Richard Stallman

Richard Stallman's Political Notes -

Urgent: CBS: Don't Censor Debate - 2026-01-27T16:38:15+00:00

US citizens: call on CBS: Don't Let Bari Weiss Censor Debate.

Urgent: Stop funding DHS and ICE - 2026-01-27T16:38:14+00:00

Us citizens: call on Congress to stop funding DHS and ICE inhumane and lethal tactics amidst ongoing investigations into those practices.

See the instructions for how to sign this letter campaign without running any nonfree JavaScript code--not trivial, but not hard.

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Urgent: Block voter-ID bill - 2026-01-27T16:38:14+00:00

US citizens: call on the Senate to block the voter-ID bill and protect poor citizens' right to vote against arbitrary interference.

Many poor people need to move often. Many can't afford to take a couple of hours off work to officially update ID cards. And these requirements are not satisfied by proof that you're a US citizen -- the demand is always for "up to date, currently valid" proof.

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Dr Ahmed Muhanna seized in Gaza - 2026-01-27T16:38:14+00:00

Dr Ahmed Muhanna was seized in Gaza where he was working in a hospital and jailed in Israel for almost two years without any charges. While jailed, he was tortured sadistically, even including beatings which broke a rib, and then denied medicine for that.

He saw other prisoners die of medical problems which could have been cured if they had received treatment, as prisoners are entitled to.

Now he has been released and is back in Gaza, but the shortages of medical supplies and destroyed equipment, what doctors can do is limited.

Labour plans to restrict right to protest even more - 2026-01-27T16:38:14+00:00

Labour plans to restrict the right to protest even more, by banning frequent protests in the same "area".

To allow protest only as long as it never inconveniences anyone is to make protest so weak that it hardly counts for anything. The policies that large crowds protest repeatedly do much worse than inconvenience people. They usually amount to cruelty and injustice, usually toward the disprivileged.

Children with high screen use - 2026-01-27T16:38:13+00:00

*Children aged two with highest screen use can say significantly fewer words, UK government research finds.*

This is adding to the evidence that using computers tends to be bad for young children.

Google search stopped pseudo-intelligence overviews for some questions - 2026-01-27T16:38:13+00:00

Google Search has stopped presenting pseudo-intelligence overviews for some questions because they gave incorrect medical advice that was endangering people's health.

But since this pseudo-intelligence doesn't really understand the meaning of thing, the criteria had to be written at a superficial level — somewhat like trying to identify spam with regexps. Some paraphrased questions still do elicit the "overview".

Federal judge rejected executive order that states demand ID from voters - 2026-01-27T16:38:13+00:00

A federal judge rejected the saboteur in chief's executive order that purported to make states demand ID from voters, and other restrictions.

Why Minnesota can prosecute Iceman Ross - 2026-01-27T16:38:13+00:00

A lawyer explains why Minnesota can prosecute Iceman Ross, though keeping the evidence away from the state might make it difficult in practice.

Bully ordered criminal investigation of Jerome Powell - 2026-01-27T16:38:13+00:00

The bully ordered an criminal investigation of Jerome Powell, nominally for alleged misuse of government money. I suppose they hope to find something they could dress up as misuse, but the real motive for the investigation is to punish him for lack of subservience to the bully in setting interest rates.

There are real clashes of interests that affect the setting of interest rates. For instance, which is more important: the comfort of the wealthy, or more employment? In the past, some Democratic presidents convinced the Federal Reserve to help workers, but Obama and Biden appointed Republicans to head the Federal Reserve to assure the wealthy nothing like that would happen.

The gnome making excuses to forbid inspections of deportation prisons - 2026-01-27T16:38:12+00:00

When courts rule that congresscritters have the right to inspect deportation prisons, the gnome publishes another cockamamie excuse to forbid it. She probably expects that each one will be overturned, but each order will delay the visits for a while until the courts reject that one too.

US judge allows offshore wind project to continue - 2026-01-27T16:38:12+00:00

*US judge lets Danish firm resume Rhode Island offshore wind project halted by [the saboteur in chief].*

US government demanded list of Jews in University of Pennsylvania - 2026-01-27T16:38:12+00:00

The US government demanded that the University of Pennsylvania hand over a list of Jews in the university, including faculty, staff and students.

This is a peculiar reversal. So far, magats have mostly tried to persecute Muslims and those who condemn Israel's atrocities towards Palestinians — often in the name of "fighting antisemitism". This demand seems more like preparation for committing antisemitism.

Given how many Nazis and Christian bigots there are among the magats, it doesn't surprise me that they want to persecute Jews in addition to Hispanics and Africans.

US carbon pollution rose in 2025 - 2026-01-27T16:38:12+00:00

*US carbon pollution rose in 2025 in reversal of previous years' reductions.* It was clear from the polluter in chief's policy decisions that this would be the result.

