thugs unimpeded power to kill and attack black</a>s.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f7efe967d0d0bad6b1e86dcf2c8d3771
title: USPS workers injured fired
uri: USPS-workers-injured-fired
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28USPS_workers_injured_fired%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/09/us-postal-service-workers-injured-fired">The USPS is accused of firing temporary workers</a> that get injured on the job, without compensation.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 9eb25e30b0af2693afc43c32a9b60e64
title: US Democracy
uri: US-Democracy
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28US_Democracy%29
content:
<p>If the US succeeds in defending its own democracy, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/09/us-democracy-countries-global-authoritarian">it will then need to help other countries defend their own democracies</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ab5c493f456c8a38dd306f6ca6d90706
title: Trump supporters still want to be heard
uri: Trump-supporters-still-want-to-be-heard
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Trump_supporters_still_want_to_be_heard%29

content:
<p>The [bully] will never be out-ranted. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/09/trump-us-president-the-left">These elections show that his supporters still want to be heard</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 3236bf5d7acf3771a9af4bccce64a081
title: Japan: labor shortage
uri: Japan-labor-shortage
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Japan%3A_labor_shortage%29
content:
<p>Japan is solving its labor shortage problem <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/09/the-changing-face-of-japan-labour-shortage-opens-doors-to-immigrant-workers">by bringing in foreign workers</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://stallman.org/articles/children.html">Nationalist politicians advocate contributing to civilization's suicide</a> by increasing the national birth rate.  One of the fallacious arguments they cite is, "We will have a shortage of labor."  They ignore the counterarguments: (1) fewer workers will be needed to educate the fewer children, (2) with automation, and loss of jobs, having fewer people that need jobs may be a good thing, and (3) there are unemployed poor people in other countries.</p>
<p>The main challenge is to protect them from enslavement.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 13affc2cdf8c1a1b3c9f92bb590959f9
title: UK: moving families
uri: UK-moving-families
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28UK%3A_moving_families%29
content:
<p>The UK is moving families with no domicile <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/29/families-moved-home-job-security-zero-hours-contracts-social-isolation">from London to faraway cities to house them</a>.  They get a place to live, but don't know anyone, and may have little chance of being anything but isolated in their new homes.</p>
<p>However, this is not as bad as some countries.  In the US, these people would be dumped on the street.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 14aa9848ed11b178209de4a9e320c068
title: Brazilian artists face persecution
uri: Brazilian-artists-face-persecution
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Brazilian_artists_face_persecution%29

content:
<p>
Artists in Brazil are already facing 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/nov/07/brazil-artists-death-threats-censorship-intimidation-jair-bolsonaro">persecution
and violence from the religious fanatics that voted for Bolsonaro</a>.
Some have already fled the country.  Others are trying to resist.
<p>
Once Bolsonaro and his allies start mobilizing violence, I fear that
many artists will be killed soon.  If all he does is eliminate
subsidies and tax deductions, that will be quite a relief.
<p>
Several of the artists mentioned do conceptual art.  I generally find
conceptual art uninteresting, because words can express concepts more
clearly than ad-hoc symbols.  Rather than watch the conceptual art and
wonder what the point was, I'd say, "If you write it down in a few
lines, I'll read them."


feed_id: 055a7015aed209a934ebb2caacd06686
title: Encryption system for recording votes
uri: Encryption-system-for-recording-votes
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Encryption_system_for_recording_votes%29

content:
<p>
An encryption system for recording votes without the voters' name is
<a href="https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2018/11/05/end-to-end-verifiable-elections/">valid
in principle</a>.  However, for other reasons, it isn't ready for real
use in official elections.
<p>
It is designed for use in voting machines in a polling place.
It would not be safe to use this from the voter's own computer over
the internet.


feed_id: 10e30ceb014c78f1c06b816362ff4a19
title: California gun law
uri: California-gun-law
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28California_gun_law%29
content:
<p>
California has a law for temporarily taking guns away from people that
seem violent and dangerous, but it 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/09/california-gun-law-bar-mass-shooting-thousand-oaks-prevention">wasn't
applied to the recent multiple murderer</a>.


feed_id: cc567cf514a68f6c8b3ae73ee3aef020
title: Talking about teenagers having sex
uri: Talking-about-teenagers-having-sex
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Talking_about_teenagers_having_sex%29

content:
<p>
"The World 
<a href='https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/09/the-world-must-not-be-too-scared-to-talk-about-teenagers-having-sex'>Must
Not Be Too Scared</a> To Talk About Teenagers' Having Sex."
<p>
For their sake, we should get rid of the 
<a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#6_November_2018_(Sex_according_to_porn)">taboo
on sex</a>, so that teenagers are not kept ignorant, and steered
toward unwise paths and exploitation.


feed_id: 73d7f650d1ac4466a323ebc05c36cb08
title: Semiautonomous killer drones
uri: Semiautonomous-killer-drones
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Semiautonomous_killer_drones%29
content:
<p>
The 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/10/autonomous-drones-that-decide-who-they-kill-britain-funds-research">UK</a>
is designing semiautonomous killer drones.
<p>
So is 
<a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2172141/chinas-brightest-children-are-being-recruited-develop-ai-killer">China</a>.
<p>
I suspect the US is also doing so, though I don't know of proof.


feed_id: e929b14f7ec6e1024a253bb5914367ad
title: Making people wait in long lines to vote
uri: Making-people-wait-in-long-lines-to-vote
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Making_people_wait_in_long_lines_to_vote%29

content:
<p>
It's 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1811269">unacceptable</a> to
make people stand on line for a long time waiting to vote, even if it
is not intentional.  We should insist on a system designed to make
sure this never happens.
<p>We know that <em>in some cases</em> the long lines for voting in
the US were the result of voter-suppression.


feed_id: efb9d156f30614abc40a5dead093c297
title: Encryption for statistics about people
uri: Encryption-for-statistics-about-people
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Encryption_for_statistics_about_people%29

content:
<p>
A 
<a href="https://www.futurity.org/privacy-prio-data-security-1907652-2/">new
encryption system</a> makes it possible to collect aggregate
statistics about things people do, but impossible to identify the
statistics with individuals.


feed_id: 7aabe92c8b3be60a2ae86edd5f527056
title: Campaign funding in the US
uri: Campaign-funding-in-the-US
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Campaign_funding_in_the_US%29
content:
<p>
Campaign funding in the US is noxious because a 
<a href="https://www.ibtimes.com/campaign-spending-isnt-problem-where-money-comes-2729895">large
fraction comes from a few rich donors</a> and it gives them political
power.


feed_id: 9273e1d147e115a29f23b6975ac25f0b
title: GDPR privacy regulations
uri: GDPR-privacy-regulations
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28GDPR_privacy_regulations%29
content:
<p>
Romania is twisting the GDPR privacy regulations to demand 
<a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/40-press-releases/presss-releases/8875-occrp-strongly-objects-to-romania-s-misuse-of-gdpr-to-muzzle-media">identification
of journalists' sources</a>.


feed_id: accf4986eed7d66ae94e40f217261e8c
title: Abortion rights in South Korea
uri: Abortion-rights-in-South-Korea
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Abortion_rights_in_South_Korea%29

content:
<p>
South Korean women are 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/11/south-koreans-nascent-feminist-movement-turns-to-abortion-ban">gearing
up to fight to legalize abortion</a> there.


feed_id: 8551f76640c4bbf5c6dcbe0842475f11
title: Rohingya to be forced back to Burma
uri: Rohingya-to-be-forced-back-to-Burma
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Rohingya_to_be_forced_back_to_Burma%29

content:
<p>
Bangladesh has chosen 4500 Rohingya to 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/11/rohingya-myanmar-bangladesh-genocide-repatriation-un-warning">forcibly
return to Burma</a>.


feed_id: 0365e530c8a58732de70d58f2e69b509
title: Do-dirty
uri: 2018-11-21-Do-dirty
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Do-dirty%29
content:
<p>
Do-dirty is 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/11/philippine-rappler-news-outlet-critical-of-duterte-hit-with-tax-evasion-charge">accusing
opposition news site Rappler of tax evasion</a>.
<p>
It seems that every politician or organization that stands up to
Do-dirty is accused of some sort of crime.  I have no independent
information about whether Rappler is guilty of tax evasion, but I
would expect that to be very common in the Philippines, so selectively
accusing and prosecuting only those who oppose Do-dirty would be a
very effective form of political bias.


feed_id: 355b65426f5b4468500e1f1a2525d5ae
title: Republican tactics
uri: Republican-tactics
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Republican_tactics%29
content:
<p>
Florida Governor Scott resorted to a standard Republican tactic: 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/11/florida-recount-rick-scott-accuses-bill-nelson-voter-fraud">false
accusations of fraud by individual voters</a>.
<p>
That's how Republicans justify one of their systematic election
frauds: 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-jan-apr.html#8_March_2017_(Voter_ID_laws)">voter-ID
laws</a>.


feed_id: 73e5bd8223765d6e88e75a491db27068
title: Muller's investigation
uri: Muller-s-investigation
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Mullers_investigation%29
content:
<p>
Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives will 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/11/trump-matthew-whitaker-robert-mueller-democrats-constitutional-crisis">make
Whitaker testify</a> if he doesn't take hands off Mueller's
investigation.


feed_id: e87f6e236ee2a88e61420bbc52b226a3
title: Broad definitions of "terrorism"
uri: Broad-definitions-of-terrorism
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Broad_definitions_of_terrorism%29

content:
<p>
Nicaragua has followed the example of the UK and France in adopting an
absurdly broad definition of "terrorism".  Now 
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/11/nicaragua-protests-terrorism-daniel-ortega/">protesters
are being hunted down</a> for prosecution for "terrorism".
<p>
Whenever I read that someone was accused of "terrorism" in the UK, my
first thought is to wonder if the supposed "terrorism" consists of
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-may-aug.html#01_August_2015_(Imprisonment_for_having_books)">having
a copy of the wrong book</a>.


feed_id: 3afc9ca2a6f8ba5918c6e2a14ef77240
title: Urgent: Birth control coverage
uri: 2018-11-21-Urgent-Birth-control-coverage
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Birth_control_coverage%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="http://actnow.prochoiceamerica.org/signup/no-government-interference-our-decisions-use-birth-control/">Oppose
permitting organizations</a> to deny birth control coverage to their
employees.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 8e315e0a96cf7bcee6d467d54ae0e10f
title: Urgent: Expel Steve King
uri: Urgent-Expel-Steve-King
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Expel_Steve_King%29
content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/expel_steve_king">call
on Paul Ryan</a> to expel racist representative Steve King from the
House of Representatives.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: cdde7225098a2908caee48597d7ff105
title: Funding The Guardian
uri: Funding-The-Guardian
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Funding_The_Guardian%29
content:
<p>
The Guardian is getting most of the funding it
needs, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2018/nov/12/katharine-viner-guardian-million-reader-funding">from
voluntary donations</a>.


feed_id: 2f4a36d27dba3b8c33c4057836d67170
title: UK climate defense protesters
uri: UK-climate-defense-protesters
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28UK_climate_defense_protesters%29

content:
<p>
UK climate defense
protesters <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/12/climate-activists-glue-hands-to-uk-government-building-in-new-protest">chained
and glued themselves</a> to the main government department in charge
of planet-roasting.


feed_id: c74324ed7763373f0bea81e7b5d3a8de
title: NHS intimidation
uri: NHS-intimidation
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28NHS_intimidation%29
content:
<p>
The
UK <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/12/home-office-scraps-scheme-that-used-nhs-data-to-track-migrants">abandoned
a system</a> of making the NHS intimidate unauthorized immigrants.


feed_id: 1dbe4df94c741c636fa035d697704b5e
title: Preserving Venice
uri: Preserving-Venice
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Preserving_Venice%29
content:
<p>
There is a plan
to <a href="https://theconversation.com/venice-flooding-is-getting-worse-and-the-citys-grand-plan-wont-save-it-106197">preserve
Venice from flooding</a>, but at best it will be effective for a short
time.
<p>
Sometime in this century it will be necessary to dam off the lagoon.


feed_id: 5cf26fdba0a8fea49bc52fecd9e7208c
title: Fossil fuel monopolies
uri: Fossil-fuel-monopolies
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Fossil_fuel_monopolies%29
content:
<p>
Australia's planet-roaster government wants
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/13/energy-companies-push-back-on-coalition-threat-to-break-them-up">break
up monopolies</a> to make fossil fuels cheaper.
<p>
To avoid disaster, we need to make the price consumers pay for fossil
fuels higher, while making the profit that companies get from selling
them lower.  The way to do both is by increasing the tax on them.


feed_id: e6de1fe41b81e01418385fbe69aefd74
title: Khashoggi murder accountability
uri: Khashoggi-murder-accountability
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Khashoggi_murder_accountability%29

content:
<p>
Khashoggi
murder: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/12/khashoggi-pompeo-tells-crown-prince-the-us-will-hold-all-involved-accountable">Pompeo
tells crown prince</a> the US will hold all involved accountable.
<p>
It seems almost certain that one of those involved was the crown
prince himself.  I wonder if Pompeo was subtly suggesting that he put
the blame on others and deny his own involvement.


feed_id: e6fe20d92be22db2ce04548f49e180b0
title: Richard Ojeda
uri: Richard-Ojeda
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Richard_Ojeda%29
content:
<p>
A fairly progressive congressional candidate, Richard Ojeda, has
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/11/richard-ojeda-2020-president/">attracted
a lot of attention</a> for pulling a lot of votes away from the
Republican candidate.
<p>
I would certainly choose Sanders over Ojeda, if their views were the
same.  Sanders has defended the progressive cause for decades.  He
rose through the ranks of elective office as a progressive, which I
admire far more than doing so in the army.  What Ojeda says about coal
suggests he doesn't recognize the danger of fossil fuels in general.


feed_id: 40f0b07dd0d30f4ae992c1bdc2b590db
title: Trial for attempted murder
uri: Trial-for-attempted-murder
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Trial_for_attempted_murder%29
content:
<p>
Imelda Cortez in El Salvador
is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/12/victim-who-bore-abusers-baby-in-a-latrine-jailed-for-20-years-in-el-salvador-imelda-cortez">on
trial for attempted murder</a> after she was forced to bear the fetus
imposed on her by a rapist.
<p>
I don't think she did anything wrong.
<p>
Alabama seems to want to oppress women this way, too.


feed_id: 233791c54a2c9a31e40921285501571d
title: Women's health emergency
uri: Women-s-health-emergency
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Women%27s_health_emergency%29
content:
<p>
Planned Parenthood's new
president <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/12/planned-parenthoods-new-president-warns-of-state-of-emergency-for-womens-health">warns
of 'state of emergency'</a> for women's health.


feed_id: 2a6a5f36d568129add625a607040e17a
title: Communist protesters in China
uri: Communist-protesters-in-China
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Communist_protesters_in_China%29

content:
<p>
China <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/12/ten-student-activists-detained-in-china-for-supporting-workers-rights">faces
a conundrum</a> after arresting Communist protesters that protested
for workers' rights.


feed_id: e8258ccca32055a3d55f5304cb7273cf
title: Patriarchal murder by Syrian rebels
uri: Patriarchal-murder-by-Syrian-rebels
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Patriarchal_murder_by_Syrian_rebels%29

content:
<p>
The Syrian rebels are tied up with Islamists, and one thing they do is
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/12/they-see-no-shame-honour-killing-video-shows-plight-of-syrian-women">patriarchal
murder</a>.


feed_id: 841ad5e23ac2dd02d78afa9261f72630
title: Saboteur Zinke
uri: 2018-11-21-Saboteur-Zinke
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Saboteur_Zinke%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/12/ryan-zinke-interior-department-insider-opinion-oil-gas">The
far-too-long career</a> of Saboteur Zinke.
<p>
He made the Department of the Interior
a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/12/the-zinke-effect-how-the-us-interior-department-became-a-tool-of-industry">tool
for short-term profit</a> for big business.
The costs will affect us for as long as civilization lasts.


feed_id: 570316e0996e50036dc5f0ec8d8f3e26
title: Incremental climate protection
uri: Incremental-climate-protection
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Incremental_climate_protection%29

content:
<p>
It is too late for incremental climate protection, and useless to hope
for anything but sabotage from Republicans &mdash; we need Democrats to
<a href="https://grist.org/article/midterms-moderate-republicans-bipartisanship-on-climate-what-comes-next/">insist
on courageous policies</a>.
<p>
I disagree on one point.  I think an increasing carbon tax should be
part of what we do, even if it alone won't work fast enough.  We need
more money for the state, and the carbon tax
will <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-jul-oct.html#20_July_2018_(Carbon_tax)">put
pressure on business executives</a> that don't give a damn about the
world aside from their profits.


