Richard Stallman

Richard Stallman's Political Notes -

Urgent: Build clean energy now - 2025-10-09T02:38:28+00:00

US citizens: call on local officials to build clean energy now.

Urgent: Call on big tech to cancel contracts with Israel's government - 2025-10-09T02:38:28+00:00

US citizens: call on Big Tech, including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, to cancel all contracts with Israel's government now.

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

Brains scans show effects of greater inequality - 2025-10-09T02:38:28+00:00

Scans of the brains of 10,000 children in various US localities found that greater inequality goes with certain differences in their brains.

I would be very surprised if there were only one possible explanation that fits the recorded facts. This experiment may be a key to an important phenomenon, but I expect it will take many more experiments to determine what that phenomenon is.

Meanwhile, we don't need brain scans to observe the harmful effects of inequality on society.

Local groups taking power away from HAMAS - 2025-10-09T02:38:27+00:00

Various local groups are taking power away from HAMAS in parts of Gaza.

HAMAS is a terrorist organization, so ousting it from the position of government of Gaza could be a good thing. But not necessarily.

It is not clear whether they care what happens to the people who live in Gaza, or solely seek to subjugate them in a less ideological way while enriching themselves. If they were offered a deal whereby they would gt rich and move to Qatar, while the rest of the people of Gaza got expelled or slaughtered, would they accept it?

(Satire) Tax breaks to attract religious doomsday cults - 2025-10-09T02:38:27+00:00

(satire) *Indiana Offers Tax Breaks To Attract Religious Doomsday Cults.*

About Lee Lawrence - 2025-10-09T02:38:27+00:00

About Lee Lawrence, who campaigns and teaches cops to avoid making racist mistakes like the one where they shot and paralyzed his mother.

He reports that British thugs are still not held responsible for he damage they do to innocent people after a series of "mistakes".

Australian billionaire started Singaporean company - 2025-10-09T02:38:27+00:00

An Australian billionaire started a Singaporean company with his money to do business in Australia, so that he can use business-supremacy treaties with ISDS clauses to get rights over his business that Australian law does not grant to Australians.

All of these treaties should be wiped out, because they were never anything but a tool for extortion.

Wrecker's peace plan for Gaza - 2025-10-09T02:38:26+00:00

The wrecker's peace plan for Gaza is a big step up from what Netanyahu has been trying to impose. Many of the current injustices would end.

But I distrust any activity that is under the control of a lying bully such as the saboteur in chief, and the inclusion of Tony B'liar does not inspire trust either.

Illinois governor condemns the fascist leader - 2025-10-09T02:38:26+00:00

*Illinois governor JB Pritzker and others condemn the [fascist leader] for suggesting cities be used as military training grounds.*

He suggested that troops in cities was something worse than training — that it was war against the Americans in those cities.

Withdrawal of untrustworthy nominee for Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2025-10-09T02:38:26+00:00

The bullshitter was compelled to withdraw his untrustworthy nominee to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

I expect he will nominate someone who is willing to lie for him but hasn't got a record that screams that perse would lie.

Democrats wouldn't cave, Republicans shut down the government - 2025-10-09T02:38:26+00:00

Democrats in Congress refused to cave in to the threat to shut down the government, so Republicans went ahead and shut down the government (aside from the essential agencies that stay open in such situations).

You don't defeat bullies by caving in to their threats. The harm they achieve when you give in is worse than what the threats actually do.

The nastier the bully's threats, the more important it is to resist. Democrats should continue to stand firm.

Bully's henchmen trying to excuse extrajudicial killings - 2025-10-09T02:38:26+00:00

The bully's henchmen are trying to excuse extrajudicial killings with hand waving about supposed "narco-terrorism". There is no legal validity to that argument.

Nominee companies in Australia - 2025-10-09T02:38:25+00:00

In Australia, *"nominee companies" – paid to be listed as shareholders on behalf of unnamed investors – could be reducing accountability over financial support of [fossil fuel] industry.*

There is a simple solution: legislate a requirement to identify their shareholders.

American democracy's demise - 2025-10-08T14:38:26+00:00

*American democracy might not survive another year — is Europe ready for that?*

Al-Shabaab territorial land grab - 2025-10-08T14:38:26+00:00

Al-Shabaab has captured large parts of Somalia.

To understand what that means, imagine if Charles Kirk were leading an army that tries to capture parts of the USA and impose Christian Nationalism.

Guard deployment blocked - 2025-10-08T14:38:25+00:00

The bully is trying to put California's national guard on the streets of Portland, Oregon. Governor Newsom of California is suing to block this.

