Richard Stallman

Richard Stallman's Political Notes -

Urgent: Protect clean water from corporate greed - 2026-02-18T06:18:53+00:00

US citizens: Tell the EPA to protect clean water from corporate greed: reject proposed weakening in local approval for development that can affect water supply.

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

Urgent: No tax breaks for Big Tech data centers - 2026-02-18T06:18:52+00:00

US citizens: Tell your governor, no tax breaks for Big Tech data centers.

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

Here's the text of the letter I sent.

I’m writing as your constituent, and as recipient of two awards from the ACM for programs I have shared with the public in freedom, to urge you to reject efforts in our state to provide Big Tech with tax breaks to build data centers. I’m concerned about the harms that data centers can do locally, including siphoning our water, using up our land, creating noise and light pollution, and hiking our electric bills. I’m also concerned that providing tax breaks to giant Big Tech corporations will deprive our schools and local budgets of their already insufficient funds. I'm also concerned that these data centers will mostly operate Pretend Intelligence (PI) -- software that *tries to* imitate what an intelligent entity would say, but without really understanding the words it plays with. The use of these digital dis-services does society harm. We should never allow business to play one state against another by making states compete to offer them the biggest tax break, because that perverse competition harms *all* the states for the benefit of business owners. So please reject efforts to give Big Tech (or *any* business) specific tax breaks to operate in our state. The states should form a union and bargain collectively with these businesses. The states could call their union the United States of America. Wouldn't that be a good thing to have?

Urgent: Reporting on refusals by grand juries to indict bogus political "crimes" - 2026-02-18T06:18:52+00:00

US citizens: Call on the media to report loud and clear on the amazingly unusual refusals by grand juries to indict people accused of bogus political "crimes".

Urgent: Protect from spread of measles - 2026-02-18T06:18:52+00:00

US citizens: call on state officials to protect your state from the spread of measles.

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

Japanese fossil fuel companies invest in Australian fossil fuel - 2026-02-18T06:18:52+00:00

Japanese fossil fuel companies invest in Australian fossil fuel extractors, and they appear to have lobbied Australia to prolong fossil fuel extraction.

This may be part of why the Australian government has neglected its responsibility to help save civilization from global heating.

Methane from rapidly heating Arctic permafrost - 2026-02-18T06:18:52+00:00

Global heating is starting to melt the rapidly heating Arctic permafrost, and this is releasing large quantities of methane at an accelerating rate.

This could lead to a tipping point into much faster heating.

Australian thugs attacked protesters - 2026-02-18T06:18:52+00:00

Australian thugs attacked protesters who refused to remain passive in the face of a visit by the President of Israel, who is responsible for tens of millions of Palestinian civilians' killings.

Britons' right to protest under threat - 2026-02-18T06:18:51+00:00

*Britons' right to protest is under threat like never before. If you value it, speak up now.*

Iranian regime becoming ever more fanatic - 2026-02-18T06:18:51+00:00

The Iranian regime is becoming ever more fanatic, arresting important politicians close to the "reformist" official prime minister.

Gallup polling to cease tracking approval ratings of president - 2026-02-18T06:18:51+00:00

Gallup polling announces it will cease its 88-year-old practice of tracking the approval ratings of the president.

Some suspect this is because the current president — the bully — is threatening to sue Gallup if it continues to report on how many people detest him.

I would compare this to his sabotaging of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They add up to a practice of trying to deny the public information that makes him look bad.

Arguments that immigration enforcement would be distorted - 2026-02-18T06:18:51+00:00

*As Congress debated the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, civil rights advocates argued that immigration enforcement would be distorted — and weaponized — by its merger with the national security state.*

*In response to such concerns, Congress created an unusually far-reaching internal watchdog office for Homeland Security and its various arms, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.*

The wrecker, cognizant of the danger that that office was meant to prevent, has reduced the office to a skeleton crew.

House Republicans rebuke of bully over Canada tariffs - 2026-02-18T06:18:51+00:00

*House Republicans make rare, albeit symbolic, rebuke of [the bully] over Canada tariffs.*

Congress could cancel those tariffs if it wants to. It could do that by putting a clause limiting tariffs into a bill that the bully would find damaging to veto.

Deportation thug that fired at citizen hailed by Gregory Bovino - 2026-02-18T06:18:50+00:00

* New evidence shows Gregory Bovino hailed [the deportation thug] who fired at Marimar Martinez five times in her car*. The thugs tried to frame her, too.

Statistical survey about death of young children in England - 2026-02-18T06:18:50+00:00

Does a statistical survey about death of young children in England demonstrate a problem in their medical treatment?

This result suggests that consanguinity is leading to the birth of children with doubled harmful recessive genes — which is what we expect it to do, more or less. But in order to be sure of this conclusion, we need to know what fraction of children born have consanguineous parents. If that too is 7%, it would imply that those children face no greater danger of early death than other children. If that is less than 7%, it would imply that they do face a greater danger of early death.