feed_id: c2e04c2975ad95685c323bda80fabdc8
title: Sessions and consent decrees
uri: Sessions-and-consent-decrees
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28Sessions_and_consent_decrees%29
content:
<p>
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1811619">Here are the
details</a> about how Sessions has made it effectively impossible for
the Department of "Justice" to use consent decrees to make local and
state <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thug</a> departments stop unjust policies.
<p>
"Sessions is all for punishment—just not the type of punishment that
follows from accountability."  He wants to loose <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> to punish
whoever they wish to punish, regardless of justice or even law.
<p>
Here's
the <a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices/resigning-jeff-sessions-handcuffed-justice">broader
context</a>.


feed_id: 523fbfea61a8fff758f53f4c656c04c5
title: California fires
uri: 2018-11-21-California-fires
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#20_November_2018_%28California_fires%29
content:
<p>
Due to <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a>, California can now have large and deadly fires
across the state.  Its fire-fighting resources, which were sufficient
in the past,
are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/11/la-fire-chief-climate-change-california-wildfires">not
enough any more</a>.
<p>
In the LA area, firefighters were overstretched and could not try to
contain the fires for the first three days; it was all they could do
to protect people and buildings that were immediately threatened.  As
a result, the fire became much bigger than it would have, if there weren't
a fire in the north as well.


feed_id: 83eeae4e69fcffa6c86f0a1f58d42ee0
title: Paradise, California destroyed by a wildfire
uri: 2018-11-21-Paradise-California-destroyed-by-a-wildfire
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Paradise%2C_California_destroyed_by_a_wildfire%29

content:
<p>The town of Paradise, California, was completely destroyed by a wildfire. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/09/california-wildfire-paradise-chico-camp-fire">It sprang up and engulfed the town in less than one day</a>.</p>
<p>Does anyone know whether trees in that region have been killed by pests whose range has extended due to <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a>?</p>
<p>Meanwhile, some rich people's <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/09/malibu-wildfire-caitlyn-jenner-lady-gaga-celebrities-evacuated">mansions were burned in Malibu</a>.  I hope this teaches them to support efforts to curb global heating.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 8aa2152e5aab4963e216af1552b04b3a
title: Protests to defend Mueller
uri: 2018-11-21-Protests-to-defend-Mueller
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_November_2018_%28Protests_to_defend_Mueller%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/09/hundreds-protests-nationwide-call-protecting-mueller-russia-investigation-0?cd-origin=rss">Hundreds of thousands of Americans participated</a> in protests to defend Mueller's investigation of the bully's apparent collaboration with Russia.</p>
<p>I don't know whether protests can achieve anything against the shameless dishonesty of Republicans.  Protests won't dissuade the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> -- he would love to imprison every protester and boast of how powerful he is.  A year ago, some Republican officials said that they wanted to defend the investigation.  Do they care any more?</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 4ba407f3c908a8aaf6972c15aeda3585
title: Urgent: Seismic testing
uri: Urgent-Seismic-testing
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Seismic_testing%29
content:
<p>
Everyone: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/saexploration">call
on SAExploration</a> not to do seismic testing in the Arctic Refuge.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 2977b8d829044007947aa9ef69cc116e
title: Urgent: Climate leadership
uri: Urgent-Climate-leadership
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Climate_leadership%29
content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.350.org/sign/now-time-real-climate-leadership-2018">call
on Congress</a> to give us real climate leadership.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 6264435d39086000e6fcf6b9daa4f5ef
title: Urgent: Palm oil
uri: Urgent-Palm-oil
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Palm_oil%29
content:
<p>
Everyone: <a href="https://engage.us.greenpeace.org/onlineactions/hA9tGvVk6kGLYgGZ7_uZKQ2">call
on Mondelez</a> to stop buying palm oil from Wilmar.</p>
<p>
If you have Javascript disabled, this will look strange, but it should
work.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 6953a949f572b0523f5fa31d6136bed9
title: Gene drives
uri: Gene-drives
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Gene_drives%29
content:
<p>
Some scientists and campaigns want
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/14/scientists-divided-over-new-research-method-to-combat-malaria">ban
the release of gene drives</a>.
<p>
There are ways that gene drives could cause ecological harm &mdash;
for instance, it could cause global extinction of a species, maybe
even jump to other species.  However, I think the right way to deal
with that issue is to require each release of a gene drive to be
protected
by <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jul-oct.html#15_August_2016_(Using_gene_drive_to_wipe_out_mosquito_species)">multiple
redundant safety measures</a>, far in excess of what appears to be
sufficient.


feed_id: d9eb764a0e7df2d9ba75f7e7d3013b14
title: Prison term for swatter
uri: Prison-term-for-swatter
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Prison_term_for_swatter%29
content:
<p>
A swatter whose act led to the killing of a family by a SWAT team has
been sentenced to
a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/13/man-pleads-guilty-swatting-hoax-kansas-death">long
prison term</a>.
<p>
He deserves punishment, but the danger of SWAT teams is not limited to
malicious false alarms.  They endanger people every day by carrying
out the usual duties that have been assigned to them.  To make SWAT
teams less dangerous, we
should <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jul-oct.html#3_August_2016_(SWAT_thugs)">eliminate
most of them</a>.


feed_id: b931af731e22e0de321e882d4477a136
title: North Carolina's gerrymander
uri: North-Carolina-s-gerrymander
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28North_Carolina%27s_gerrymander%29

content:
<p>
A lawsuit aims
to <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1812549">eliminate North
Carolina's gerrymander</a> based on the state constitution.


feed_id: 3bfe1fb795c318dc00bb527a9552a7b6
title: Tuskless elephants
uri: Tuskless-elephants
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Tuskless_elephants%29
content:
<p>
After decades of hunting elephants for their tusks, in some parts of
Africa 30% of female
elephants <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/wildlife-watch-news-tuskless-elephants-behavior-change/">are
born tuskless</a>.  This is evolution in action.
The lack of elephant tusks can alter ecosystems.


feed_id: 51ed70f3594ea4857e7599f7ea994e94
title: Trusting Wells Fargo
uri: Trusting-Wells-Fargo
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Trusting_Wells_Fargo%29
content:
<p>
Wells Fargo
is <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-wells-puffery-20181109-story.html">arguing
in court</a> that when it said people could trust that bank, they
should have recognized the statement as bullshit and disregarded it.
<p>
More generally, I agree that the "puffery" defense should be narrowed.
If that makes advertising more difficult and thus reduces the amount
that is done, great!


feed_id: 0095392e5daface8f41fe560eaee4fe8
title: New fossil fuel plants
uri: New-fossil-fuel-plants
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28New_fossil_fuel_plants%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/13/world-has-no-capacity-to-absorb-new-fossil-fuel-plants-warns-iea">World
Has No Capacity</a> to Absorb New Fossil Fuel [electric] Plants, Warns
IEA.


feed_id: e4c5fe7913e04b2b7447a82047b89de8
title: Refugees in Libya
uri: Refugees-in-Libya
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Refugees_in_Libya%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/12/cruel-european-migration-policies-leave-refugees-trapped-libya-no-way-out">50,000
refugees in Libya</a>, with no way to get out, face dangers ranging
from being sold as slaves to being hit by bullets when there is
fighting near the prison camp.


feed_id: 48b278427487e3bd776a8ed510a82a8c
title: Confiscated stuffed animal
uri: Confiscated-stuffed-animal
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Confiscated_stuffed_animal%29
content:
<p>
Airport "security" officials confiscated
a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/travel/little-boy-heartbroken-because-airport-allegedly-wouldnt-let-him-take-stuffed-snake-on-plane">child's
toy stuffed snake</a>.
<p>
This is an example of the suffering caused by "zero tolerance",
which means intentionally being unreasonable even (or especially?)
when that hurts people.
<p>
I wonder if they would confiscate a toy elephant because it is a "replica"
of an animal that wouldn't fit in the cabin.
<p>
The mother lied to the child to calm him down at that moment.  I
expect that the lie became evident on arrival, and that could make the
child justifiably distrustful of her from now on.
<p>
Even when people carry real weapons that shouldn't be allowed in the
cabin, to confiscate them is gratuitously harsh.  They should be
carried in a bin in the hold, and returned to passengers at their
destination.


feed_id: b3f34b2598b359aa4899283d3286038f
title: Uncontacted ethnic group
uri: Uncontacted-ethnic-group
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Uncontacted_ethnic_group%29
content:
<p>
(satire) <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a> is leading an expedition into a rainforest to find
an <a href="https://politics.theonion.com/trump-hacks-through-thick-central-american-jungle-in-se-1830384914">uncontacted
ethnic group to vilify</a>.


feed_id: 11bec4840082b6d7323a29c234ca8e20
title: New homes in San Diego
uri: New-homes-in-San-Diego
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28New_homes_in_San_Diego%29
content:
<p>
San Diego
is <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/13/analysis-san-diego-projects-put-40000-people-high-fire-hazard-areas">planning
40,000 new homes</a> in areas that are likely to burn.


feed_id: 2779d0d8da40c11b5753cc4ec2eb53f1
title: Renewable energy plan in Spain
uri: Renewable-energy-plan-in-Spain
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Renewable_energy_plan_in_Spain%29

content:
<p>
Spain
has <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/13/spain-unveils-groundbreaking-plan-slash-emissions-and-transition-100-renewable">proposed
a plan</a> for moving to 100% renewable energy by 2050, including
transportation.  Sale of new fossil-fueled cars would be prohibited
after 2040.
<p>
The prohibition on subsidies for fossil fuels, exploration permits,
and fracking should not wait for 2040.  It should start right away.
<p>
The energy sector is not the only source of greenhouse gases.  Spain
needs to address agriculture, especially beef.  And there is
deforestation, which is mainly occurring in countries other than Spain,
but is a major source at the world level.


feed_id: b626d2f1f859edcb7bc102c8655d9f39
title: Subway for Amazon employees
uri: Subway-for-Amazon-employees
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Subway_for_Amazon_employees%29
content:
<p>
(satire) New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that the
subway
is <a href="https://www.theonion.com/new-york-city-announces-subway-just-for-amazon-employee-1830418104">just
for Amazon employees now</a>.


feed_id: cc7513320fb202bb23ee934297344248
title: CIA experiments
uri: CIA-experiments
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28CIA_experiments%29
content:
<p>
The CIA's "medical services"
program <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/13/secret-cia-document-shows-plan-test-drugs-prisoners">experimented
on prisoners</a> trying to find a "truth serum".
The CIA's doctors also described waterboarding (a torture procedure
that approaches drowning) was a "relief" &hellip; from being forced to
stand day and night.


feed_id: 7dd5768e4113cfd53f85fb6dced5a2e7
title: Clinton campaigning
uri: Clinton-campaigning
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Clinton_campaigning%29
content:
<p>
(satire) Hillary Clinton told reporters she is launching a campaign
Tuesday that will raise $100 million by the end of the
year <a href="https://politics.theonion.com/hillary-launches-campaign-to-raise-100-million-or-else-1830416470">or
else she will run for president</a>.


feed_id: 2d8564719de493868258b8fee115ba7a
title: Subsidizing businesses
uri: Subsidizing-businesses
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Subsidizing_businesses%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/13/7-economic-terms-are-often-used-trick-people-out-their-money">Analyzing
the propaganda terms</a> that go with proposals to subsidize
businesses, starting with "public-private partnership".


feed_id: 344f2476888c4b059de615965ab8e238
title: California wildfires
uri: 2018-11-23-California-wildfires
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28California_wildfires%29
content:
<p>
Explaining how wildfires operate in California and 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/13/donald-trump-wildfires-science-forest-management">why
they are getting worse</a>.


feed_id: 0466cdb3f85080b81cb5cd565228ddb9
title: Reduction of NO2 pollution
uri: Reduction-of-NO2-pollution
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Reduction_of_NO2_pollution%29
content:
<p>
Amazingly, the EPA says it 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/13/epa-new-heavy-duty-truck-pollution-rule-nitrogen-oxide">will
propose to reduce NO<sub>2</sub> pollution from trucks</a>.


feed_id: 6ed28188ae3f4f8f8e0c2349f9193e35
title: Being a security guard while black
uri: Being-a-security-guard-while-black
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Being_a_security_guard_while_black%29

content:
<p>
A black armed security guard in an area near Chicago subdued a man
after a shooting.  Then a white <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thug</a> arrived and 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/13/white-officer-shot-black-security-guard-chicago">immediately
shot the guard</a>.
<p>
The <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thug</a> apparently acted hastily without taking the requisite time to
understand who was who.  That is commonly how <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> kill blacks.


feed_id: 64fb620d9dd1d15756cb815569db186c
title: Amazon headquarters
uri: 2018-11-23-Amazon-headquarters
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Amazon_headquarters%29
content:
<p>
Washington and New York 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/13/hq2scam-hashtag-lifts-after-cities-reveal-21-billion-tax-giveaways-amazon">propose
to give Amazon 2 billion dollars</a> to put its headquarters there
instead of in other cities that have more civic pride and are less
willing to be suckers.


feed_id: 4389bf2bdbcaea0b8907b318147bab14
title: Heatwaves and insect fertility
uri: Heatwaves-and-insect-fertility
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Heatwaves_and_insect_fertility%29

content:
<p>
Heatwaves 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/13/heatwaves-wipe-out-male-insect-fertility-beetles-study">Can
'Wipe Out'</a> Male Insect Fertility.
<p>
This might partly account for the decrease in insect populations
around the world, but it would be premature to assume that.


feed_id: c1fd4b1cc7e165f449bab9b1e71150fa
title: US bank investments in fossil fuels
uri: US-bank-investments-in-fossil-fuels
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28US_bank_investments_in_fossil_fuels%29

content:
<p>
Suggestions for 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/12/want-save-climate-break-big-banks">stopping
big US banks from investing</a> in fossil fuels.
<p>
Another approach is simply to prohibit development of new oil and gas
wells.


feed_id: 0e07496fc4bbb1469bb7e710b3010f7b
title: Arctic 10F too hot
uri: Arctic-10F-too-hot
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Arctic_10F_too_hot%29
content:
<p>
The Arctic was 10F too hot last winter, and this 
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1810444">affects the rest of
the world</a>.


feed_id: a55dd33abac7d0dd43cb42c7c06b2463
title: Armistice Day
uri: Armistice-Day
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Armistice_Day%29
content:
<p>
Armistice Day 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/12/armistice-day-first">commemorated
the horror of war</a>.  Renaming it "Veterans Day" was intended to
teach Americans to support war.


feed_id: de34db0bc176b2a598c878673ce9f0bb
title: Aid for Puerto Rico
uri: Aid-for-Puerto-Rico
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Aid_for_Puerto_Rico%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#cheater">The cheater</a> 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/12/trump-reportedly-wants-cut-federal-relief-funds-puerto-rico-despite-post-maria">wants
to cut off reconstruction aid</a> for still-devastated Puerto Rico,
claiming that it was going to use the money to pay off debt.
<p>
It would be an injustice to pay any of that debt, regardless of where
the money comes from.  Those exploitative "investors", who bought the
debt very cheap, must get what they deserve: zero.


feed_id: 43621034bb39522fa1ae88c9b7f704c0
title: Malibu fire
uri: Malibu-fire
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Malibu_fire%29
content:
<p>
The fire that burned Malibu also 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/12/woolsey-fire-burns-nuclear-meltdown-site-state-toxics-agency-failed-clean">burned
a site where rockets and nuclear reactors were tested</a>.  The fire
may have lifted chemical contaminants as well as radioisotopes into
the air.


feed_id: 692789c942fa0f9d7d231efb9387bbf8
title: Adding legislation to must-pass bill
uri: Adding-legislation-to-must-pass-bill
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Adding_legislation_to_must-pass_bill%29

content:
<p>
Schumer calls for legislation
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1812344">already pending in
the Senate to be added to some must-pass bill</a> next month.


feed_id: 969b85da6bb2c8b73e7463d4808c434b
title: Super-sugar drinks
uri: Super-sugar-drinks
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Super-sugar_drinks%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/13/milkshakes-freakshakes-targeted-by-sugar-campaigners">Campaigning
against</a> super-sugar drinks.


feed_id: 0f34dfd30d4306292e339da4ac75ce58
title: BBC's "Thought for the Day"
uri: BBC-s-Thought-for-the-Day
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28BBCs_Thought_for_the_Day%29
content:
<p>
The BBC broadcasts a "Thought for the Day", but 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/13/bbc-faces-renewed-calls-open-thought-for-the-day-atheists-sandi-toksvig">only
religious people are allowed to present one</a>.


feed_id: c317fdc1624411270b9b19482a145e49
title: Sinema
uri: Sinema
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Sinema%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/12/kyrsten-sinema-beats-martha-mcsally-arizona-She">Democratic
Rep. Sinema</a> won the Arizona senate election.
<p>
The Republican Party 
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1812126">falsely accused
Sinema's campaign of cheating</a>.  Two long-term aids of recently
deceased Republican Senator McCain condemned those accusations.
<p>
McCain was an example of a Republican of a couple of decades ago.
They were on the side of business and theocracy, but they still had
some idea of political honor.  Nothing like that remains in today's
Republican Party.
<p>
Sinema is a Democrat &mdash; but reportedly a "centrist".  In the most
vital issue, the fight against plutocracy, which side will she be on?