Creation of stand-by militias - 2025-10-08T14:38:25+00:00

*How a neo-Nazi cell infiltrated a martial arts school in Tennessee.*

Undermining democratic principles - 2025-10-08T14:38:25+00:00

*If Europe keeps placating its own far right, how can it possibly stand up to [the far-right bully in the United States]?

Incoming judges alarms law experts - 2025-10-08T14:38:25+00:00

The persecutor is firing experienced immigration judges who stick to the legal responsibilities of their job, and recruiting military judges who never learned those responsibilities and bring with them a military idea of "justice."

The compact - 2025-10-08T14:38:24+00:00

*The would-be autocrat threatens to cut funds for specific universities unless they sign away freedom of speech and academic freedom.*

RMS in Sweden, Friday - 2025-10-07T14:38:17+00:00

Richard Stallman will give a talk in Göteborg on Oct 10, starting at 15:00: Free software, Crucial for Freedom in a Digital World.

The address is Batterigatan #2, Göteborg.

Admission is gratis. To register, send email to bahnhofbunker@bahnhof.net or visit bahnhofbunker.se/rsvp.html. The hosts say that the list will not be given to the state.

Argentina's right-wing economy - 2025-10-06T08:38:18+00:00

Right-wingers drooled over President Milei's brutal contempt for the Argentines that were not part of his preferred people. Now that he has collapsed the economy, they are not talking about him much.

The corrupter in chief sent Argentina 20 billion US dollars to slow the collapse. Did Congress approve that?

Another flotilla attack, ISR - 2025-10-06T08:38:18+00:00

*Israel's Gaza flotilla interception triggers protests, diplomatic expulsions and calls for strikes.*

Economic war against democratic states - 2025-10-06T08:38:17+00:00

The bully arbitrary suspended payment for federally-funded programs in Democratic-controlled states.

The bully is systematically attacking all the rules that was supposed to follow so as to prevent favoritism.

Academic freedom diminution, US - 2025-10-06T08:38:17+00:00

*Report from Scholars at Risk counts some 40 attacks against academic freedom in the US in the first half of 2025.*

For fascists, any institution that is a base for presenting disagreement with fascists is "the enemy within".

New pun: Leaving the EU - 2025-10-06T02:39:29+00:00

New pun. Was removing Britain from the European Union a form of EU-thanasia?

Urgent: call on companies to stop feeding data - 2025-10-05T02:38:12+00:00

US citizens: call on companies to stop feeding data to Shadowdragon's massive surveillance.

Urgent: call on Congress to stop the persecutor - 2025-10-05T02:38:12+00:00

US citizens: call on Congress to stop the persecutor from attacking Americans' freedom of speech and freedom to protest.

Urgent: call on Congress to reject funding bill - 2025-10-05T02:38:11+00:00

US citizens: call on Congress to reject any government funding bill that doesn't address our medical funding crisis or hold the wrecker's officials accountable.

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

Urgent: call on local officials to build clean energy - 2025-10-05T02:38:11+00:00

US citizens: call on local officials to build clean energy now.

ADL takes down extremism research - 2025-10-05T02:38:11+00:00

The Anti-Defamation League used to publish information on a range of forms of potentially dangerous extremism. Right-wing extremism objected to its listing of Charles Kirk's brand of extremism, as well as Christian Nationalism (another Christian hate movement).

The ADL responded by deleting the whole catalog.

The muskrat repeated the usual double standard of right-wing extremists: if you criticize Charles Kirk, they say you're a hate group and advocating murder. If you dehumanize disprivileged minority groups and hint at killing them, they see no wrong in that.

The ADL has been moving closer to right-wing extremism itself, for instance in demonizing people who criticize Israel's massive killing in Gaza as "antisemites". Perhaps its leadership took this as an opportunity to cut itself off from its past.

Australian fossil fuel projects - 2025-10-05T02:38:11+00:00

In Australia, *"nominee companies" — paid to be listed as shareholders on behalf of unnamed investors — could be reducing accountability over financial support of [fossil fuel] industry.*

There is a simple solution: legislate a requirement to identify their shareholders.

Growing backlash over Gaza genocide - 2025-10-05T02:38:11+00:00

A general strike in Italy shut down ports to demand Italy stop cooperating with Israel's assault on Gaza.

President’s partisan tool - 2025-10-05T02:38:11+00:00

*The [bully's henchmen] evidently seek to transform the US military into a partisan tool of the president's regime.* There is no legal validity to that argument.