If the risk is indeed higher for children of consanguineous parents, the next crucial question is how big a problem this is. What fraction of children of consanguineous couples in England die young? What fraction of children born in England die young? If that is a very small fraction, this problem affects few children.

Another question remains: supposing that this problem is substantial, how big is it compared with the other threats to the health of children in England?

And another one is, supposing that this problem causes a big danger to the children of consanguineous parents in England, is there an effective way to reduce that danger?

Bill to block substantial fraction of adult US citizens from voting - 2026-02-18T06:18:50+00:00

The House of Representatives passed a bill to block a substantial fraction of adult US citizens from voting.

Mexico gangs reportedly obtained newer more powerful arms than Mexican government - 2026-02-18T06:18:50+00:00

Reportedly drug gangs in Mexico have obtained newer and more powerful arms than the Mexican government can get, including drones.

They may be a real threat to Americans, but it is minuscule compared with the threat to Americans from the deportation thugs. Let's not let the secondary threat distract us from the primary threat.

Bogus indictments meant for political persecution - 2026-02-18T06:18:50+00:00

Grand juries almost never deny prosecutors the indictments they ask for. But several grand juries have recently refused to authorize bogus indictments meant for political persecution.

AMA to partner with Vaccine Integrity Project - 2026-02-18T06:18:49+00:00

* The American Medical Association (AMA) will partner with the Vaccine Integrity Project to review the evidence on vaccines for influenza, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for the fall.*

The US government used to do this, but the wrecker put anti-vaxxer RFK Jr in charge of this area.

Half of Americans disagree with repression of immigration - 2026-02-18T06:18:49+00:00

According to the latest poll, half of all Americans strongly disapprove of the persecutor's repression of immigration.

Over 60%% express disapproval of various specific aspects of it.

Deportation cases in court which is a mockery of a court - 2026-02-18T06:18:49+00:00

The deportation thug agency hires lawyers to pursue deportation cases in a court which is a mockery of a court, before a judge who is a mockery of a judge.

There is no official quota for judges to rule for deportation, but they know they may be fired if they don't do that often enough. When the agency lawyer simply asks the judge to rule for deportation — "to dismiss the case" — giving no specific reasons, the judge often unceremoniously does just that.

In effect, the whole thing is a sham designed to smear a perfume of justice over the stench of arbitrary, dishonest cruelty.

Sabotage of NLRB - 2026-02-18T06:18:49+00:00

The wrecker's sabotage of the NLRB has been substantially effective — the number of union votes dropped by 30% in 2025.

Almost unstoppable wildfires in Patagonia - 2026-02-18T06:18:49+00:00

Almost unstoppable wildfires in Patagonia, mostly caused by global heating, have killed many of the trees that have lived thousands of years.

Plan to repeal EPA ruling regulating greenhouse gases - 2026-02-18T06:18:48+00:00

Planet-roaster officials plan to repeal the ruling that allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases.

Now that it has become the Environmental Poisoning Agency, protecting the environment is considered inappropriate.

World closer than thought to "point of no return" - 2026-02-18T06:18:48+00:00

* The world is closer than thought to a "point of no return" after which runaway global heating cannot be stopped, scientists have said.*

Big Oil cartel - 2026-02-12T22:39:40+00:00

Michigan has sued some big oil companies, accusing them of forming a cartel to stifle renewable energy and cover up the danger of fossil fuels.

Chinese and British censorship - 2026-02-12T22:39:39+00:00

Ai Wei Wei talks about facing Chinese censorship and British censorship.

How bloody stupid are LLMs - 2026-02-12T22:39:39+00:00

*Recently, the Rowsons accidentally invented a new game that anyone can play at home. I have yet to come up with a world-beating name for it, so for now let's just call it "How bloody stupid is [some so-called] AI?" The playing of the game will change from player to player, depending on their circumstances – but essentially the rules remain the same. Ask [some so-called] AI a simple question about yourself, and see just how wrong it gets it.*

He that knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool -- shun him.

It that knows not, and knows not that it knows not, is an LLM -- switch it off.

RFK Jr mislead Senate - 2026-02-12T22:39:39+00:00

*RFK Jr misled Senate during confirmation, Congress members and Hawaii governor say.*

Observers arrested - 2026-02-12T22:39:39+00:00

The deportation thugs have taken to arresting legal observers, while continuing to threaten them with weapons.

There is no limit to the hatred that twists them.

Robert Reich: Mamdani campaign lessons - 2026-02-12T22:39:38+00:00

New York City's public funding system was crucial for giving Zohran Mamdani the possibility of overcoming rich people's money.

DHS and Google - 2026-02-12T22:39:38+00:00

The Department of Harassment Surveillance sometimes punishes people for posting criticism of US government policies by demanding lots of information about them from Google's databases.