feed_id: 7550bb5beb37ee208df4f9a7db41361d
title: Smoke from wildfires
uri: Smoke-from-wildfires
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Smoke_from_wildfires%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/12/california-wildfires-bay-area-smoke-haze-air-quality-pollution">San
Francisco</a> is getting used to smoke from wildfires.
<p>
With every sight of this, people should remember that it is just a
foretaste of what the fossil fools and <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#planet">planet roasters</a> have in store
for us, if we don't stop them first.


feed_id: 8007940d8e873b9c25bf5dd19ced4b8b
title: Rohingya to be sent back to Burma
uri: Rohingya-to-be-sent-back-to-Burma
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Rohingya_to_be_sent_back_to_Burma%29

content:
<p>
Bangladesh has a list of Rohingya to send back to Burma, but most of
them do not want to go.  They are 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/13/rohingya-refugees-flee-camps-to-avoid-return-to-myanmar">fleeing
the refugee camps to avoid being sent back</a>.


feed_id: 42a2319ba0223210f001bddd81276553
title: Plastics companies
uri: Plastics-companies
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Plastics_companies%29
content:
<p>
The plastics companies &mdash; which were the same as the oil
companies &mdash; 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/13/the-plastic-backlash-whats-behind-our-sudden-rage-and-will-it-make-a-difference">intentionally
convinced the public to regard plastic as disposable</a>, and to make
avoidance of plastic litter the consumer's responsibility instead of
the manufacturer's responsibility.


feed_id: fded59ac283bd8dc6a8302d05d9fa7c0
title: MIT, Harvard, and Salafi Arabia's monarch
uri: MIT-Harvard-and-Salafi-Arabia-s-monarch
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28MIT%2C_Harvard%2C_and_Salafi_Arabias_monarch%29

content:
<p>
MIT and Harvard have been helping the acting monarch of <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/13/saudi-arabia-mit-harvard-funding-mohammed-bin-salman-reconsidering-khashoggi">give
himself a positive image</a>.


feed_id: e46ff94ee61f8ef744227dfb63141ae5
title: Reducing production of air pollution
uri: Reducing-production-of-air-pollution
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Reducing_production_of_air_pollution%29

content:
<p>
How various cities are 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/nov/13/what-would-a-smog-free-city-look-like-air-pollution">reducing
the production of air pollution</a>.


feed_id: 03c913c6c09bce3116c081be592a205e
title: Human linguistic capabilities
uri: Human-linguistic-capabilities
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Human_linguistic_capabilities%29

content:
<p>
Humans have 
<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181107001625/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181106104221.htm">linguistic
capabilities that spoken language does not use</a>.  Assuming that
spoken language came first, and sign language was used only by the few
deaf people, those capabilities must have arisen as a byproduct,
without being selected for.
<p>
Is it possible that humans developed a sign language first, and only
later a spoken language which replaced it?  This would simplify the
evolutionary path.
<p>
If spoken language came first, it required evolving multiple
facilities at once: controlling production of a variety of speech
sounds, as well as the higher-level organization of them.
<p>
However, if humans had already evolved great manual dexterity and the
ability to carry out a series movements, for other activities,
developing sign language would have required evolving only the
higher-level organization.
<p>
Spoken language has its advantages: for instance, you can talk to
people who can't currently see your hands well, or at all.  If humans
started using vocalizations as substitutes for certain signs, and
supposing this gave them an advantage, they would have encountered
selection for control over a broader variety of speech sounds.


feed_id: cadabe7d1eee5a958a3e5d630939d661
title: Proposals for reducing inequality
uri: Proposals-for-reducing-inequality
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Proposals_for_reducing_inequality%29

content:
<p>
Progressive politicians' 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/11/house-has-gone-democratic-can-house-now-go-bold">current
proposals</a> for reducing inequality.
<p>
I think we need more than these.  For instance, to stop companies from
dodging taxes, and to make large companies break up.  We also need
public funding for campaigns for office, so that the rich don't have
so much influence.
<p>
We need something to achieve the same job regarding ballot questions,
so that oil companies can't defeat initiatives to curb <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a>.


feed_id: 2c487d59885e29aa27b63f8f8c8c8beb
title: Tories want new gas-burning power plant
uri: Tories-want-new-gas-burning-power-plant
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Tories_want_new_gas-burning_power_plant%29

content:
<p>
The Tories want to burst the UK's carbon budget with a 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/11/drax-uk-gas-power-station-environmental-objection-climate">large
new gas-burning power plant</a>.  They insist on fracking, so they
need to burn the gas somehow.


feed_id: ceb2c1500cb63f988b03482cc9b0356c
title: Labour under Corbin
uri: Labour-under-Corbin
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#22_November_2018_%28Labour_under_Corbin%29
content:
<p>
Labour promises that under Corbin it will 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/12/corbyn-government-new-labour-tax-rich-tories">tax
the rich more, and tax environmental harm more</a>.


feed_id: c11fe2f758cd58ab82f179b080e8b22f
title: Urgent: Secret deals for Amazon
uri: Urgent-Secret-deals-for-Amazon
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Secret_deals_for_Amazon%29

content:
<p>
In the
US: <a href="http://act.demandprogress.org/sign/tell-governors-new-york-and-virginia-no-secret-deals-amazon/">Tell
governors</a>, no secret deals for Amazon.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: f55742ebd440a07f937c0332d6ea6554
title: Urgent: Colin Van Ostern
uri: Urgent-Colin-Van-Ostern
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Colin_Van_Ostern%29
content:
<p>
Citizens of New Hampshire: for fair elections, call on your
representatives in both state legislative chambers
to <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1813347">champion Van
Ostern as secretary of state</a>.
</p>


feed_id: b43d8c57c7abdbea503d870e2fc1504f
title: Urgent: Paris climate agreement
uri: 2018-11-23-Urgent-Paris-climate-agreement
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Paris_climate_agreement%29

content:
<p>
Everyone: <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/add-your-name-sign-the-peoples-demands-for-climate-justice?nowrapper=true">Call
on the world's governments</a> not to let planet roasters undermine
implementation of the Paris climate agreement.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: a15e2727545fffdee817472ef18e6691
title: Under control of fossil fools
uri: Under-control-of-fossil-fools
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Under_control_of_fossil_fools%29

content:
<p>
All the G20 countries except India are still under the control of the
fossil fools and on track
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/14/g20-nations-still-led-by-fossil-fuel-industry-climate-report-finds">exceed
2C of global heating</a>.
<p>
This probably does not evaluate the Spanish plan just proposed (but
not yet adopted) which would reduce emissions there.


feed_id: 09b5e1f79f1ab792186c3b4ca24792a6
title: Salafi Arabia crown prince
uri: Salafi-Arabia-crown-prince
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Salafi_Arabia_crown_prince%29
content:
<p>
Since the crown prince of <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a> was not in the embassy in Istanbul,
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1812554">does that imply</a>
he was not guilty?


feed_id: 8e9fddae13c329c495fc85141e4a5703
title: San Jose Google deal
uri: San-Jose-Google-deal
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28San_Jose_Google_deal%29
content:
<p>
San Jose has made some sort
of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/13/google-accused-of-withholding-documents-in-new-campus-negotiations">illegal
secret deal</a> with Google for Google to build offices there.


feed_id: 61c7ccb7efbcc5938b6e5f2d8930ea7e
title: Searching blacks on the street
uri: Searching-blacks-on-the-street
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Searching_blacks_on_the_street%29

content:
<p>
Searching blacks on the street because they are black
is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/13/stop-and-search-debate-reasonable-grounds-police">harmful
and unfair in London</a>, just as it was in New York City.


feed_id: e04b4dabe5160e5028d83f88d3cd3a7d
title: Contraception donation
uri: Contraception-donation
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Contraception_donation%29
content:
<p>
The UK has decided to make
a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/13/uk-gives-landmark-200m-to-improve-contraceptive-access-in-africa-and-asia">substantial
donation</a> to contraception in Africa and Asia.
<p>
This is the most efficient way to reduce future poverty there.


feed_id: 2fd5d50a5f9d5e7cd91ebbedb0f71dff
title: Dating service data
uri: Dating-service-data
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Dating_service_data%29
content:
<p>
Dating services, including Match, Tinder, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid,
get lots of data in a user's profile, and sell it to data brokers who
<a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/59vbp5/shady-data-brokers-are-selling-online-dating-profiles-by-the-millions">resell
it to anyone</a>.


feed_id: 839a14559bebc55e55de023d7ca183df
title: Sri Lanka's parliament
uri: Sri-Lanka-s-parliament
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Sri_Lanka%27s_parliament%29
content:
<p>
Sri Lanka's parliament refused the order pretending to dissolve it,
and voted
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/14/sri-lanka-parliament-no-confidence-pm-mahinda-rajapaksa">reject
Rajapaksa as prime minister</a>.
<p>
This was after the Supreme Court ruled that the
president <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/13/sri-lankas-supreme-court-suspends-presidents-decision-to-dissolve-parliament">could
not dismiss parliament</a>.
<p>
Rajapaksa was the previous president;
he <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2009-jan-apr.html#14%20January%202009%20%28Lasantha%20Wickramatunga%29">assassinated
people</a> that opposed or criticized him.


feed_id: c17820cdb2eb423c27efb877081547fa
title: Closing nuclear plants
uri: Closing-nuclear-plants
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Closing_nuclear_plants%29
content:
<p>
Closing Nuclear Plants
Risks <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/14/closing-nuclear-plants-risks-rise-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions-report-warns">Rise
in Greenhouse Gas Emissions</a>
(if they are replaced by gas-fired generators).
<p>
Gas won't be so cheap if we ban fracking, as we ought to.
<p>
I am skeptical of the claim that some physical absolute limit makes it
impossible to install renewable power (plus storage) fast enough.
Given a stable policy that encourages it, we could ramp up both
industries as much as necessary.  The real limit is the cost; but the
money is available by taxing the people and organizations that have
money.


feed_id: 0c74586ae9c6bf7dde3bbead448561d8
title: US citizens with unauthorized immigrant parents
uri: US-citizens-with-unauthorized-immigrant-parents
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28US_citizens_with_unauthorized_immigrant_parents%29

content:
<p>
Many US citizens whose parents are unauthorized immigrants
must <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/13/the-us-citizens-bypassing-university-to-protect-their-parents-from-ice">forego
education, medical care, even food</a>.


feed_id: 7c7036829a7bb8af195d7ab48589636a
title: State level campaigning
uri: State-level-campaigning
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28State_level_campaigning%29
content:
<p>
The Democratic Party has woken up to the need to campaign hard at the
state level,
and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/12/democrats-state-politics-midterms">gained
370 legislative seats</a> this year.


feed_id: c70d387bd7e52af679b51c0de39802bb
title: Queensland species protection
uri: Queensland-species-protection
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Queensland_species_protection%29

content:
<p>
Queensland has systematically failed threatened
species, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/14/queensland-has-systematically-failed-threatened-species-auditor-general-says-in-scathing-report">auditor
general says</a> in scathing report.


feed_id: f73e7bffbf7052be170dc2de79a8bdd2
title: Florida recount
uri: Florida-recount
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#23_November_2018_%28Florida_recount%29
content:
<p>
Republicans are trying to stop the Florida recount by legal delaying tactics
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/13/florida-recounts-warning-democrats-desantis-gillum-nelson-scott">based
on false claims</a>.


feed_id: 97d822118d4ab7037dca4a213b52f7a0
title: Urgent: Human rights defenders
uri: Urgent-Human-rights-defenders
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Human_rights_defenders%29

content:
<p>
Everyone: <a href="https://act.amnestyusa.org/page/29666/petition/1">support
safety and justice</a> for heroic women that defend human rights.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: de66f5715b0098642a0046b373295483
title: Urgent: Prisoners fighting fires
uri: 2018-11-25-Urgent-Prisoners-fighting-fires
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Prisoners_fighting_fires%29

content:
<p>
Everyone: <a href="https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/end-prison-labor-in-CA_copy">call
on California</a> to stop exploiting the prisoners that work fighting
fires.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: fd1dd30c2012a38793ceab3610ac592f
title: Urgent: Medicare for All caucus
uri: 2018-11-25-Urgent-Medicare-for-All-caucus
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Medicare_for_All_caucus%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/medicare_for_all_midterms">call
on all Democrats in Congress</a> to join the Medicare for All caucus.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 3bf14e6de10b41c728d572e8cfcf0d4a
title: 'Joint enterprise'
uri: Joint-enterprise
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28%27Joint_enterprise%27%29
content:
<p>
The UK's criterion for "joint enterprise" is too lax, and you could be
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/14/woman-looked-for-shoes-during-car-park-court-hears">convicted
of someone else's crime</a> if you have not said, very loud, "I am not
participating in this, goodbye".


feed_id: 6aa9fdeed520aaada8b26af4849c326e
title: Fathers with their children
uri: Fathers-with-their-children
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Fathers_with_their_children%29
content:
<p>
When you see a child with a man, almost always the man is per father,
but people have
been <a href="https://letgrow.org/helicopters-take-to-sky-door-to-door-search-conducted-after-video-of-child-abduction-released-but/">taught
to jump to the conclusion</a> it is a kidnapping.


feed_id: b4a4af35a8ce188dcb37ee7024d46a90
title: Pay-to-attract-business deals
uri: Pay-to-attract-business-deals
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Pay-to-attract-business_deals%29

content:
<p>
Amazon's corruption of US cities
has <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/13/corporate-bribery-lands-amazon-hq2-queens-ocasio-cortez-says-outrage-best-describes">awakened
recognition</a> that pay-to-attract-business deals cheat the people.
<p>
Some elected officials oppose it also, pointing
at <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/14/ny-assembly-member-has-better-idea-cancel-3-billion-amazon-giveaway-buy-crushing">the
good the money could do</a> if it were not given to a business.
<p>
However, the mayor and governor
have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/14/amazon-hq2-new-york-protest-queens-long-island-city">set
things up to bypass</a> all the usual forms of approval.
<p>
The legislature should cut off that loophole.
<p>
15 years ago when I told people that subsidizing businesses to "create
jobs" was selling out, I met with incomprehension.  They saw the
short-term, narrow "benefits"; they resisted looking at the question,
"When every city focuses on trying to attract businesses away from
other cities, what will the overall result be?"


feed_id: 9337cb8a89df264b589dcabe2b040823
title: Coca Cola Christmas
uri: Coca-Cola-Christmas
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Coca_Cola_Christmas%29
content:
<p>
Coca Cola's contribution to Christmas in the UK is a tour handing out
gratis sugar-laden drinks.  This year, people
are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/14/coca-cola-scales-back-uk-christmas-truck-tour-after-protests">pushing
against the practice</a>.
<p>
Drinks with sugar substitutes do not entirely avoid problems; they
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2013-jan-apr.html#02_February_2013_(Brominated_vegetable_oil_in_Gatorade)">trick
the brain</a> into preparing the stomach for the sugar that doesn't
come.


feed_id: d282dca7a3119ac5acaf04e4235ac9d2
title: California crabs
uri: California-crabs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28California_crabs%29
content:
<p>
A California crab-boat captain
is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/14/crab-fishermen-sue-oil-firms-exxon-chevron">suing
oil companies</a> for the global heating effect (red tide) that has
made the crabs unsafe to eat.


feed_id: 2e01ae52edeb991180bc07e628986caa
title: Bosnia-Croatia border
uri: Bosnia-Croatia-border
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Bosnia-Croatia_border%29
content:
<p>
Croatian <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> force border-crossers back to Bosnia
&mdash; <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/14/didnt-give-a-damn-refugees-film-croatian-police-brutality-bosnia">after
breaking their bones</a> and their phones, and stealing any money they
have.


feed_id: 0124174f9e4caac61f6c8b80c966b58d
title: German antifascist rallies
uri: German-antifascist-rallies
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28German_antifascist_rallies%29
content:
<p>
In Germany, antifascists rally in such large numbers that they
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/14/marching-together-far-right-fascist-wir-fur-deutschland">make
fascists disheartened</a>.


feed_id: c4557060a2470c6ec62c3f81f8aa80f2
title: Censorship in Kuwait
uri: Censorship-in-Kuwait
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Censorship_in_Kuwait%29
content:
<p>
Kuwait's censorship is so strict
that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/14/dostoyevsky-book-among-hundreds-banned-in-kuwait">the
idea of a book fair</a> there is almost absurd.


feed_id: 485625e2d8d8a446611044d5ce61b860
title: Old people's organs
uri: Old-people-s-organs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Old_people%27s_organs%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/14/older-peoples-organs-can-still-save-lives">Even
if you're old</a>, your organs can save other people's lives.


feed_id: eeef13bc831495a7ea41246fc91aaba2
title: Celebrities and global heating
uri: Celebrities-and-global-heating
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Celebrities_and_global_heating%29

content:
<p>
When even
celebrities <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/14/if-celebrity-victims-of-climate-change-cant-silence-the-deniers-who-can">visibly
can't avoid the effects</a> of global heating, will denialists start
to believe?
<p>
Or will they claim that the famous actors who say their houses were
burned "are just actors" ;-)?


