The new CEO of National Public Radio intends to get more money from advertising by [ advertising more attractive products ]( http://www.fair.org/blog/2014/09/08/new-npr-boss-were-going-to-be-talking-about-brands-that-matter-a-little-bit-more/ ) . I used to give money to a local NPR station, but I stopped when I noticed that the shows had started to include commercials.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Advertising_on_NPR%29

New Jersey prosecuter McClain went easy on a football player that knocked his fiancée unconscious, but [ threw the book at a women for carrying a gun with a permit from Pennsylvania ]( https://firstlook.org/theintercept/?p=4730 ) . To carry a gun for protection against future robberies is not necessarily a wise idea; [ it may cause more danger than it avoids ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2013-jan-apr.html#27_March_2013_%28Guns_and_aggression%29 ) . That's an unrelated issue and has no effect on this one, but I shouldn't mention the idea of getting a gun for self-protection without mentioning these doubts also.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28New_Jersey_prosecuter_McClain%29

Boko Haram [ suffered a big defeat in a pitched battle in Nigeria ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/13/boko-haram-commander-reportedly-killed-in-clash-with-nigerian-forces ) . One such defeat won't destroy the group, but could inspre the Nigerian army to fight harder from now on, if the government gives this priority.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Boko_Haram_suffered_a_big_defeat%29

Australia's ancient rock art is [ threatened by miners, tourists and animals ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/13/-sp-race-to-protect-australia-rock-art ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Australia%27s_ancient_rock_art_threatened%29

Obama's plans for war with ISIS [ depend on allies that have not shown an ability to do what is required ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/12/isis-offensive-obama-faith-unproven-allies ) . I think the article underestimates the peshmerga. They had to retreat when ISIS attacked with its captured US heavy weapons and armored vehicles, but were able to advance with US air support. So were the Shi'ite Iraqi militias. The problem with them is that strengthening them pushes Iraqi Sunnis to support ISIS.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Obama%27s_plans_for_war_with_ISIS%29

US citizens: call on Obama to [ get authorization for expanding war in Iraq or Syria ]( http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/dont-rush-into-endless?source=c.url&r_by=1135580 ) . For [ background ]( http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/opinion/obamas-betrayal-of-the-constitution.html ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Urgent%3A_Authorization_for_expanding_war_in_Iraq_or_Syria%29

"Just-in-time" scheduling of hourly workers means that their part-time job rules them every hour of the week, although they [ only get paid for a fraction of those hours ]( http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/26120-workers-are-constantly-on-the-edge-of-the-knife ) . I think that businesses should be required to pay half wages for every hour that an hourly worker is on call to work with less than a week's notice.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Just-in-time_work_schedule%29

Witnesses recorded immediately after Michael Brown was shot dead said that [ he had his hands up ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/13/ferguson-video-shows-michael-brown-hands-raised ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Video_of_witnesses_in_Ferguson%29

The mainstream US media [ describe cutting workers' pensions as "responsible" ]( http://www.fair.org/blog/2014/09/12/cutting-pensions-and-responsible-politics/ ) . If the government is forced to break promises, break promises to the rich before promises to the non-rich.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28US_media_on_pension_cuts%29

Canada's government has, in effect, subjugated Canada to Chinese investors (including the Chinese state) by [ allowing them to sue secretly to demand changes in Canadian government policies ]( http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/harper-oks-potentially-unconstitutional-china-canada-fipa-deal-coming-force-october-1 ) . This includes extremely dangerous pipeline plans. To subject one's country to such a treaty constitutes treason, in my view. A new Canadian government should abrogate the treaty.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Canada_subjugated_to_Chinese_investors%29

The Taliban are [ advancing in parts of Afghanistan ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/13/taliban-advance-sangin-helmand-afghanistan ) . It's sad, but predictable. The Afghan government's army doesn't have the motivation needed to resist the Taliban. Afghans who oppose the Taliban aren't motivated to fight as much as the Taliban are motivated to fight. We could continue to keep the Taliban out with permanent US intervention. We could do that for as long as the US has resources to do it, which won't be forever (in a few decades, global heating will be causing disaster in the US). But permanent victory against the Taliban [ depends on Afghans ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2010-mar-jun.html#5%20June%202010%20(Kudos%20all%20round) ) . We could continue war there until we go broke, but at the end the Taliban would come back unless Afghans opposed to the Taliban
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Taliban_advancing%29

The US suffers from a [ lack of feelings and activities of general solidarity ]( http://www1.cs.columbia.edu/~unger/articles/solidarity.html ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28The_Need_For_Solidarity%29

NGOs call on Congress to adopt a new model of "trade" negotiations, [ with goals to be stated in advance ]( http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/09/11/broad-coalition-calls-new-model-trade ) . Given a Congress not subservient to business, this new system could give good results — but our current Congress is too submissive to adopt it.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28New_model_of_trade_negotiations%29