Eye injuries from gunshots in Tehran - 2026-01-27T16:38:12+00:00

*An ophthalmologist in Tehran has documented more than 400 eye injuries from gunshots in a single hospital, as overwhelmed medical staff struggle to cope with the toll of an increasingly violent crackdown on nationwide protests by Iranian authorities.*

Doctors treat injured protesters out in the street as the hospitals are full.

I wonder at the support of some Iranians for the son of the former shah to reestablish a monarchy. The shah was a bloody tyrant too, and aroused big street protests that forced him out. Of course the Iranians want to get out of the fire, but why choose a possible frying pan as refuge?

I wish the US were capable of inspiring Iranians to fight for democracy, but I expect that the bullshitter/bully has made his contempt for democracy clear even as far as Iran. The past US aggressions, including putting the shah back in power, won't help either.

Grok to be integrated into "Pentagon networks" - 2026-01-27T16:38:11+00:00

Hegseth says that Grok will be integrated into "Pentagon networks" including secret ones.

That can now be a security hole as well as an asshole. Imagine the leaks: "I sometimes ask Grok to make a picture of me as a soldier in a war zone. Two weeks ago it showed me in Caracas, but now it shows me in Tehran!"

But the bullshitter's Nazi supporters will rejoice.

The gnome declared Somalia a safe country to send Somalis back to - 2026-01-27T16:38:11+00:00

The gnome declared that Somalia has become a safe country and ordered Somalis with temporary protected status to start arranging to leave the US.

I don't know whether Somalia is now safe — its civil war/terrorism has not been in the news much lately — but we cannot expect her to tell the truth about such questions.

US attacked a supposed "drug boat" with plane disguised as civilian - 2026-01-27T16:38:11+00:00

Reports say the US attacked a supposed "drug boat" using an armed plane disguised as civilian.

The article explains that this, in war, would constitute the crime of "perfidy" — but since the US and Venezuela were not engaged in war, it was simple murder regardless of whether weapons were visible.

The saboteur's henchmen have removed or excluded the specially trained lawyer-soldiers who are supposed to advise officers about such issues, thus learning officers to commit war crimes unawares.

I wonder who would be held responsible for those war crimes? The officer who ordered the action? The civilians responsible for denying advice to per?

Developing countries poorer than in 2019 - 2026-01-27T16:38:11+00:00

*[One] quarter of developing countries poorer than in 2019, World Bank finds.*

DoJ attorneys resign over decision not to investigate shooting of Renee Good - 2026-01-27T16:38:11+00:00

*[At least four] DoJ attorneys resign over decision not to investigate agent [accused of shooting Renee Good].* This is the work of Harmeet Dhillon, an election-denying Republican made an official by the bully. Her assiduous service to him has been to demolish parts of the Justice Department.

The next goal is to establish that the bully's henchmen can order the killing of anyone and protect the killer from prosecution, while fishing for excuses to call the victim a criminal.

Experimental detection of microplastics in tissues - 2026-01-27T16:38:10+00:00

Some experimental detection of microplastics in tissues may be errors due to contamination.

Pro-Israel group Betar U.S. - 2026-01-27T16:38:10+00:00

*New York Attorney General Pro-Israel Group Betar U.S. for Biased Harassment of Arabs, Muslims.*

The organization is shutting down in response to a settlement it reached with New York State.

House Progressive Caucus will "oppose all funding" for immigration enforcement - 2026-01-27T16:38:10+00:00

*Ilhan Omar said [the House Progressive Caucus] will "oppose all funding" for immigration enforcement unless militarized policing ends.*

Nazi influence - 2026-01-26T10:37:59+00:00

The bully's henchmen are spreading Nazi influence.

This goes with the Nazi-like cruelty and arbitrary political punishments aimed at universities law firms, and major media.

Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels - 2026-01-26T04:38:00+00:00

*Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels for EU power generation in 2025, report finds.*

This is a measure of steady progress. The momentary measurement is not greatly important, but the steady progress is.

Judge-only trials - 2026-01-26T04:38:00+00:00

Estimates show that eliminating juries from some trials would make hardly any difference to the backlog of trials in Britain.

ICE detains Minnesota boy - 2026-01-26T04:38:00+00:00

Deportation thugs in Minnesota are jailing people who are in the US lawfully, including young children, and using them as bait.

‘Endangered lawyer’ day - 2026-01-26T04:38:00+00:00

* The US has been awarded a new dubious distinction: it has been selected as this year’s focus of an international coalition of legal groups and bar associations as a country where lawyers and judges are so politically intimidated that the rule of law is under threat.*

Trump Greenland future deal reactions - 2026-01-26T04:38:00+00:00

The bully agreed to a "framework for a deal" about Greenland which backs off from his intolerable demands about that place

For the moment, there is no more Greenland crisis…until he changes his mind again. But since nothing guarantees this framework will lead to a legitimate agreement (and officials of other countries are not confident about that).

He has all he needs to restart the crisis whenever he wishes.

Even if it were a detailed and specific deal, you can never trust the wrecker to keep a deal.