feed_id: cf9616ff856ef7af6406d18c2076017d
title: Immigration activists in Vermont
uri: Immigration-activists-in-Vermont
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Immigration_activists_in_Vermont%29

content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/14/vermont-migrant-justice-immigration-activists-lawsuit-dhs-ice">Immigration
activists in Vermont have sued</a>, saying that the US government with
the cooperation of Vermont agencies targeted them for infiltration and
arrests to impede their political activities.


feed_id: 18110998459e439bbcbdebe8bfd726a5
title: 'Alternative medicine' in Spain
uri: Alternative-medicine-in-Spain
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28%27Alternative_medicine%27_in_Spain%29

content:
<p>
Spain
will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/14/spain-plans-ban-alternative-medicine-health-centres">eliminate
"alternative medicine"</a> in its clinics, and will work to end the
practice of teaching such "treatments".
<p>
This includes homeopathy and acupuncture.  Homeopathy is absurd
because it postulates differences between a treatment and a placebo
that theoretically can't exist, and
which <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-jan-apr.html#17_March_2015_(Homeopathy)">no
one can observe in practice</a>.
<p>
Acupuncture is not obviously theoretically absurd, but experiment
finds it
is <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2013-may-aug.html#04_June_2013_(Acupuncture)">no
different from a placebo</a>.
<p>
The placebo effect may be useful, but there are lots of ways to
trigger that.


feed_id: bf5b22e08743a4c4997f9cc185363189
title: Cuban doctors in Brazil
uri: Cuban-doctors-in-Brazil
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Cuban_doctors_in_Brazil%29
content:
<p>
Cuba
will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/14/cuba-doctors-brazil-withdraw-jair-bolsonaro">withdraw
the 11,000 Cuban doctors</a> that work in Brazil after Bolsonaro
demanded that the doctors get a bigger fraction of what Brazil pays
for their work, and demanded they get Brazilian medical licenses.
<p>
The second demand is evidently unreasonable.  If Brazil wants Cuba to
send doctors to Brazil as a national practice, it has to accept their
Cuban medical training (which, I gather, is pretty good).  This must
be just an excuse to terminate the contract.
<p>
This suggests to me that the first demand is also an excuse to
terminate the contract.  I would be surprised if Bolsonaro cared about
the income of a non-rich Cuban.
<p>
At the same time, I don't see that his statements contain insults or
threats to the Cuban doctors.


feed_id: fc2e0ccb5b4bb2cb9dc3fa34bad6d2ca
title: Spotlight on UK poverty
uri: Spotlight-on-UK-poverty
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Spotlight_on_UK_poverty%29
content:
<p>
The UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty is shining the spotlight
on how the UK government
has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/14/un-austerity-destroying-lives-philip-alston-poverty-uk">boosted
poverty there</a>, poverty that the government
consistently <a href="media/62a79bb0.anuran-bevan.jpg" data-original-source="https://stallman.org/images/anuran-bevan.jpg">refuses
to admit</a>.
<p>
I think the claim that the UK's imposition of poverty is worse than
the US is mistaken.  In the UK, citizens who are broke are supposedly
entitled to welfare, though bureaucrats look for excuses to cut it
off.  In the US, many such people are left to shift for themselves.


feed_id: 76c7a2f7eaccc109da39c9d46e414ae8
title: Forcing Rohingya back to Burma
uri: Forcing-Rohingya-back-to-Burma
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#25_November_2018_%28Forcing_Rohingya_back_to_Burma%29

content:
<p>
Bangladesh is using the army
to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/14/bangladesh-army-arrives-in-rohingya-refugee-camps-as-repatriations-loom">force
Rohingya back to Burma</a>.


feed_id: 7fcf074585c9c41f413a13ded97acb79
title: Computational idea patents
uri: 2018-11-27-Computational-idea-patents
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Computational_idea_patents%29
content:
<p>
Once again, the Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit has
<a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/11/supreme-court-should-confirm-again-abstract-software-patents-dont-need-trial-be">distorted
a Supreme Court decision</a> so as to help computational idea patents.
<p>
This is what it did in 1981, which exposed the US to the plague of
computational idea patents in the first place.


feed_id: 0204125d4f902bdc06fd9e27ddade078
title: Planet roaster foreign minister
uri: Planet-roaster-foreign-minister
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Planet_roaster_foreign_minister%29

content:
<p>
Bolsonaro has 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/15/brazil-foreign-minister-ernesto-araujo-climate-change-marxist-plot">appointed
a fanatical planet roaster</a> as foreign minister.


feed_id: aeb574dc375e1f223fa1305196a1ac5e
title: Prohibiting thermal coal
uri: Prohibiting-thermal-coal
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Prohibiting_thermal_coal%29
content:
<p>
The Australian Green Party proposes to 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/16/greens-policy-would-outlaw-thermal-coal-as-it-is-no-longer-compatible-with-human-life">prohibit
mining, burning or shipping thermal coal by 2030</a>.
<p>
That does not go far enough to avoid disaster, but at least it shows
an example of the kind of firmness needed to do the job.


feed_id: 0c14fc09fa4a447ebb3f6dd8186e46e4
title: Wildfires in US and Australia overlapping
uri: Wildfires-in-US-and-Australia-overlapping
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Wildfires_in_US_and_Australia_overlapping%29

content:
<p>
The US and Australia used to have wildfires for half the year each, so
they arranged to share equipment and crews.  Due to <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a>,
their fire seasons have extended, and now 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/16/longer-fire-seasons-threaten-to-disrupt-us-australia-firefighting-cooperation">they
overlap</a>.


feed_id: d6002f3f6eb5d8b4ebf1531e0a3becb8
title: Punished for recording sexual harassment
uri: Punished-for-recording-sexual-harassment
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Punished_for_recording_sexual_harassment%29

content:
<p>
Indonesian teacher Baiq Nuril Maknun has been sentenced to prison for
recording a phone call in which her boss pressured her for sex.  
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/15/indonesia-jails-teacher-who-documented-sexual-harassment">The
supreme court declared her guilty</a>.
<p>
No action has been taken against her boss.


feed_id: 194547f6a4e6c2c8e69dbe2dcb2906d2
title: The arrests of Alexei Navalny
uri: The-arrests-of-Alexei-Navalny
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28The_arrests_of_Alexei_Navalny%29

content:
<p>
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that arrests of Alexei
Navalny were 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/15/alexei-navalny-arrests-russia-politically-motivated-echr">politically
motivated (as well as invalid)</a>.
<p>
It seems that Russia will ignore this and pull out of the ECHR.


feed_id: 4df6e02a35454e2ef598c267ce60fee0
title: UK prosecutors and thugs
uri: UK-prosecutors-and-thugs
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28UK_prosecutors_and_thugs%29
content:
<p>
UK prosecutors and <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> are 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/2018/nov/15/cps-and-police-routinely-failing-to-disclose-evidence">"routinely
failing" to show the defense evidence it could use to refute the
charges</a>.
<p>
This happens in the US as well.  When a prosecutor does this, it
represents aiming for a miscarriage of justice.


feed_id: 0d67ca40532b65b16b4f2fb2fd9cfed0
title: North Korea's missile bases
uri: North-Korea-s-missile-bases
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28North_Koreas_missile_bases%29
content:
<p>
North Korea has several missile bases, and 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1812365">continues to work
on them</a>.  But how important is that?
<p>
I think a peace treaty to end the Korean War would be a good thing,
regardless of whether North Korea has nuclear weapons.  The US and
South Korea are at peace with nuclear-armed Pakistan and India, not to
mention China and Russia.  Why shouldn't they be at peace with
nuclear-armed North Korea?  Peace would make an actual nuclear war
less likely.
<p>
The fact that North Korea is horribly repressive, even worse than
China, doesn't change that conclusion.


feed_id: f4a1d576891aa2df53be9a1520b434ea
title: Amazon's competition to subsidize it
uri: Amazon-s-competition-to-subsidize-it
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Amazons_competition_to_subsidize_it%29

content:
<p>
Amazon's compete-to-subsidize-us competition 
<a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/13/hq2-how-amazon-made-governments-do-their">gave
the company information about city governments and their plans</a>,
that it can profit from in many ways, including taking advantage of
them.


feed_id: c67269cd6098b84ca427b6cf8ed46bcd
title: Amazon Nazi sympathizer "security" guards
uri: Amazon-Nazi-sympathizer-security-guards
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Amazon_Nazi_sympathizer_security_guards%29

content:
<p>
Amazon in Germany hired "security" guards from a company of Nazi
sympathizers to repress foreign workers.  Reporters came to cover
this, and the guards
<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/amazon-used-neo-nazi-guards-to-keep-immigrant-workforce-under-control-in-germany-8495843.html">tried
to arrest them and take their cameras</a>.


feed_id: ddd84970753458423d6d69f52d399c09
title: Oil drilling off Alaska's coast
uri: Oil-drilling-off-Alaska-s-coast
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Oil_drilling_off_Alaskas_coast%29

content:
<p>
A plan to drill for oil off Alaska's coast is being 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/15/arctic-oil-drilling-texas-hilcorp-beaufort-sea">thwarted
by an insufficiency in sea ice</a>.
<p>
If it is blocked for two years, can the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#saboteur">saboteur</a>'s successor block it
for good and all?


feed_id: 21301b16dfd8a42d7eb85ab579c89ccd
title: Paying for education with loans
uri: Paying-for-education-with-loans
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Paying_for_education_with_loans%29

content:
<p>
The World Bank 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/15/world-bank-pulls-300m-tanzania-loan-over-pregnant-schoolgirl-ban">cancelled
a large loan to Tanzania</a>, to improve secondary education, because
of the policy of prohibiting pregnant girls from studying, as well as
other forms of repression.
<p>
I support the decision to protect girls' right to an education, and to
punish repression.  However, I have doubts about the basic idea of
asking a poor country to pay for education with loans.  How would it
repay ever these loans?  By pushing more people into poverty?
<p>
Sex education and contraception aid might be a more efficient way to
use funds to reduce future poverty in Tanzania.


feed_id: ea847dd292ad16f2e8c890e255a0178e
title: Shameless surrender to business
uri: Shameless-surrender-to-business
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Shameless_surrender_to_business%29

content:
<p>
Some of Amazon's rejected suitors have published what 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/14/amazon-next-headquarters-losing-city-bids-what-offered">enticements
they offered to Amazon to locate there</a>.
<p>
It's a catalog of shameless surrender to business.  We need laws to
<a href="https://stallman.org/articles/states-union.html">stop cities
from making such offers</a>.


feed_id: a38c4dd2d22af0f4a7e579988721e844
title: Citizens Climate Lobby
uri: Citizens-Climate-Lobby
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Citizens_Climate_Lobby%29
content:
<p>
The Citizens Climate Lobby 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/15/citizens-climate-lobby-grassroots-group-oil-worker-legislation">aims
to meet with all legislators (in the US, I guess) twice a year</a>.
<p>
Bill Bray understood the issue perfectly when he campaigned, years
ago, to increase oil prices.  If we had made oil cost enough to cover
the damage it was doing, we might have avoided the disaster that now
stares us in the face.


feed_id: 58044915644a4a6df480b589812df92d
title: Landmines planted by PISSI in Falluja
uri: Landmines-planted-by-PISSI-in-Falluja
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Landmines_planted_by_PISSI_in_Falluja%29

content:
<p>
Falluja is full of powerful artisanal landmines planted by <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#pissi">PISSI</a>
&mdash; 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/15/people-are-scared-to-go-home-deadly-landmines-of-isis-still-shapes-lives-in-iraq-fallujah">in
roads, paths, gardens, and inside houses</a>.


feed_id: 78bff64a026c27b1f7235dcc2a459a93
title: Group "identity"
uri: Group-identity
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Group_identity%29
content:
<p>
The idea that a person has a group "identity" with implications about
what person should think or do 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/15/raised-native-american-dna-test-father-lied-heritage">leads
to bizarre paradoxes when one of per parents lied about per
ancestry</a>.  Especially if the person thinks of that as "Who I am",
and has consciously based per way of thinking on that "identity".
<p>
I don't understand this concept of "identity".  I can't imagine
answering the question, "Who are you," based on my ancestors &mdash;
nor on where they lived, what they did, or what they believed.
<p>
The only answer I can conceive of for that question is "Richard
Stallman."  That name doesn't refer to any of my characteristics,
whether physical nor mental.  It refers only to me, one specific
person, distinguishing me from every other person, and that's
precisely why it is the right answer.  It will continue to designate
me no matter how I change in the future.
<p>
If we were to pose the same question about you, I would respond
similarly: the only answer I could conceive of would be your name, or
some other way of distinguishing you from everyone else.
<p>
You have some background, as I have.  Your background has surely
influenced you, as mine did me.  But what has that got to do with
"who" you are, or "who" I am?  Nothing at all.
<p>
I would never intentionally adopt a way of thinking or acting because
it's what my ancestors did.  That is no reason for me to think or act
in any particular way.


feed_id: 2a0d4383b0170167b598141718135818
title: Keeping rats out
uri: Keeping-rats-out
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Keeping_rats_out%29
content:
<p>
Alberta has 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/15/alberta-rat-catcher-phil-merill-canada-pest-free">kept
rats out for 50 years</a>.  About a dozen rats get in each year, but
most of them are caught, and they cannot establish a population.
<p>
This turns out to be much less work, and much cheaper, than one would
expect.  It may be possible to make New Zealand rat-free and keep it
so.


feed_id: 7a507eff5876bb0ccbd67518fd72848f
title: Demolition of Palestinian homes
uri: 2018-11-27-Demolition-of-Palestinian-homes
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Demolition_of_Palestinian_homes%29

content:
<p>
Israel 
<a href="http://imemc.org/article/palestinian-homes-in-shofat-refugee-camp-demolished-by-israeli-forces/">continues
demolishing Palestinian homes</a>, built inevitably without a permit
because Israel does not give permits to Palestinians.
<p>
Likewise in 
<a href="http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=781722">another part
of the West Bank</a>.


feed_id: 9fa37757053b62892ef37b03f2cf8730
title: Israeli reporter Oren Cohen
uri: Israeli-reporter-Oren-Cohen
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Israeli_reporter_Oren_Cohen%29
content:
<p>
Israeli reporter Oren Cohen covered the stories of Palestinians in the 1980.
He 
<a href="https://972mag.com/journalist-first-intifada-learned-believe-idf-says/138505/">learned
to expect that their reports were true</a>, and the statements of the
Israeli army were lies.
<p>
He describes a supposed Palestinian car bomb near an international
meeting that was really a fake, set up by the Israeli army to sway
visitors' hearts and minds.  Army censorship forbade him to report
this.


feed_id: fbeee18af9aec83e363e73df76f30b47
title: Palestinian lawyer imprisoned by Israel
uri: Palestinian-lawyer-imprisoned-by-Israel
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Palestinian_lawyer_imprisoned_by_Israel%29

content:
<p>
About 
<a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/11/08/why-is-israel-afraid-of-khalida-jarrar/">Khalida
Jarrar</a>, Palestinian lawyer and elected official, who has been
imprisoned by Israel for several years without charges.
<p>
I have some disagreements with her views, but advocating views about
an international dispute does not justify imprisonment.


feed_id: 87ddfe05e2a9f3be343102e65fc18219
title: Israel's deal with Salafi crown prince
uri: Israel-s-deal-with-Salafi-crown-prince
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Israels_deal_with_Salafi_crown_prince%29

content:
<p>
Israel doesn't dare criticize Khashoggi's murder, because it 
<a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/why-benjamin-netanyahu-defending-mohammed-bin-salman-254854779">has
a deal with the Salafi crown prince that organized it</a>: to bully
Palestine into accepting the absurd "peace" deal that Netanyahu and
Trump have proposed.
<p>
Israel also does not want to draw attention to the fact that it has
carried out targeted assassinations for many years.


feed_id: 8aca77790b5f599396b1ee0c77fe625f
title: Maryland suing to block Whitaker
uri: Maryland-suing-to-block-Whitaker
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Maryland_suing_to_block_Whitaker%29

content:
<p>
Maryland is 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/13/absent-senates-consent-maryland-argues-trump-appointment-acting-ag-matthew-whitaker">suing</a>
to block Whitaker from being considered acting attorney general.


feed_id: 85db7a189ade25daa86252bb47b2e58c
title: China disappearing labor-activists
uri: China-disappearing-labor-activists
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28China_disappearing_labor-activists%29

content:
<p>
China is 
<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/13/asia/china-student-marxist-missing-intl/index.html">disappearing
labor-activist students</a>.  Reportedly just being in a place where
they hand out leaflets can get you arrested.


feed_id: e9fbc7c8a67f45b8b8a839878af90e27
title: Pelosi
uri: Pelosi
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Pelosi%29
content:
<p>
(satire) Nancy Pelosi told reporters Wednesday of her plans to
reenergize the House of Representatives by 
<a href="https://politics.theonion.com/nancy-pelosi-planning-to-reenergize-house-by-injecting-1830442313">injecting
herself with the blood of her party's young members</a>.