Substack's owner doesn't believe in censorship - 2026-02-12T22:39:38+00:00

Substack does not censor right-wing and Nazi views -- its owner dislikes their views but doesn't believe in censoring views he dislikes. I find that honorable and proper.

What makes US Nazis dangerous is not the fact that they can publish their views in the same way anyone else can. Rather, it is the support they get from powerful people such as the persecutor and his henchmen.

Australia hate speech laws - 2026-02-12T22:39:38+00:00

Australia is trying to establish control of protest as the standard response to murder.

ICE arrests continue - 2026-02-12T22:39:38+00:00

Deportation thugs continue making many arrests in the cities they targeted for occupation, but they don't mass in large numbers as before. As a result, they draw less attention and less protest.

I think that they intentionally chose tactics that made them so noticeable, as a strategy of state terrorism.

And I speculate that they have dropped those tactics partly because the public's reaction was effective pressure on them.

Trump's Penn station rename reversed - 2026-02-12T22:39:37+00:00

A court quashed the bully's demand to have Penn Station renamed with his name.

Trump administration aim to deport five-year-old - 2026-02-12T22:39:37+00:00

*[The persecutor's] lawyers aim to deport five-year-old [Liam Conejo Ramos] after judge ordered his release.*

Australia shielding Israel's president - 2026-02-12T22:39:37+00:00

*The government's decision to roll out the red carpet for President Herzog while simultaneously establishing "exclusion zones" for the public is a misstep, one likely to deepen the rift between already polarised communities. People must be able to peacefully voice their objections to the horrors of war in Gaza, against the violence of ultra-Orthodox settlers in the West Bank, the massacre of Iranian protesters or the terror unleashed by Hamas. Protest, when done peacefully and without hate, is not only legitimate – it is vital.*

I think Australia should not have invited Herzog, but since it did, it should not silence Australians' condemnation of the violent actions that he stands for.

State terror - 2026-02-12T22:39:37+00:00

The essence of a state built on terror is that no one can rely on being safe, and people who were not persecuted this week can only guess why not.

Who was or who wasn't persecuted is usual a minor detail, which is why it often operates based on quotas.

Trump family crypto deal - 2026-02-12T22:39:36+00:00

*[The corrupter]'s family is embroiled in a $500m UAE scandal. We've hardly noticed.*

Easier to fire US government employees - 2026-02-12T10:39:21+00:00

The corruptor has changed the rules to make it easier to fire some US government employees and to weaken protection for whistleblowers who report corruption.

He wouldn't want them to dare reporting corruption, in case it is his corruption.

Facebook ads for deportation thugs - 2026-02-12T10:39:21+00:00

Facebook is running ads for the deportation thugs, ads that *included imagery and music intended to appeal to white nationalists and neo-Nazis.*

Israel accused of spraying cancer-linked herbicide - 2026-02-12T10:39:20+00:00

*Israel accused of spraying cancer-linked herbicide on farms in southern Lebanon.*

We can reverse America's decline - 2026-02-12T10:39:20+00:00

Bernie Sanders: *We can reverse America's decline.*

Facial recognition used to accuse person of shoplifting - 2026-02-12T10:39:20+00:00

A British supermarket accused a customer of shoplifting based on a reported face recognition match — in fact, it had accused the wrong person — and then demanded he run nonfree software to clear his name.

That was successful, since the database had no record of his face. But if that error had happened to me, since I would not run that nonfree software, I think would have not been able to clear my name.

Peter Mandelson asked Epstein for help in 2010 - 2026-02-12T10:39:20+00:00

Peter Mandelson, a clear example of the sort of sell-out to business that had come to fill the Labour Party leadership, asked Epstein for help in 2010 in angling for contracting work for both Billionaire Polluters and Glencore. BP is, of course, a fossil fuel company. Glencore mines and trades various commodities, including oil.

The enablers of these companies are contributing to harm—possibly deadly harm—to over a hundred million female teenagers, a like number of male teenagers, as well as around eight billion children and adults. No one on Earth is safe.

(satire) AI Chatbot that only responds with "huh" - 2026-02-12T10:39:19+00:00

(satire) *AI Chatbot That Only Responds "Huh" Valued At $200 Billion.*

Long Island hotter in winter - 2026-02-12T10:39:19+00:00

Long Island has got 5°F hotter in the winter (on the average) since 55 years ago. This leads to various dangers to human health, wildlife, homes, and farms, including the spread of insect pests as well as weather itself.

Measles in US deportation prison for children - 2026-02-12T10:39:19+00:00

The US has deportation prisons for children, and thanks to RFK jr, one of them is spreading measles.

Corrupter is making China great - 2026-02-12T10:39:18+00:00

The corrupter is making China great.

Families of Americans killed by Israel - 2026-02-12T10:39:18+00:00

*Families of Americans killed by Israel face uphill climb to justice.*