Naval forces board pro-Palestinian flotilla - 2025-10-05T02:38:10+00:00

*Israeli naval forces board pro-Palestinian flotilla 75 miles from Gaza.*

That sounds like international waters.

Gaza peace plan - 2025-10-05T02:38:09+00:00

One important side point in the bully's proposed peace deal for Gaza is that if HAMAS doesn't agree to it, the plan would encourage Israel's massive killing practices.

Gaza contractor hires Trump linked lobbyists - 2025-10-04T20:38:19+00:00

*A security [(or should we say "murder"?)] contractor serving the Gaza "Humanitarian" Foundation has hired a lobbying firm tied to [the corrupter].*

This sort of corrupt dealing with him has become standard practice ever since he first invited contributions to his inaugural fund, which were, in effect, bribes. Sometimes they are done by settling frivolous lawsuits with a large payment to him.

There are various other methods of labeling so as not to call it "bribe", but they do not really attempt to disguise it.

Starmer plan prompts collapse - 2025-10-04T20:38:19+00:00

As Britons considered Starmer's plan for mandatory digital ID cards, they have mostly turned against it.

Hooray!

Now they only need to make sure he can't impose that law against public opposition.

Trump’s H-1B visa fee - 2025-10-04T20:38:19+00:00

The persecutor's proposed increase in employers' fees to get a visa to hire a foreign worker would make hospitals shut down.

It might be a good idea to ramp up US medical education and teach more Americans to do medical jobs. But such training takes years — it can't happen between now and next year.

To make a success of this, the US would need to increase training capacity and spend years training hundreds of thousands of medical professionals. Then it could reduce the number of work visas granted for foreign medical workers without causing a problem.

Perception of Autism - 2025-10-04T20:38:17+00:00

Extending the term "autism" to cover such a range of different syndromes seems to be an overgeneralization.

Asylum seekers struggle - 2025-10-04T20:38:16+00:00

Australia's offshore immigration prison on Nauru does not give prisoners enough money to buy food. And they face violent persecution by the locals.

Hatch Act violation - 2025-10-04T20:38:16+00:00

*Today, Public Citizen filed against the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a message on its homepage blaming "Senate Democrats" for causing a government shutdown. The complaint alleges this is a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits the use of taxpayer money for partisan political purposes.*

Iran's water crisis - 2025-10-04T20:38:15+00:00

Global heating is drying up the region of Tehran, and the president of Iran says it must move the capital (which has 10 million inhabitants) to another region.

The article fails to mention global heating and population growth as causes of this problem.

Dangers of increasing wildfires - 2025-10-04T20:38:15+00:00

*Scientists say they have shown unambiguously that the numbers of "societally disastrous" wildfires — the ones that hit economies hard and take lives — have increased around the world as global heating bites.*

Jane Fonda relaunches free speech group - 2025-10-04T20:38:15+00:00

*Jane Fonda relaunches free speech group backed by her father during the McCarthy era*: The Committee for the First Amendment.

Veterans reaction to Hegseth's speech - 2025-10-04T20:38:14+00:00

*Veterans react to Hegseth's "insulting" address to generals and admirals.*

The word "insulting" is an understatement. It calls on them to disregard their oath to "defend the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic." In effect, it is a call to treason — a call for US soldiers to redirect their loyalty towards the fascist usurpers.

New pun: Lion tamer - 2025-10-04T17:53:50+00:00

When I hear the word "chairman" I imagine a lion tamer.

RMS will give a talk in Finland - 2025-10-02T08:38:27+00:00

Richard Stallman will give a talk in Helsinki on Oct 9: Free software, Crucial for Freedom in a Digital World

It will run 14:00 to 16:00 in Haaga-Helia University in Pasila. Specifically, Ratapihantie 13 Helsinki, in the auditorium on the ground floor.

Admission is gratis and there is no need to register, but you may wish to register to reserve a seat. You can do that through reservations.

Justice Department ordered to prosecute James Comey - 2025-10-02T02:38:14+00:00

The bully-in-chief ordered the Justice Department to prosecute James Comey, former head of the FBI, for investigating the bully's suspected crimes.

Comey said the trial will find him innocent.

Civilian nonfatal injuries in Gaza - 2025-10-02T02:38:14+00:00

*Civilian [nonfatal] injuries in Gaza similar to those of soldiers in war zones, study finds.* Or perhaps they tend to be even worse that injuries of soldiers in other wars.

This could be because Israeli soldiers sometimes specifically aim to cause grave wounds.