feed_id: 9a30873e7a50e98811930dda74b82672
title: Business concentration in few cities
uri: Business-concentration-in-few-cities
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#26_November_2018_%28Business_concentration_in_few_cities%29

content:
<p>
Business concentration in a few cities 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/13/amazon-everything-thats-wrong-america">visits
poverty on rural workers and urban low-paid workers</a> both.


feed_id: f405c192b3b5636a29803e821f1a89dc
title: Urgent: Reservation land
uri: Urgent-Reservation-land
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Reservation_land%29
content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/land_grab_2018">call
on Congress</a> not to take away reservation land for fossil fuel
extraction.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 174782e22c9bb9bc5d3bd177da84e3aa
title: Urgent: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
uri: 2018-11-28-Urgent-Consumer-Financial-Protection-Bureau
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Consumer_Financial_Protection_Bureau%29

content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="http://act.demandprogress.org/sign/tell-new-congress-stand-strong-cfpb/">Tell
the new Congress</a> to Stand up for the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 5259a4650705d15e33ce65ced0cffef8
title: Smoke exposure
uri: Smoke-exposure
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Smoke_exposure%29
content:
<p>
Smoke from the California wildfires has exposed millions of people to
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/19/just-insane-air-quality-soars-above-safety-threshold-california-wildfires-death-toll">extremely
high levels</a> of particulate pollution, which can make them sick now
and even make them susceptible to asthma for the rest of their lives.


feed_id: f872a3366f981d03dd34a6bc119d3062
title: War in Yemen
uri: 2018-11-28-War-in-Yemen
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28War_in_Yemen%29
content:
<p>
The head of the World Food
Program <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/19/there-us-imprint-death-every-child-yemen-sen-chris-murphy">implored
Congress</a> to stop the war in Yemen.


feed_id: d168e4e4e5fdd508fb9b5e6d715fb88a
title: No toilets for workers
uri: No-toilets-for-workers
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28No_toilets_for_workers%29
content:
<p>
Tens of thousands of UK workers
are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/nov/19/thousands-uk-workers-denied-toilet-access-unite">restricted
in going to the toilet</a> or have no toilet available.
<p>
I would expect, a priori, that it is worse in the US; does anyone know?


feed_id: a5e0e5f014c68deca295fd012323a7a5
title: China's sphere of dominion
uri: China-s-sphere-of-dominion
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28China%27s_sphere_of_dominion%29
content:
<p>
China is slowly but
steadily <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/20/despite-apec-drama-china-is-winning-the-fight-for-the-pacific-step-by-patient-step">expanding
its sphere of dominion</a> in the Pacific.


feed_id: b4edce41140bbbbbf3b848ab823cdde1
title: Airbnb in the West Bank
uri: Airbnb-in-the-West-Bank
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Airbnb_in_the_West_Bank%29
content:
<p>
Airbnb
will <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/19/airbnb-removes-rentals-in-israeli-west-bank-settlements">stop
listing apartments</a> in Israel's colonies in Palestine's West Bank.
<p>
I appreciate this decision, but there
are <a href="https://stallman.org/airbnb.html">several reasons</a> not
to do business with Airbnb
and this doesn't cancel them.


feed_id: 1aac65bfe4aa8f425a4e584e172fc5ab
title: Authoritarian characteristics
uri: Authoritarian-characteristics
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Authoritarian_characteristics%29

content:
<p>
The
bully <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/18/is-donald-trump-an-authoritarian-experts-examine-telltale-signs">shows
characteristics</a> of the authoritarian rulers he praises.
<p>
His supporters fit the profile
of <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jan-apr.html#8_March_2016_(Authoritarian_followers)">"authoritarian
followers"</a>.


feed_id: 4daab1bfee6bb6dc3f04b6319980380a
title: China's infrastructure program
uri: China-s-infrastructure-program
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28China%27s_infrastructure_program%29

content:
<p>
At the APEC summit, US Vice President Pence warned that China's Belt
and Road infrastructure programme consists of "opaque" loans with
strings attached, and
can <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/18/apec-summit-mike-pence-warns-of-chinas-constricting-belt-and-one-way-road">lead
to "staggering debt"</a>.
<p>
I am ready to believe that is true, because it's much like the
situation with the loans offered by western countries and
institutions, including the US and
the <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#19_October_2018_(World_Banks_loans)">World</a>
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2007-may-aug.html#03%20June%202007%20(The%20World%20Bank)">Bank</a>.
<p>
In addition, there is specific
evidence: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/18/maldives-new-president-warns-treasury-looted-during-china-led-boom">Maldives'
New President Warns</a> Treasury 'Looted' During China-led Boom.
<p>
We need to set up a way for poor countries with unsustainable debt to
renounce debt that was contracted by corrupt dictators.  Then <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bankster">banksters</a>
would be less eager to lend to corrupt dictators, and they won't find
it so easy to stay in power.


feed_id: 2f0a4730442333c97def72f3ba6fb218
title: Sri Lankan Parliament
uri: Sri-Lankan-Parliament
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Sri_Lankan_Parliament%29
content:
<p>
"<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/17/sri-lanka-fists-fly-collapsing-government-crisis-mahinda-rajapaksa">Flying
fists and pelted bottles</a> &mdash; warring politicians shock Sri
Lanka."
<p>
The article suggests that the fighting in Parliament was planned in
advance by Rajapaksa's supporters.  If so, it fits with what he did
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2010-jan-apr.html#5%20April%202010%20(Elections%20coming%20in%20Sri%20Lanka)">when
he was president</a>.


feed_id: 8ed2cfacf353d47c34b24099d51b5740
title: Law on harming a fetus
uri: Law-on-harming-a-fetus
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Law_on_harming_a_fetus%29
content:
<p>
An Australian state
is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/17/revived-zoes-law-bill-a-risk-to-womens-abortion-rights-warn-pro-choice-groups">considering
making it a crime</a> to kill or harm a fetus in the process of
committing some other crime.
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jul-oct.html#21_July_2016_(El_Salvador_abortion_law_change)">Experience
in other countries</a>
shows that laws criminalizing harm to a fetus threaten women who have
abortions, and even women who have miscarriages.
<p>
Meanwhile, in the other cases for which it is supposedly intended, it
would make the penalty for any given crime unpredictable.  That only
makes justice less effective.
<p>
It could be reasonable to make it a crime to intentionally cause a
fetus to be born with damage, or to intentionally commit certain acts
of violence which are likely to cause a fetus to be born with damage.
However, I doubt such things happen often enough to be worth
legislating against.


feed_id: 88eeba92b687c9c64dd1e02941d2d0d2
title: Sheryl Sandberg
uri: Sheryl-Sandberg
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Sheryl_Sandberg%29
content:
<p>
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg champions the profit and growth of
Facebook, like plenty of other executives, but because she is a woman
many
feminists <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/17/facebook-sheryl-sandberg-feminism">call
her success an advance</a> for society.
<p>
I was never in danger of thinking so, because as far as I'm concerned
anything good for Facebook is by default bad for society.
<p>
More generally, though, I don't particularly cheer the fact that the
small number of executives of big companies includes some women.  That
has little to do with the well-being of non-rich people of any gender.
I think equality for women is a matter of how the majority of women
are treated at work; for instance, the tens or hundreds of millions
that
are <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-sep-dec.html#16_December_2016_(Feminism)">paid
less than men</a> in low-paid jobs.
<p>
Let us not be distracted from that by the gender of this or that
executive.


feed_id: faaacce3ac9a233f80bdf4647eaf5b96
title: DRM in the kitchen
uri: DRM-in-the-kitchen
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28DRM_in_the_kitchen%29
content:
<p>
DRM in the kitchen won't stop with Keurig coffee
machines.  <a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/17/sole-and-despotic-dominion">Here's
what it will look like</a> when the same oppressive policies are
extended to dishwashers.
<p>
In this article, the hypothetical company uses the term "intellectual
property" which appears to refer to some specific aspect of law.  It
doesn't &mdash; <a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.html">it
is a bogus concept</a>,
used to keep people unclear
what law might actually be pertinent.


feed_id: 85b157cdb085d6ef82fa292594d2f0ac
title: Size of the Supreme Court
uri: Size-of-the-Supreme-Court
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Size_of_the_Supreme_Court%29
content:
<p>
Why progressives must aim
to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/16/unequal-justice-ginsburgs-ribs-and-future-scotus">increase
the size</a> of the Supreme Court in 2021.
<p>
The only standard by which Merrick Garland would have been good to
have on the Supreme Court is by comparison with Gorsuch.  He was
a <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jan-apr.html#3_April_2016_(Moderate_prosecutor)">center-right
choice</a> from a center-right president.


feed_id: 8b60bd9cef7bed5b52de40d2f009d15e
title: Public Interest Privacy Principles
uri: Public-Interest-Privacy-Principles
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Public_Interest_Privacy_Principles%29

content:
<p>
Many US human rights organizations are advocating
the <a href="media/554c8708.Public_Interest_Privacy_Principles.pdf" data-original-source="https://newamericadotorg.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Public_Interest_Privacy_Principles.pdf">"Public
Interest Privacy Principles"</a>, which seem intended to follow the
GDPR.
<p>
It follows the example of Europe's GDPR, which means it would be somewhat
of an improvement, but with gaping flaws:
<ul>
  <li>
    It would accept the collection of personal data by businesses,
    requiring no grounds other than "That's needed for our business model."
  </li>
  <li>
    It would do nothing to limit collection of data by government
    agencies in the name of "protecting us"
    from <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-may-aug.html#19_August_2017_(Censorship)">"terrorism"</a>
    (which
    often <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-may-aug.html#16_July_2015_(Canadas_new_terrorism_law)">includes
    dissent</a>) and "espionage" (which often means heroic
    whistleblowers).
  </li>
</ul>


feed_id: 562e704538d6ae910370bc6069aa335c
title: Prosecuting Julian Assange
uri: Prosecuting-Julian-Assange
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Prosecuting_Julian_Assange%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/16/julian-assange-charged-in-secret-mistake-on-us-court-filing-suggests">Evidence
has leaked</a> that the US plans to prosecute Julian Assange over more
than one set of charges.
<p>
The new set of charges might be
for <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/16/as-the-obama-doj-concluded-prosecution-of-julian-assange-for-publishing-documents-poses-grave-threats-to-press-freedom/">publishing
secret documents</a>, which would be the bully's worst attack ever on
the freedom to investigate government wrongdoing.
<p>
If these charges are recent, it is pretty certain that other charges
were filed during Obama's presidency.  If those were not about
publishing secret documents, they must have been about something else.
<p>
Keep in mind that the DNC documents that Wikileaks revealed in 2016
showed that the DNC had corruptly and
secretly <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2016-jul-oct.html#9_August_2016_(Clinton_rewards_Wasserman_Schultz)">acted
to stop Sanders</a> from winning the nomination.  By favoring
the <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-sep-dec.html#8_November_2017_(DNC_corruption_revelations)">center-right
candidate</a> Clinton, instead of being neutral as they should have
been, they brought about (though not intentionally) the victory of the
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a>.


feed_id: 14f9ea3fafbe64409218172152b12150
title: Extinction Rebellion
uri: Extinction-Rebellion
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Extinction_Rebellion%29
content:
<p>
Extinction Rebellion protests
are <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/14/if-we-dont-act-fast-were-fked-urgent-call-climate-action-extinction-rebellion-uk">breaking
out in the UK</a> and spreading to Ireland and the US.
<p>
The approach of "don't scare people too much" has been tried for a
many years, but it depended on politicians to be sensible.  It
couldn't overcome the fossil fuel money that was paying them to deny
the problem.  It has clearly failed; it is time for young people to
say, "Don't you know you are killing us?
And <a href="https://stallman.org/puns.html#apocalypse">destroying
civilization</a>?  And wiping out half the species on Earth?"


feed_id: bfa9f1f0c7881d00a462a1512e65731b
title: Canadian Literary Prize Suspended
uri: Canadian-Literary-Prize-Suspended
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Canadian_Literary_Prize_Suspended%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/19/canadian-literary-prize-suspended-after-finalists-object-to-amazon-sponsorship">Canadian Literary Prize Suspended after Finalists Object to Amazon Sponsorship</a>.</p>
<p>They recognized the wrong in a practice that so many people's brains are too numb to notice.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 8e958fad858636a520b3f23e6a2bc57d
title: Surveillance Kills Freedom
uri: Surveillance-Kills-Freedom
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Surveillance_Kills_Freedom%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.schneier.com/essays/archives/2018/11/surveillance_kills_f.html">Surveillance Kills Freedom By Killing Experimentation</a>.  Any repressive practice gets potentiated by it.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f431e0fc7268722bac793ecd94656527
title: GDPR Disaster
uri: GDPR-Disaster
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28GDPR_Disaster%29
content:
<p>Yet Another GDPR Disaster: <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20181114/01491541047/yet-another-gdpr-disaster-journalists-ordered-to-hand-over-secret-sources-under-data-protection-law.shtml">Journalists Ordered To Hand Over Secret Sources Under 'Data Protection' Law</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e4f9716357d5cf73d81d732d1764a021
title: Colombia: peace negotiator imprisoned
uri: Colombia-peace-negotiator-imprisoned
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Colombia%3A_peace_negotiator_imprisoned%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/18/justice-for-colombia-peace-negotiator">Colombia has imprisoned one of the negotiators of peace</a> between the state and the FARC -- despite having no evidence against him.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 9ba0fa434131136399a0ea9f4271eed5
title: US: Pelosi Khanna Green New Deal
uri: US-Pelosi-Khanna-Green-New-Deal
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28US%3A_Pelosi_Khanna_Green_New_Deal%29

content:
<p>Khanna to Pelosi: <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/17/khanna-pelosi-dont-just-create-green-new-deal-select-committee-make-ocasio-cortez?cd-origin=rss">Don't Just Create Green New Deal Select Committee, Make Ocasio-Cortez Its Chair</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 3fef6a45ca9b1be33edb77b6e7b73a93
title: US Border trauma
uri: US-Border-trauma
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28US_Border_trauma%29
content:
<p>On top of the traumas that gangs cause to children in Honduras, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/19/americas-border-wars-my-week-in-a-land-of-trauma">the US border thugs now give them additional traumas</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: a5f6d60495d492f60f556186bc8b0203
title: Democracy includes individual autonomy
uri: Democracy-includes-individual-autonomy
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Democracy_includes_individual_autonomy%29

content:
<p>Tim Wu argues that democracy includes individual autonomy, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/19/shallow-conception-democracy-tim-wu">and that plutocracy denies people that autonomy</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 70eead91c8e6d5e3f3a6c8f3b3d4f75c
title: Household voter intimidation
uri: Household-voter-intimidation
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Household_voter_intimidation%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/19/voter-intimidation-republicans-democrats-midterm-elections">Quite a few American husbands bully their wives</a> into voting right-wing, or not at all.</p>
<p>It seems that some of them ignore the bullying once inside the voting booth, but some may be too intimidated.</p>
<p>This is part of the reason I think that voting remotely should require a specific justification.  The rest of the reason is that people's bosses could also <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> them.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 174578069051e5c02e0d4a2058a47467
title: Opioid crisis criminal investigation
uri: Opioid-crisis-criminal-investigation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Opioid_crisis_criminal_investigation%29

content:
<p>The owners of Purdue Pharma, maker of Oxycontin, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/19/sackler-family-members-face-mass-litigation-criminal-investigations-over-opioids-crisis">are being sued and may be prosecuted</a> for falsely presenting it as safe.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 028b387feee9d05c2811524a72e4536c
title: US government business tax breaks
uri: US-government-business-tax-breaks
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28US_government_business_tax_breaks%29

content:
<p>A US government "opportunity zone" <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/15/amazon-hq2-long-island-city-virginia-subsidies/">gives a permanent tax break to whatever business has the clout to get possession of it</a>.</p>
<p>Instead of giving tax breaks to businesses that are considered less bad than others, how about taxing the worse businesses extra?</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 30bedb33640fec86366dbb6852bca716
title: Clear and precise discourse
uri: Clear-and-precise-discourse
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Clear_and_precise_discourse%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/18/every-time-word-disappears-we-lose-spirit-and-wit">Praising clear and precise discourse</a>: "Every time a word disappears, we lose a little of our spirit and wit."</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 7991b741d12817878c256f5d92806931
title: London: extinction rebellion protests
uri: London-extinction-rebellion-protests
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28London%3A_extinction_rebellion_protests%29

content:
<p>Extinction Rebellion protests <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/18/artist-gavin-turk-arrested-in-london-climate-change-protest">closed five bridges in the center of London for hours</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/17/because-good-planets-are-hard-find-extinction-rebellion-shuts-down-central-london?cd-origin=rss">"Because good planets are hard to find."</a></p>
</li></p>