Screen time affecting toddlers - 2026-01-26T04:38:00+00:00

Reports that many of the four-year-olds who have spent substantial time using screen-controlled computers display major weaknesses in intellectual and social skills.

Secret assurance - 2026-01-26T04:37:59+00:00

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, and her brother (head of the National Assembly), promised in advance their cooperation with the US once the US had grabbed President Maduro.

US court lifted injunction - 2026-01-26T04:37:59+00:00

An appeals court temporarily suspended the order that deportation thugs in Minnesota could not arrest peaceful protesters or fire less-lethal weapons at them.

I would like to know the court's stated reasons.

Self-imposed drought - 2026-01-26T04:37:59+00:00

Parts of England are in danger of using up their water reserves.

*The water company texts: we are so sorry; colleagues are working to restore connection; everything should soon be normal. You want to believe them, but the more it's repeated, the more it becomes a kind of hold music. There’s no supply the next day, and the day after, and the day after that.*

This danger is not limited to England. Many countries are using up their water reserves.

Trump’s board of peace - 2026-01-26T04:37:59+00:00

*Good morning. [The megalomaniac] wants to be the supreme leader of the world.

That may sound hyperbolic, but it is difficult to read the latest plans for his so-called "Board of Peace" as anything else. What was initially framed as a narrow mechanism to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction has quietly shifted into something far larger.*

And far more dangerous too.

Rollout of AI caution - 2026-01-26T04:37:59+00:00

A megabankster concedes that the use of artificial "intelligence" may need to be slowed in order to reduce the rate of disruption.

However, he continues to insist on the PR claim that those systems are "intelligence" and that they provide a benefit to society.

The main "benefit" of Pretend Intelligence is that businesses can save money by replacing human workers who can apply real intelligence with computers that do a lousy job.

Washington Post reporter - 2026-01-26T04:37:58+00:00

*Washington Post demands government return electronics seized in raid of reporter [Hannah Natanson]'s home.*

The contain the information from confidential sources that she cannot obtain again.

North-east Syria security - 2026-01-26T04:37:58+00:00

The dispute between the Syrian government and the mainly Kurdish northeast broke into fighting again.Some imprisoned PISSI fighters escaped in the chaos, and there is danger more may escape.

Dangers of microplastics - 2026-01-26T04:37:58+00:00

Scientists discuss what is known and what isn't know yet in regard to the biological effects of microplastics.

DOGE personnel - 2026-01-26T04:37:58+00:00

Court documents show that the personnel of the DOPE who took control of the Social Security Administration's personal data last year provided it to a partisan organization (name redacted) which intended to use it to challenge election results

(not specifying how).

Trump’s Davos claims - 2026-01-26T04:37:57+00:00

Refuting the bullshitter's latest lies and wild exaggerations.

Altered photo - 2026-01-26T04:37:57+00:00

The bullshitter's White House staff altered a photo of an arrested protester being arrested, to falsely give the impression that she was crying.

They did this using a Pretend Intelligence system.

Trump retribution campaign - 2026-01-26T04:37:57+00:00

The bully's principal domestic policy focus is a campaign of retribution toward anyone who refuses to bow down to him.

This is intended to partisan bias in every part of the US government, and obedience in other important institutions in society.

America’s immigration system - 2026-01-26T04:37:56+00:00

Proposing a "grand bargain" on US immigration policy, which would speed up decisions on applications for asylum and create a statute of limitations on deportation for simple overstaying.

National Park Service - 2026-01-26T04:37:56+00:00

* [Magats] "Deliberately" Tanking Morale to Get [National] Parks Staff to Quit, Official Says in Leaked Tape.*

US liquefied natural gas reliance - 2026-01-26T04:37:54+00:00

Europe is now dependent on importing liquefied fossil gas from the US. This is dangerous, since the bully can weaponize it.

Interpreting Trump - 2026-01-25T04:37:53+00:00

Four heuristics for interpreting what the bullshitter says.

His bullshit has been observed to follow certain patterns, and these heuristics are based on those patterns.

‘Stop Andy Burnham’ campaign - 2026-01-25T04:37:52+00:00

Labour leftist Andy Burnham has been a success as mayor of Manchester, and he may want to run for Parliament and challenge Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party.

Starmer is pulling strings to block him, so that a nebbish Labour right-winger will run instead.

If Starmer blocks leftists from running for Parliament while leftists are the ones the public will vote for, he is acting the role of a saboteur who would rather destroy Labour than let it stand for what it used to stand for.

(satire) ICE Deems - 2026-01-25T04:37:51+00:00

(satire) *ICE Deems Being In Privacy Of Own Home Obstruction Of Justice.

(satire) Democrats condemn ICE - 2026-01-25T04:37:51+00:00

(satire) *Democrats Condemn ICE For Murdering Without Proper Warrants.*

Ceasefire peace deal - 2026-01-25T04:37:51+00:00

The Syrian government proved has made a peace deal with the Kurdish-centered Syrian Democratic Forces. The former definitely won the military confrontation but seems willing to coexist with the latter.

This may be a good outcome.