feed_id: cc37b93e6fd2da0c0fa9ab57397c6074
title: UK: pushy debt collectors
uri: UK-pushy-debt-collectors
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28UK%3A_pushy_debt_collectors%29
content:
<p>In the UK, debt collectors make a habit of being very pushy, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/nov/13/rogue-bailiffs-face-crackdown-mp-urges-government-to-act">even illegally</a>.</p>
<p>I have to suspect that this pattern of behavior is the result of government's favoring the rich and cutting budgets for activities that protect the poor.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 93094630dfe73520380515e525b5dc1f
title: Israeli settlers dumped sewage on Palestinian school
uri: Israeli-settlers-dumped-sewage-on-Palestinian-school
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Israeli_settlers_dumped_sewage_on_Palestinian_school%29

content:
<p>Israeli "settlers" dumped sewage on a Palestinian school, <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181102-israel-settlers-dump-sewage-on-palestinian-school-in-qalqiliya/">and flooded the playground with it</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 0a4bfe9c53a9a8cec7f69b781b186cc5
title: Five Worst Supreme Court Rulings
uri: Five-Worst-Supreme-Court-Rulings
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Five_Worst_Supreme_Court_Rulings%29

content:
<p><a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/18/the-5-worst-supreme-court-ruli">Five Supreme Court decisions that gave the US government dangerous power</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 119c8457b1da02f2ba7042fcf2440261
title: Earth: climate breakdown
uri: Earth-climate-breakdown
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Earth%3A_climate_breakdown%29
content:
<p>George Monbiot: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/14/earth-death-spiral-radical-action-climate-breakdown">The Earth is in a death spiral</a>. It will take radical action to save us.</p>
<p>Some causes involve conflicting interests between groups.  In these causes, society generally makes a compromise.  An different compromise that is better for your group may be a fine goal.</p>
<p>But when there is an absolute goal, for instance defending human rights or survival, it is a mistake to ask people to aim campaigns at "politically realistic" lesser steps that won't be adequate to achieve the goal.</p>
<p>The free software movement, to give users control over their computing, is also of this kind.  Each step in the right direction is good, but it won't be over until users' freedom is fully respected.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 61e452ec317fcbb6376c062c21979fb3
title: Excess sheltering
uri: Excess-sheltering
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Excess_sheltering%29
content:
<p><a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/18/your-child-is-more-resilient-t">How an excess "safetyism" can make people grow up fragile and weak</a>. We should reject the idea that to challenge a person's ideas is to threaten per.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: d254d16bd4083e7308ccdcb307fbe73f
title: Systems designed to reshape people
uri: Systems-designed-to-reshape-people
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Systems_designed_to_reshape_people%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/commentisfree/2018/nov/18/computers-have-learned-to-make-us-jump-through-hoops">CAPTCHAs and "click to agree" are examples of how computer systems are designed to reshape people to subserviently participate</a> in the designs of the systems' owners, and avoid careful thinking.</p>
<p>Proprietary programs and online disservices are the means for doing this, but the solution to do this to people is found in executives and owners of those systems.</p>
<p>The free software movement has considerable overlap, therefore, with the refusal to let businesses reshape you.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 2aa951eec8505f40948896f898029795
title: Chatbots advancing
uri: Chatbots-advancing
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Chatbots_advancing%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/18/how-can-you-tell-who-is-human-online-chatbots">It is getting harder to distinguish chatbots from humans</a>.</p>
<p>I would talk with a mattress company's chatbot for information about its products, if I could do so without being identified.  I would not ask it for advice, because I want unbiased advice and a mattress company is not the place to find unbiased information about mattresses.</p>
<p>I would not talk with anyone's chatbot about my personal feelings, because there is no reason whatsoever to expect it to keep my confidence.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ea2ba2e857be9df9c9bdae086f1d0a1e
title: California: rebuilding Paradise
uri: California-rebuilding-Paradise
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28California%3A_rebuilding_Paradise%29

content:
<p>Looking at rebuilding Paradise, California, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/18/rebuilding-paradise-california-town-devastated-by-fire-looks-to-future">and making it safe from fires</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: a17d4b48848f602b7661f730ec992cf3
title: US: Senator Schumer
uri: US-Senator-Schumer
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28US%3A_Senator_Schumer%29
content:
<p>Senator Schumer, as well as promoting war and catering to the most right-wing of Democrats, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/17/chuck-schumer-feckless-hack?cd-origin=rss">is also the senator from Facebook</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: c2f9ec042430496b7f9729537e09a680
title: US: newly elected Ilhan Omar targeted
uri: US-newly-elected-Ilhan-Omar-targeted
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28US%3A_newly_elected_Ilhan_Omar_targeted%29

content:
<p>Ilhan Omar, newly elected to Congress, stated support for the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.  She is now targeted with a smear, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/16/istandwithilhan-supporters-reject-smear-campaign-after-newly-elected-omar-declares?cd-origin=rss">claiming falsely that the campaign is antisemitic and that it demands the absolution of Israel</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 2c4f259cd8fd0a30034c4e3c7091b654
title: Snowden speaks out on Assange
uri: Snowden-speaks-out-on-Assange
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Snowden_speaks_out_on_Assange%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/16/snowden-speaks-out-assange-if-you-would-deny-thing-your-enemy-it-not-right?cd-origin=rss">Snowden: "If You Would Deny a Thing to Your (political) Enemy, It Is Not a Right."</a></p>
<p>I criticize Assange for working with the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a>, but that does not make him deserve to be imprisoned.  And we must not allow it to be an excuse to attack freedom of the press for everyone.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 467546952486b574907e4a0cd2b1aedf
title: New Zealand: journalist police investigation
uri: New-Zealand-journalist-police-investigation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28New_Zealand%3A_journalist_police_investigation%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/16/nz-police-investigate-after-prominent-china-critic-says-car-sabotaged">It appears that Chinese agents are trying to steal something from New Zealand journalist</a> Anne-Marie Brady.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 5ebbbaaea417b091e7cdcca28fa86cf3
title: Facebook: attack on Soros
uri: Facebook-attack-on-Soros
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Facebook%3A_attack_on_Soros%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/15/definers-republican-firm-plan-defend-facebook-attack-rivals-soros">Facebook hired a Republican-oriented company to defend its reputation</a>, and the company followed the standard Republican playbook by using a standard antisemitic smear about George Soros.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e25dd640e14ee629cf1e3669f5d64797
title: France and EU: hosting companies to carry out censorship
uri: France-and-EU-hosting-companies-to-carry-out-censorship
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28France_and_EU%3A_hosting_companies_to_carry_out_censorship%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.laquadrature.net/en/terro_regulation_gafamacron">France and the EU are rushing a directive to require all hosting companies to carry out censorship rapidly on the orders of the police</a>. This is tyranny, allowing the state to delete absolutely all publications without a trial.</p>
<p>Adding to the damage, only the giant companies are likely to be capable of implementing the system.  Other hosting in Europe could disappear.</p>
<p>By the way, <a href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Content">please don't refer to publications as "content"</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f34f2e69040a98e2cdb045e7574ece27
title: US: bully intends private medical care for veterans
uri: US-bully-intends-private-medical-care-for-veterans
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28US%3A_bully_intends_private_medical_care_for_veterans%29

content:
<p><a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/oySXDp29SIg/1813460">The bully intends to drive veterans to private medical care</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ae76ce6da37ffddf38b42980bc659ca1
title: Global heating and Arctic wildlife
uri: Global-heating-and-Arctic-wildlife
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Global_heating_and_Arctic_wildlife%29

content:
<p><a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/is-warming-bringing-a-wave-of-new-diseases-to-arctic-wildlife">Global heating is bringing new pathogens to the arctic</a>.  The species that live there have no defenses and populations can be wiped out.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 2cf5101a0e7b0504dafd84a7b0daea82
title: US: Herbicide in drinking water
uri: US-Herbicide-in-drinking-water
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28US%3A_Herbicide_in_drinking_water%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/14/hormone-disrupting-weed-killer-taints-tap-water-millions-corn-belt?cd-origin=rss">The herbicide atrazine can cause birth defects</a>, and 30 million Americans regularly have high levels of atrazine in their drinking water.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 1d9a260a39bdad95bb2f04a331ebc97b
title: Democrats should be bold
uri: Democrats-should-be-bold
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Democrats_should_be_bold%29
content:
<p>To convince Americans that voting is worth the effort, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/14/democrats-won-big-can-they-go-bold-too?cd-origin=rssa">Democrats must make bold proposals that could be sufficient to end the injustices of America today</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e04e79adbede230120f9dca181265912
title: Senator Schumer's right-wing policies
uri: Senator-Schumer-s-right-wing-policies
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Senator_Schumer%27s_right-wing_policies%29

content:
<p>Senator Schumer's right-wing policies <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/16/chuck-schumer-caved-to-facebook-and-donald-trump-he-shouldnt-lead-senate-democrats/">make him almost the worst possible choice for the head of the Senate Democrats</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 48c3bd9a9cdade18e320d8bc2ed5c94a
title: Wisconsin: gerrymandered legislature after blue wave
uri: Wisconsin-gerrymandered-legislature-after-blue-wave
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#27_November_2018_%28Wisconsin%3A_gerrymandered_legislature_after_blue_wave%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.prwatch.org/news/2018/11/13421/after-bright-blue-wave-wisconsins-gerrymandered-legislature-already-dirty-tricks">Wisconsin Republicans are looking for any and all ways to reduce the power of the state governor</a>, now that a Democrat has been elected. They also want to make voter suppression harder to end.</p>
<p>Those cheaters stay in power through arranging elections that are not free and fair.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: c36f29faf859cd7b9edb139240650a28
title: GPS makes you worse at navigation
uri: GPS-makes-you-worse-at-navigation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28GPS_makes_you_worse_at_navigation%29

content:
<p><a href="http://theconversation.com/yes-gps-apps-make-you-worse-at-navigating-but-thats-ok-104747">Habitual use of a navigation system</a> makes people less capable of finding their way without it.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 44acd340d9dc8b828b71026574ce3b5c
title: US: visa for public service
uri: US-visa-for-public-service
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28US%3A_visa_for_public_service%29

content:
<p>The US offers a kind of visa for foreigners who carry out acts of public service, but the bully <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/11/14/us-cracks-down-visas-immigrant-heroes">has found a way to terrify them from applying</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 62a2ba8dc68dd531090c0892e8b08ef6
title: WeChat censorship even outside China
uri: WeChat-censorship-even-outside-China
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28WeChat_censorship_even_outside_China%29

content:
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-digital-media-blur-the-border-between-australia-and-china-101735">WeChat censors news and discussion about China</a>, even outside China.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ae61114ed3d6297924e8faa0c259a9bf
title: France: gasoline protests
uri: France-gasoline-protests
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28France%3A_gasoline_protests%29
content:
<p>Short-sighted French drivers <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/16/gilet-jaunes-yellow-jackets-protesters-france-standstill">protest the slowly increasing tax on gasoline and diesel fuel</a>.</p>
<p>Will they be glad to pay the cost of hundreds of seawalls to protect cities from inundation?  Will they be glad to compensate vineyards when their climate is no longer good for making wine?</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: b6242e6746c55d5f8d79e3c8d338d24b
title: UK: austerity inflicted misery on citizens
uri: UK-austerity-inflicted-misery-on-citizens
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28UK%3A_austerity_inflicted_misery_on_citizens%29

content:
<p>The UN special rapporteur on poverty says that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/16/uk-austerity-has-inflicted-great-misery-on-citizens-un-says">the UK government has inflicted avoidable "great misery" by ideological preference</a>.</p>
<p>He made a thorough study, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/16/epitaph-theresa-may-goverment-damning-un-report">exposed the fundamental cruelty of Tory policies</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 15dbfcc5c1bed52d4d3b2c2be615f19b
title: Congo: new drug to eradicate sleeping sickness
uri: Congo-new-drug-to-eradicate-sleeping-sickness
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Congo%3A_new_drug_to_eradicate_sleeping_sickness%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/16/congo-drc-sleeping-sickness-upside-tropical-disease-ntd">A new drug is making it possible to eradicate sleeping sickness</a>, if doctors can overcome the superstition that it is a curse placed through witchcraft.</p>
<p>This superstition is widespread in Africa, and people are frequently chased away from home, or killed, based on these irrational accusations.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e036f7b75c1ebf3a47f4d520d6f02e2b
title: Australia: metadata retention
uri: Australia-metadata-retention
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Australia%3A_metadata_retention%29

content:
<p>Australia might <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/16/fears-coalitions-encryption-cracking-laws-could-expand-metadata-retention">require some web sites to retain users' IP addresses, location data, etc</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 85553e499cc355e078a31ccbf5c62f1a
title: Norcal fire: missing persons
uri: Norcal-fire-missing-persons
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Norcal_fire%3A_missing_persons%29

content:
<p>Over 600 people <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/15/california-camp-fire-missing-death-toll">are missing in Northern California</a>, perhaps killed by the fire.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 620a9b772a39de61457b5f942c5c9986
title: Syria: journalists in danger
uri: Syria-journalists-in-danger
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Syria%3A_journalists_in_danger%29

content:
<p><a href="https://cpj.org/blog/2018/11/damascus-journalist-has-a-million-stories-but-none.php">Damascus Journalist Has a Million Stories but None She Can Safely Report</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: dad26ad028e1ac3871368784485102e2
title: California prisoners fighting wildfires
uri: California-prisoners-fighting-wildfires
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28California_prisoners_fighting_wildfires%29

content:
<p>California prisoners are fighting wildfires <a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/prisoners-rights/prisoners-are-getting-paid-145-day-fight-california-wildfires">for wages of $1.45 per day</a>.</p>
<p>Low wages for prisoners drive down wages for everyone else.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 070dc55191f141b39da864f8081b2069
title: Central African Republic violence
uri: Central-African-Republic-violence
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Central_African_Republic_violence%29

content:
<p>The UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/16/killing-abuse-sexual-violence-beyond-belief-fears-grow-of-all-out-war-in-central-african-republic">unable to cope with the violence there</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 5ded1a625d8f9dec53b7242141a5ff86
title: Climate change policies
uri: Climate-change-policies
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Climate_change_policies%29
content:
<p>China, Russia and Canada follow policies that (if applied globally) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/16/climate-change-champions-still-pursuing-devastating-policies-new-study-reveals">would lead to 5C of global heating</a>.  The US and Australia are not much better.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 2452945d3b0c182575198b10fd84726f
title: Khashoggi murder
uri: Khashoggi-murder
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Khashoggi_murder%29
content:
<p>The Salafi Arabian monarchy has <a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/e72Y9iF7jHA/1813189">officially declared the acting monarch innocent of murdering Jamal Khashoggi</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 78ab30601f11b69d23f0fae22504c91a
title: US: House Foreign Affairs Committee appointment
uri: US-House-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-appointment
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28US%3A_House_Foreign_Affairs_Committee_appointment%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/14/dems-eye-hawkish-eliot-engel-chair-house-foreign-affairs-committee?cd-origin=rss">A right-wing hawkish Democrat is likely to become head</a> of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e3a15fd369d45399650e7336d070afa8
title: Suspected cause of Northern California fire
uri: Suspected-cause-of-Northern-California-fire
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Suspected_cause_of_Northern_California_fire%29

content:
<p>The fire in Northern California may have been caused <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/pg-e-knew-about-problems-sparks-may-have-set-killer-n935571?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma">by a faulty transmission line that the electric company was trying to repair</a> as soon as it could get permission to enter the private land where the problem had occurred.</p>
<p>It appears that PG&E was not ignoring the problem.  I suspect it was following its established procedures for dealing with such problems, in accord with the facts it had at the time.  Perhaps those procedures need to be updated, due to global heating, to treat all transmission-line problems more urgently.  But all this doesn't necessarily mean negligence.</p>
<p>The name "camp fire" seems silly, and there seems to be no particular sense in it, so I would rather not use it.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 9919e1737629cf909dd247bc54955720
title: Teaching pleasure in sex education
uri: Teaching-pleasure-in-sex-education
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Teaching_pleasure_in_sex_education%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/nov/13/yes-yes-yes-why-female-pleasure-must-be-at-the-heart-of-sex-education">Yes, Yes, Yes: Why Female Pleasure Must Be at the Heart of Sex Education</a>.</p>
<p>This aligns with what I have said: young humans, when they become interested in sex, are entitled to opportunities to learn how to make love well -- how please their lovers and how to tell their lovers how to please them.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: f6778e3984d25ba9520482c589789e32
title: Stop Walmart Act
uri: Stop-Walmart-Act
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Stop_Walmart_Act%29
content:
<p>'Stop Walmart Act': <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/15/stop-walmart-act-sanders-khanna-bill-would-outlaw-stock-buybacks-corporate-giants?cd-origin=rss">Sanders-Khanna Bill Would Outlaw Stock Buybacks for Corporate Giants That Don't Pay $15 an Hour</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 0010f87d4cc7962de819ac3e738118cb
title: EU students demand UN to stop withholding science facts
uri: EU-students-demand-UN-to-stop-withholding-science-facts
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28EU_students_demand_UN_to_stop_withholding_science_facts%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/15/students-united-nations-stop-hiding-science-about-global-collapse?cd-origin=rss">Representatives of students of the Schola Europaea schools called on the UN</a> to "stop withholding the science facts about global collapse, or nothing will be done to stop it."</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 36ded7ff55bdaa8698712c657ca48256
title: How Democratic party won house
uri: How-Democratic-party-won-house
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28How_Democratic_party_won_house%29

content:
<p>One reason the Democratic Party won the House of Representatives is that <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/15/how-did-democrats-flip-house-fairer-maps?cd-origin=rss">it took advantage of electoral districts that were drawn up in non-partisan ways</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 1fa8764776159113aafde7fa6502e1ca
title: Ralph Nader on war over words
uri: Ralph-Nader-on-war-over-words
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Ralph_Nader_on_war_over_words%29

content:
<p>Ralph Nader: <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/15/war-over-words-republicans-easily-defeat-democrats?cd-origin=rss">how right-wingers tarnish the words that we use to describe progressive views</a>.</p>
<p>I should point out that around 1970, an increasing number of the politicians who did not hesitate to call themselves Liberals did oppose the Vietnam war.  The reason many Democratic politicians today support militarism is the same as the reason they support the big banks: they are center-right servants of big business.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ecc3fd2ef4b10e7c1d804f6cbe695b26
title: Misguided government spending
uri: Misguided-government-spending
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Misguided_government_spending%29

content:
<p>Misguided government spending on corporate welfare to win jobs away from other cities and states has tripled since 1990.  <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/14/frenzy-over-amazons-hq2-should-be-national-embarrassment?cd-origin=rss">It directly undercuts the state's proper missions</a>.</p>
<p>I would not, however, say that the competition was a "charade" -- a no-op.  I suspect it won Amazon a bigger subsidy, compared with what it could have got from the same places without the competition.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/14/amazons-billion-dollar-shakedown-americas-cities?cd-origin=rss">The total annual expenditures sometimes reach 90 billion dollars</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 7c4fa3a6e077d8b5bde3826f8799404d
title: Crowdfunders swindled by scammers
uri: Crowdfunders-swindled-by-scammers
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Crowdfunders_swindled_by_scammers%29

content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/15/johnny-bobbitt-gofundme-scam-arrest-viral-gas-story-couple-charged">Fake "good news" was meant to swindle the public</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: e5f6e011dc5c4327c46240899f46e4b4
title: Scheme to deny people Medicaid
uri: Scheme-to-deny-people-Medicaid
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Scheme_to_deny_people_Medicaid%29

content:
<p>
Arkansas's new scheme to deny people Medicaid if they are not employed
was not explained clearly to Adrian McGonigal, so he 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1814308">lost first his
Medicaid coverage and then his job</a>.
<p>
I have a sinking feeling that this system also requires people to run
nonfree software to report their work hours.


feed_id: bd104b142f0ce80f5d85dbf4da6935d3
title: Secret indictment of Julian Assange
uri: Secret-indictment-of-Julian-Assange
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Secret_indictment_of_Julian_Assange%29

content:
<p>
Julian Assange 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/21/julian-assange-deserves-medal-freedom-not-secret-indictment">Deserves
a Medal of Freedom, Not a Secret Indictment</a>.


feed_id: 7411d104a00f4df5dcd02a551e9b8fec
title: Proposed Amazon protected zone
uri: Proposed-Amazon-protected-zone
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Proposed_Amazon_protected_zone%29

content:
<p>
A proposed Amazon protected zone from the Andes to the Atlantic 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/21/amazon-indigenous-groups-propose-mexico-sized-corridor-of-life">may
be killed by right-wing rulers</a> of Colombia and Brazil.


feed_id: b0c430675b3bc112e01cfc61c62cde33
title: Dubai sentences Hedges to life in prison
uri: Dubai-sentences-Hedges-to-life-in-prison
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Dubai_sentences_Hedges_to_life_in_prison%29

content:
<p>
Dubai sentenced Matthew Hedges to life in prison after a 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/british-academic-matthew-hedges-accused-of-spying-jailed-for-life-in-uae">bad
joke of a trial</a>.


feed_id: 3b89158ba3073369db21e3affe48db52
title: Change in right-wing activity
uri: Change-in-right-wing-activity
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Change_in_right-wing_activity%29

content:
<p>
Denial of the murder of 6 million Jews has changed the same way other
right-wing activity has changed: instead of trying to seriously
convince people there was no holocaust, 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/21/holocaust-denial-changing-antisemitism-far-right">they
mock the question: "What is truth?"</a>


feed_id: 6975fa430c2cdda1829321da86aa0b73
title: Asia Bibi family being hunted
uri: Asia-Bibi-family-being-hunted
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Asia_Bibi_family_being_hunted%29

content:
<p>
Asia Bibi Family 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/asia-bibi-family-being-hunted-house-to-house-in-pakistan">Being
Hunted 'House to House'</a> in Pakistan.
<p>
The most horrible aspect is that the court might "reconsider" and
decide to execute her after all.
<p>
It may well be best for the UK not to say whether it has offered her
asylum &mdash; especially if it has done so.  Her whole family may
need a new identity, keeping secret which country they have actually
gone to.


feed_id: c759ff20e98899560ba94ecb9f48b1f1
title: Sexual harassment arbitration
uri: Sexual-harassment-arbitration
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Sexual_harassment_arbitration%29

content:
<p>
Some companies are 
<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/21/google-sexual-harassment-arbitration/">dropping
their mandatory arbitration requirements</a> for sexual harassment
claims.
<p>
That's a step forward, but what about all the other kinds of issues?
Pressuring workers go to an arbitrator (that generally favors the
employer) to defend their rights is a way of weakening those rights.
<p>
It should be illegal for companies to make agreements by which
workers are required to use arbitration instead of a court
<em>for any kind of issue whatsoever</em>.


feed_id: 01841c732a640c1ef7efbd507f3b0c09
title: Keeping children too dependent
uri: Keeping-children-too-dependent
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Keeping_children_too_dependent%29

content:
<p>
It's no longer just children who are being kept too dependent.
No longer just adolescents.  Now 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/nov/20/dont-make-gp-appointment-manage-money-universities-advice-helicopter-parents">universities
are doing it</a>, too.


feed_id: 84710b810407d5921c25f465d8ba7e74
title: Threat to democracy
uri: Threat-to-democracy
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Threat_to_democracy%29
content:
<p>
Gilded Giving: How 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/19/gilded-giving-how-philanthropy-dominated-super-rich-threatens-democracy">Philanthropy
Dominated by Super-Rich</a> Threatens Democracy.


feed_id: 0dd4acc4672232141c10cb80dcac57e2
title: Medical professionals for gun control
uri: Medical-professionals-for-gun-control
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Medical_professionals_for_gun_control%29

content:
<p>
US medical professionals are now 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/20/enough-is-enough-nras-criticism-spurs-physicians-to-speak-out-on-gun-violence">organizing
for gun control</a> in defiance of a contemptuous statement by the
NRA.


feed_id: cf9e629420ae4266cf306facc8f3f262
title: Slashing taxes on "big box" stores
uri: Slashing-taxes-on-big-box-stores
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Slashing_taxes_on_big_box_stores%29

content:
<p>
US "big box" stores have found a legal argument that works in some states to
slash their property taxes.  Where they succeed, they could 
<a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/11/property-tax-dark-store-theory-retail-apocalypse-walmart/574123/">force
towns into bankruptcy, or into raising the taxes of everyone else</a>,
which would ruin them.
<p>
Who wins in court based on current tax laws does not in any sense
determine what the right outcome is.  The right outcome is to make
large and successful companies pay high taxes.


feed_id: 291173c69787ea14f6cba6d4cc5b9bf8
title: Failure of the pharma industry
uri: Failure-of-the-pharma-industry
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Failure_of_the_pharma_industry%29

content:
<p>
The world's pharma industry is 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/20/big-pharma-who-failing-to-develop-urgent-drugs-for-poorest-countries">failing
to develop treatments for diseases listed as high priority</a>.
<p>
Developing a treatment for a disease is not a routine job like digging
a ditch: you can't just allocated a certain amount of money and expect
a treatment in N years.  But if you <em>don't</em> put in the
necessary effort, you predictably won't advance.
<p>
I think the root of the problem is depending on those businesses too
much for the research.  We need to increase taxes on those that have
money, so that we will have money to spend on all the things that
society needs.


feed_id: e232f45e161b9a80060f4cdae6c13784
title: The cheater
uri: The-cheater
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28The_cheater%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#cheater">The cheater</a> 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/20/are-we-about-face-our-gravest-constitutional-crisis">will
have every incentive</a>, in December, to start either a
constitutional crisis or a war.


feed_id: 61f455f2189996f86e0fe5a7970ea6b0
title: Bullshitter's rules of "decorum"
uri: Bullshitter-s-rules-of-decorum
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Bullshitters_rules_of_decorum%29

content:
<p>
The bullshitter has imposed rules of "decorum" on his "press
conferences" 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/further/2018/11/19/kissing-ring-after-acosta-wins-white-house-issues-imperious-new-rules-deter">to
make sure they will never serve the purpose of real press
conferences</a>.
<p>
It is impossible to force the president (or anyone) to engage with the
press.  But since he doesn't want to, the press should stop going
uselessly through the motions, stop supporting the pretense that they
are real press conferences.  Cover something else, something that
matters.


feed_id: dc25aa7e2caf1730326c24a207412585
title: Gamification of work
uri: Gamification-of-work
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Gamification_of_work%29
content:
<p>
Companies have found gamification an effective 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/20/high-score-low-pay-gamification-lyft-uber-drivers-ride-hailing-gig-economy">method
of making workers work harder</a>.  Lyft manipulates drivers with the
same techniques used to make slot machines addictive.
<p>
Gamification is effective partly because the workers enjoy playing the
game.  Also partly because it leads them to compete with other
workers, and regard them as the problem, rather than to unite with
them to demand that the company treat them all better,
<p>
If something is "personalized for you" by a company, that means it
is harming you.


feed_id: 3e41c4b5bba8b3a34ffd20d301a79f07
title: DRM in CPAP machines
uri: DRM-in-CPAP-machines
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28DRM_in_CPAP_machines%29
content:
<p>
Hacking the 
<a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/xwjd4w/im-possibly-alive-because-it-exists-why-sleep-apnea-patients-rely-on-a-cpap-machine-hacker">DRM
in CPAP machines</a> saves lives.


feed_id: 9e4749adba71a4695b0306340c65ff5d
title: The Republiar Party
uri: The-Republiar-Party
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28The_Republiar_Party%29
content:
<p>
The Republiar Party in California is crippled, perhaps permanently.
It has become 
<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/17/rip-california-gop-republicans-lash-out-after-midterm-election-debacle-1000481">regarded
as the white supremacist party</a>.


feed_id: 52dd7c8f7dc5d4f67adf9fc7ae995b0a
title: Citizenship question
uri: Citizenship-question
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Citizenship_question%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a>'s officials discussed plans to use the citizenship question
by 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/11/20/trump-true-intentions-use-census-round-immigrants">giving
the answers to deportation thugs</a>.
<p>
Thus, we know that the danger of forcing people to identify themselves
for deportation was not merely a possible side effect &mdash; it was
the purpose.


feed_id: d8d2b25449de9df83a7cb1209b48a12f
title: When US pharma companies gouge patients
uri: When-US-pharma-companies-gouge-patients
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28When_US_pharma_companies_gouge_patients%29

content:
<p>
Sanders and Ro Khanna have proposed a 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/20/big-pharmas-worst-nightmare-experts-champion-sanders-khanna-bill-could-lower-drug">bill
to bring in drugs from foreign countries</a> when US pharma companies
gouge patients.
<p>
A national health service would really fix this problem, by
negotiating a quantity price for all patients.


feed_id: a01b7d254868de22b4a62e5cbc1578d3
title: US military
uri: 2018-11-29-US-military
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28US_military%29
content:
<p>
The US military is no longer focusing mentally on counterinsurgency wars,
in which it could always avoid defeat though perhaps never win.
Now it 
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/20/planet-war">imagines
large armed interventions in any spot on the globe</a>.  These could
lead to a defeat, or even to a nuclear war.


feed_id: 98cb91c261caa9ef25a275ff11443354
title: Books and documents confiscated by Israel
uri: Books-and-documents-confiscated-by-Israel
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Books_and_documents_confiscated_by_Israel%29

content:
<p>
Israel has taken and concealed Palestinian books, documents,
photographs and films, 
<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2018/11/history-suppressed-censorship-israel-archives-181110122100217.html">starting
in the 1930s</a>.


feed_id: 3276e97e62d2742b9a5030b759eb0cbb
title: Open-ended language in bills
uri: Open-ended-language-in-bills
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Open-ended_language_in_bills%29
content:
<p>
(satire) members of the House Republican caucus
introduced a bill Tuesday containing open-ended language that 
<a href="https://politics.theonion.com/open-ended-new-bill-criminalizes-whatever-black-people-1830569547">would
criminalize whatever it is black people are up to right now</a>.


feed_id: afb46589549c3c8411fb3af97feff729
title: Invasions of Gaza
uri: Invasions-of-Gaza
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Invasions_of_Gaza%29
content:
<p>
Israeli troops have overtly invaded Gaza 
<a href="https://972mag.com/author/henriettec/">70 times this
year</a>.


feed_id: f02d89b840fa0e07fdf269604ebb866c
title: Billboard honors medics in Gaza
uri: Billboard-honors-medics-in-Gaza
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Billboard_honors_medics_in_Gaza%29

content:
<p>
Palestinians put up a billboard near Boston honoring the medics in
Gaza that treated wounded protesters.  Supporters of the Israeli
occupation launched an intimidation campaign, calling that billboard
"antisemitic", and 
<a href="http://imemc.org/article/billboard-honoring-first-responders-of-gaza-removed/">bullied
the billboard company into taking it down</a>.


feed_id: a8e74e827b8aca89fe169ccd9d78e3c2
title: US wants to retaliate against Palestine
uri: US-wants-to-retaliate-against-Palestine
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28US_wants_to_retaliate_against_Palestine%29

content:
<p>
The US wants to retaliate against Palestine 
<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-mulling-consequences-after-palestinians-join-international-bodies/">for
joining various international organizations for international
cooperation</a>.


feed_id: 3988e644bea9a75570e8ddb5a176363c
title: Soldiers involved in military occupation
uri: Soldiers-involved-in-military-occupation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Soldiers_involved_in_military_occupation%29

content:
<p>
The usual 
<a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/11/16/israel-cannot-use-violent-self-defense-while-occupying-gaza/">right
of military self-defense does not apply</a> to soldiers involved in
military occupation of another country.  This includes Israeli troops
in Palestine, whether Gaza or the West Bank.
<blockquote>
   The Annual Digest and Reports of Public International Law Cases
   1948 states: “Under International Law, as in Domestic Law, there
   can be no reprisal against reprisal. The assassin who is being
   repulsed by his intended victim may not slay him and then, in turn,
   plead self-defense.
</blockquote>


feed_id: c2cf700a5c3c0a60ce241db2492c901f
title: Listening to what students want
uri: Listening-to-what-students-want
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Listening_to_what_students_want%29

content:
<p>
Architects 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/nov/21/children-village-brazilian-school-riba-international-prize-best-building-in-the-world">won
a prize for the design of a school</a> by being willing to listen to
what the students wanted.


feed_id: 2c289b69a67b5b3be5e399827ca41163
title: Womens' rights activists tortured
uri: Womens-rights-activists-tortured
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Womens_rights_activists_tortured%29

content:
<p>
The womens' rights activists imprisoned in May in <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a>
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/saudi-arabia-tortured-female-right-to-drive-activists-says-amnesty">have
been tortured in prison</a>.


feed_id: f80bd548c866cb98e603432395165a7e
title: The cheater's businesses
uri: The-cheater-s-businesses
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28The_cheaters_businesses%29
content:
<p>
The Republiar National Committee and campaign funds of Republiar
politicians are 
<a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1814250">giving money to the
cheater's businesses</a>.  It added up to 4 million dollars this year.
<p>
I wonder whether this business from candidates' campaigns correlates
with campaign support from <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#cheater">the cheater</a> for those candidates.  I don't
know the facts, but if he did that, it would mean that they are buying
his support.


feed_id: 058d5bc0fad959666e6912427f6800d3
title: Sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders
uri: Sentencing-for-nonviolent-drug-offenders
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Sentencing_for_nonviolent_drug_offenders%29

content:
<p>
Republiars are fighting against a 
<a href="https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/21/alarmist-nonsense-should-not-stop-senten">bill
to reduce sentences for those convicted of nonviolent drug
offences</a>, by pretending that they are muggers.


feed_id: 2c357dc6fbcbb092d6da1413bfecec57
title: Ivanka's emails
uri: Ivanka-s-emails
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Ivankas_emails%29
content:
<p>
Democrats may investigate Ivanka's emails, to 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/20/sure-her-emails-but-will-it-make-a-difference-to-his-supporters">see
if she committed crimes or violations</a> as Clinton did not.
<p>
The bullshitters' supporters will probably not care.  They have
rejected the idea of objective standards that should apply the same to
everyone.


feed_id: 579a35288d4a56618061acbe0f852894
title: Self-injection rooms
uri: Self-injection-rooms
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Self-injection_rooms%29
content:
<p>
Self-injection rooms in many European countries have 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2018/nov/21/fixing-rooms-saving-lives-drug-addicts">eliminated
the danger of death from overdose</a>.
<p>
Every country should do this, including the US.  To look at the
problem of addiction as a "war" 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2009-mar-jun.html#10%20April%202009%20(Legalizing%20drugs%20would%20save%20billions)">systematically
causes casualties</a>.


feed_id: 8ea76d0f220c9473c72b3b2ddab93da4
title: Ending Indonesia's colonial rule
uri: Ending-Indonesia-s-colonial-rule
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Ending_Indonesias_colonial_rule%29

content:
<p>
Most of the indigenous inhabitants of West Papua braved repression to
sign a
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/21/britain-west-papua-colonial-occupation-geoge-monbiot">petition
for international support</a> to end Indonesia's colonial rule.


feed_id: 8afc20f59e6d798121fa81051ae3a200
title: Norway's oil company
uri: Norway-s-oil-company
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Norways_oil_company%29
content:
<p>
Norway's oil company, formerly Statoil, plans to invest in forests to
preserve as an 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/20/greenwash-oil-forests-norway-equinor">excuse
to keep extracting oil and gas</a>.


feed_id: e3446c464cabf5fdcd700e268f92668a
title: Violence carried out by right-wingers
uri: Violence-carried-out-by-right-wingers
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Violence_carried_out_by_right-wingers%29

content:
<p>
The CEO of Twitter posed with a sign that said, "Smash Brahminical
patriarchy", then was 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/nov/20/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-criticised-for-upsetting-hindu-nationals-india-visit">attacked
by supporters of brahminical patriarchy</a> who accused that of being
incitement to violence.
<p>
The accusation is a typical right-wing 180-degree distortion attack.
"Smashing" a system does not mean attacking people (though I would
have chosen a word less harsh in tone).  The real violence is carried
out by right-wingers, 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-jan-apr.html#7_April_2017_(Hindu_extremists)">in India</a> as 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#7_November_2018_(Right-wing_terrorism)">in
the US</a>.
<p>
Caste bigotry and gender bigotry are both unjust, and I expect that 
<a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-mar-jun.html#28_June_2018_(Religious_bigotry_in_India)">in
India they work together</a>.


feed_id: 293f2046db5f7527827999ec8854de56
title: FDA captured by drug companies
uri: FDA-captured-by-drug-companies
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28FDA_captured_by_drug_companies%29

content:
<p>
The Food and Drug Administration has been captured by the drug
companies it is supposed to protect the public from, as a 
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/18/america-opioid-crisis-warning-nhs-big-pharma-policy">result
of depending on them for its funds</a>.
<p>
The safe and ethical way to use their money to support government
activities is to tax their income.
<p>
[US] Parents Deliver Ashes of Diabetic Children to 
<a href="https://truthout.org/articles/parents-deliver-ashes-of-diabetic-children-to-price-gouging-insulin-manufacturer/">Price-Gouging
Insulin Manufacturer</a>.
<p>
The high price of insulin is due to badly designed government policies
towards the drug industry, together with the loss of its ethic of
service to humanity, which I suspect a general increase in the level
of greed that businesses in general think is acceptable.


feed_id: 9719cbcd718ad68818bad06ab098a4a4
title: Suspected cause of Northern California fire
uri: 2018-11-29-Suspected-cause-of-Northern-California-fire
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#28_November_2018_%28Suspected_cause_of_Northern_California_fire%29

content:
<p>The fire in Northern California may have been caused <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/pg-e-knew-about-problems-sparks-may-have-set-killer-n935571?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma">by a faulty transmission line that the electric company was trying to repair</a> as soon as it could get permission to enter the private land where the problem had occurred.</p>
<p>It appears that PG&E was not ignoring the problem.  I suspect it was following its established procedures for dealing with such problems, in accord with the facts it had at the time.  Perhaps those procedures need to be updated, due to <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#global heating">global heating</a>, to treat all transmission-line problems more urgently.  But all this doesn't necessarily mean negligence.</p>
<p>The name "camp fire" seems silly, and there seems to be no particular sense in it, so I would rather not use it.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: d8c5ac614fca27eef101ac41a87ccb72
title: Urgent: Thomas Farr
uri: Urgent-Thomas-Farr
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Thomas_Farr%29
content:
<p>
US citizens: <a href="http://act.pfaw.org/sign/no-on-farr/">call on
the Senate</a> to reject Thomas Farr as a judge.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: 2b4ab35cd27e7a3699513f138a46efd4
title: Urgent: Andrew Wheeler
uri: Urgent-Andrew-Wheeler
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Urgent%3A_Andrew_Wheeler%29
content:
<p>
US
citizens: <a href="https://act.credoaction.com/sign/reject-wheeler-epa">call
on the Senate</a> to block and resist Andrew Wheeler as EPA
administrator.
</p>
<p>If you sign, please spread the word!</p>


feed_id: f7427b04bdbd8423df0f3e3d1247666d
title: Charges for medical supplies
uri: Charges-for-medical-supplies
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Charges_for_medical_supplies%29
content:
<p>
Some "insurance"
companies <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1814467">charge
patients a lot more</a> for CPAP machines and supplies than the
machines and supplies actually cost.
<p>
I suspect that these "insurance" companies are the ones that employers
use to provide coverage to their employees.
<p>
A national health system would put an end to these swindles.


feed_id: ed9729cacf208ff702210f5c5a86cb16
title: Truths from the bully
uri: Truths-from-the-bully
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Truths_from_the_bully%29
content:
<p>
In between all the lies, the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a>
has <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/21/thanksgiving-donald-trump-lies-honest-president/">occasionally
told the truth</a> in ways that centrist politicians wouldn't have
dared.
<p>
Unfortunately, given his tendency to be totally inconsistent, the fact that he
admits these forbidden truths once in a while gives us no basis to expect him
to do anything good about them.


feed_id: 6d806b344a938c2fffd1628cd804e048
title: Separated families
uri: Separated-families
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Separated_families%29
content:
<p>
The US has <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1814456">still
not reunited</a> all the minors (including some young children) that
it took away from their parents.
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">The bully</a>'s policy of deporting relatives that offer to sponsor these minors
has resulted in their being stuck in prison long-term.


feed_id: 66babbbd69bd1fd6401c96f8cfd5cf4f
title: Ojeda on abortion rights
uri: Ojeda-on-abortion-rights
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Ojeda_on_abortion_rights%29
content:
<p>
Richard Ojeda says
he <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/11/21/richard-ojeda-abortion-president/">firmly
supports abortion rights</a>, and that he calls himself "pro-life"
because he wants to make reliable contraception available to all women
so that they won't need abortions often.
<p>
He wants to take the term "pro-life" away from the campaign against
abortion rights.
<p>
I can support his views on this issue.  However, my choice for
president is still Bernie Sanders, partly because I expect him to
stand for similar policies about abortion and contraception.


feed_id: 70a5bf04d44c1a54b6a089caddafe35b
title: Ocasio-Cortez
uri: Ocasio-Cortez
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Ocasio-Cortez%29
content:
<p>
As Critics Obsess Over Her Finances, Ocasio-Cortez Urges Media to
Focus on Issue 'Actually Worth
Airtime': <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/21/critics-obsess-over-her-finances-ocasio-cortez-urges-media-focus-issue-actually">Low-Wage
Jobs</a>.
<p>
Bravo!


feed_id: 427ab50dae32dbd4cce9d25678353e92
title: University branches in the UAE
uri: University-branches-in-the-UAE
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28University_branches_in_the_UAE%29

content:
<p>
British
universities <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/uk-universities-urged-to-review-ties-with-uae-over-jailing-of-academic-matthew-hedges">need
to break off ties</a> with their branches in the UAE, which is not a
safe place to do research in.
<p>
I feel that the very idea of opening a branch of a prestigious
university in another country (or even a distant city) is misguided.
A university should be independent; we should not have conglomerates
of universities.


feed_id: 9ea1618129213703710102275ce15b87
title: FGM legislation
uri: FGM-legislation
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28FGM_legislation%29
content:
<p>
A federal court ruled that the US
government <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/22/us-is-moving-backwards-female-genital-mutilation-ruling-a-blow-to-girls-at-risk">has
no say</a> over female genital mutilation.  Under the constitution,
only the states can legislate about that.
<p>
I would like FGM to be prohibited, but I am not unhappy to see
the power of the federal government limited.


feed_id: cdb12a5d795cc85115514682ac7c177b
title: G20 leaders
uri: G20-leaders
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28G20_leaders%29
content:
<p>
At the G20 meeting, political
leaders <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/22/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman">will
have to decide</a> whether to be seen associating with Salafi Arabia's
acting king despite all those he has killed.


feed_id: eb531f690fec846fc51154bd6042dd63
title: CO2 concentration
uri: CO2-concentration
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28CO2_concentration%29
content:
<p>
"The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO<sub>2</sub>
was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/22/climate-heating-greenhouse-gases-at-record-levels-says-un">3-5m
years ago</a>, when the temperature was 2-3C warmer and sea level was
10-20 metres higher than now.”


feed_id: 78a2a993dd03c0e6486b8b07bd491b69
title: 'Gang symbols'
uri: Gang-symbols
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28%27Gang_symbols%27%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">Thugs</a> can punish people in and out of prison based
on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/21/boston-police-gang-assessment-database-immigrants-lawsuit">arbitrarily
designated "symbols"</a> that are supposed to indicate membership in a
gang.
<p>
Maybe some of the people associated with these symbols are gang members,
but others are not.  Guilt by association is an injustice.
<p>
Prisoners get put in solitary confinement for years based
on <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2015-sep-dec.html#02_September_2015_(Solitary_confinement_of_gang_leaders)">similarly
sketchy accusations</a>.


feed_id: 98a0102d66d2eff3d04b4c4153245eca
title: Marijuana legalization
uri: 2018-11-29-Marijuana-legalization
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Marijuana_legalization%29
content:
<p>
<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/243908/two-three-americans-support-legalizing-marijuana.aspx">2/3
of Americans</a> now support legalization of marijuana.  Even a
majority of Republicans support it.  Congress, how about legalizing
it?


feed_id: 2e0c99e7933c9e3cf302a8092ee7bf63
title: Prosecuting Clinton and Comey
uri: Prosecuting-Clinton-and-Comey
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Prosecuting_Clinton_and_Comey%29

content:
<p>
An anonymous insider source reports that the <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#bully">bully</a> wanted to prosecute
Clinton and Comey.  He was told
he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/us/politics/president-trump-justice-department.html">could
not give the Justice Department</a> such an order.


feed_id: 730027bcefcf171992671b3937d39877
title: The War Lobby
uri: The-War-Lobby
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28The_War_Lobby%29
content:
<p>
Now that the Democrats control the House of Representatives, will they
accept leaders
that <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/21/will-new-house-democrats-take-war-lobby">support
the War Lobby</a>?


feed_id: 5439a1ae871991ac5f15ed3b86225457
title: Gerald Reed trial
uri: Gerald-Reed-trial
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Gerald_Reed_trial%29
content:
<p>
Chicago <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">thugs</a> tortured Gerald Reed with no subtlety at all, leaving
clear proof of what they had done, but his false confession led to his
conviction for murder and he has been in prison for 28 years.  Now
he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/21/suspect-who-accuses-notorious-chicago-officers-of-1990-torture-seeks-new-trial">may
get a new trial</a>.


feed_id: d0d5b31fea1f2d22c36d276b12f907fe
title: Starvation in Yemen
uri: 2018-11-29-Starvation-in-Yemen
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Starvation_in_Yemen%29
content:
<p>
Save the Children estimates
that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/yemen-young-children-dead-starvation-disease-save-the-children">85,000
children under 5 years old</a> have died of starvation in Yemen due to
the civil war.
<p>
The "barriers to importing and distributing supplies" are mainly imposed
by <a href="https://stallman.org/glossary.html#salafi">Salafi Arabia</a> (with backing from the US and other countries).


feed_id: 4bbb6f8d5001f89df569215299b35d41
title: Many US cities track cars
uri: Many-US-cities-track-cars
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Many_US_cities_track_cars%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/11/eff-and-muckrock-release-records-and-data-200-law-enforcement-agencies-automated">Many US cities track everyone's cars with cameras on the street, and distribute data on everyone's movements</a>.  The EFF and Muckrock dug up and published data on the policies of 200 cities.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 8a48d21dfbb8ab9100ade81b8c5600d5
title: Dangers of wildlife extinction
uri: Dangers-of-wildlife-extinction
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Dangers_of_wildlife_extinction%29

content:
<p>Biodiversity experts say mass extinction of wildlife <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/17/habitat-loss-biodiversity-wildlife-climate-change">is as big a danger as climate change</a>.</p>
<p>The pressure for converting wild habitat into farms dwarfs all the effort for preserving wild habitat.  Some of this pressure comes from desire for goods such as beef, but that pressure comes from hundreds of millions of people, not from the rich few.  Some of it comes from the desire for subsistence of billions of poor people.</p>
<p>To reduce this, <a href="https://stallman.org/articles/children.html">we must reduce the birth rate</a> -- something the article doesn't mention.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: d8968cdd3769d3337bcf1a02a098a1d4
title: California fire workers inhaling toxic fumes
uri: California-fire-workers-inhaling-toxic-fumes
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28California_fire_workers_inhaling_toxic_fumes%29

content:
<p>The Other Victims of California’s Fires: <a href="https://truthout.org/articles/the-other-victims-of-californias-fires-workers-inhaling-toxic-fumes/">Workers Inhaling Toxic Fumes</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ce08208517d959c40b9d938c4c188a67
title: US charity provides lawyers to those facing deportation
uri: US-charity-provides-lawyers-to-those-facing-deportation
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28US_charity_provides_lawyers_to_those_facing_deportation%29

content:
<p><a href="http://feeds.dailykosmedia.com/~r/dailykosofficial/~3/YhOoLkATnPA/1813415">A US charity campaign provides lawyers to people facing threat of deportation</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: dab8ffe474d3fa5bbbf0bd85e6886dd6
title: Brisbane: blocked bridges to deter homeless
uri: Brisbane-blocked-bridges-to-deter-homeless
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Brisbane%3A_blocked_bridges_to_deter_homeless%29

content:
<p>As Brisbane places boulders to stop homeless people from sleeping under a bridge, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/17/bold-call-to-break-into-brisbanes-empty-buildings-to-house-homeless">why shouldn't they break open unused government buildings to sleep there</a>?</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 7f707cd6be42a8e294258ce7a78e47cb
title: China: President implements one-Uighur policy
uri: China-President-implements-one-Uighur-policy
url:
https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28China%3A_President_implements_one-Uighur_policy%29

content:
<p>(satire) Chinese President Xi Jinping <a href="https://www.theonion.com/china-introduces-new-one-uighur-policy-1830475863">announced the decision Thursday to implement a new one-Uighur policy</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 60791cb46bfc0515b0d7517e07ea0764
title: Voter suppression in Georgia
uri: 2018-11-30-Voter-suppression-in-Georgia
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Voter_suppression_in_Georgia%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/16/stacey-abrams-brian-kemp-georgia-governor">Kemp's voter suppression succeeded</a> in taking the governorship of Georgia.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 22de3352aa031a37f661b59c557706b6
title: Trump's war on science
uri: Trump-s-war-on-science
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Trump%27s_war_on_science%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/15/new-report-details-trumps-devastating-war-science-and-how-new-congress-can-fight?cd-origin=rss">The denialist's war on science, and how Congress can fight back</a>.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: 19fc9d04a1020b4d3cd3458ad06118c4
title: US: Fire protection policy
uri: US-Fire-protection-policy
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28US%3A_Fire_protection_policy%29
content:
<p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/11/kim-kardashian-kanye-west-history-private-firefighting/575887/">Do we want poor Americans to get less fire protection than rich Americans</a>?  It's moving that way.</p>
<p>The US <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-wildfires-neoliberalism-climate-change_us_5bec0d2ce4b0caeec2c012a0">should make sure fire protection does not change</a> from a public service that protects everyone into a paid service that protects mainly the rich.</p>
</li></p>


feed_id: ec4f5db47995ae90b114f9a04b41c501
title: Apple buybacks
uri: Apple-buybacks
url: https://stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#29_November_2018_%28Apple_buybacks%29
content:
<p>Since Apple dodges taxes and rakes in far more money than it can see a way to invest, <a href="https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/apples-capital-return-program-where-are-the-patient-capitalists">it manipulates its stock price through "buybacks"</a>.</p>
</li></p>