[ Obama Is Picking Targets in Iraq and Syria While Missing the Point ]( http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/09/12/obama-picking-targets-iraq-and-syria-while-missing-point ) . US officials have big [ disagreements about how dangerous ISIS is ]( http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/world/middleeast/struggling-to-gauge-isis-threat-even-as-us-prepares-to-act.html ) , and whether bombing will hurt it or help it. The question is confused because the term "bombing" fails to distinguish between air strikes on troops engaged in battle and drone assassinations, but this distinction is crucial. Tactical air support focuses on heavy weapons and military vehicles, and it is easy to distinguish them from civilians. People don't have heavy weapons or HUMVs at home, even in Iraq. Thus, air support causes few civilian casualties, and those few, when they occur, are understandable. By contrast, [ drone assassinations often kill civilians in their homes and cars ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2013-jan-apr.html#5_April_2013_(US_Drones) ) ; in Pakistan and Yemen, those casualties, coming literally and figuratively out of the blue, have inspired understandable lasting hatred against the US. For the moment, the US campaign against ISIS is mostly air support for the armies fighting ISIS. I'm in favor of providing such support. We see already that it is effective: it has prevented ISIS from conquering thousands of people and likely butchering them wholesale. It has also resulted in rather easy recapture of substantial territory, a vital dam, and some towns. As long as ISIS maintains armies fighting in the field, fighting them this way will be effective for the same reasons. But Obama's speech shows he envisions continuing the fighting into a drone assassination campaign. A proper debate must treat those as two separate issues. A drone assassination campaign in Iraq would be self-defeating as well as unjustifiable. Iraqi Sunnis would form ranks behind ISIS in response to the civilian casualties, producing a stalemate of suffering like that in Yemen. Such a stalemate never leads to victory; each day, the US would face the choice to terminate it and lose, or continue it and cause additional pointless suffering to preserve the status quo. When Congress debates fighting ISIS, as is its duty, it must distinguish these two forms of fighting. If I were a member of Congress, I would vote for air support on the battlefield, for as long as ISIS keeps fighting on battlefields, but insist on prohibiting assassination campaigns.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#15_September_2014_%28Bombing_ISIS%29

[ Not one Republican ]( http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/09/12/senate-kills-citizens-united-reform ) voted for the amendment to reverse the "Citizens United" decision.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Republicans_United%29

The Modi government expressed doubts about mandatory ID cards, before the election. Now in power it [ strongly supports the imposition of ID cards ]( http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/public-sector/3571617/indias-biometric-id-project-is-back-on-track/ ) . Requiring a national ID card is an [ injustice in itself ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2007-jan-apr.html#14%20February%202007%20(Real%20ID%20plan) ) ; taking everyone's fingerprints or iris scans is an even worse injustice.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28National_ID_cards%29

Asylum-seekers in Australia are [ treated worse than the inmates of asylums ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/10/-sp-ariak-life-in-annexe-six-months-in-solitary-in-immigration-detention ) ; they can be put in solitary confinement for long periods. I hope the recent [ supreme court decision ]( https://www.stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#13_September_2014_(Constitutional_limits_on_imprisonment_of_asylum_seekers) ) puts an end to this.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Asylum-seekers_in_Australia%29

The concentration of agribusiness has resulted in [ record production ]( http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/09/09/we-must-degrow-corporate-food-regime-food-sovereignty-advocate ) while hunger continues to grow.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28More_hunger_as_agribusiness_grows%29

The relatives of James Foley report that US officials told them that [ paying a ransom for him would be a crime ]( http://abcnews.go.com/International/government-threatened-foley-family-ransom-payments-mother-slain/story?id=25453963&singlePage=true ) . This policy is just and necessary to avoid encouraging the taking of more hostages. Foley's relatives, mad with grief, would have saved Foley by endangering others; the officials prevented this. It's not that they didn't understand what it's like to be a relative of a hostage. Rather, it's that they recognized their duty was not solely to that family. I only wish President Reagan could have been prosecuted for ransoming hostages from terrorists. The one doubt that occurs to me is whether ransoming hostages might encourage terrorism less than letting them be used in the snuff videos that are effective propaganda for ISIS. The current policy was not chosen for a situation like this, which nobody envisioned. Meanwhile, it is foolish to criticize the US government for not rescuing Foley. I'm sure the Pentagon was looking for a chance to rescue these hostages, but that is much easier said than done. Many attempts to rescue hostages have ended up killing them instead. There are plenty of reasons to criticize US foreign policy, but we shouldn't endorse every criticism just because the US is its target.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Ransoming_hostages%29

A teenager in Pennsylvania [ faces two years in prison for faking oral sex with a statue of Jesus ]( http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/09/pennsylvania-teenager-hump-oral-sex-jesus-statue-prison ) . This law should certainly be unconstitutional. The right to offend people is part of freedom of speech.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28The_right_to_offend_people%29

China is [ systematically harassing and excluding foreign journalists ]( http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/foreign-journalists-in-china-see-decline-in-reporting-conditions/ ) , and pressuring their Chinese assistants to spy on them. The US is not blemish-free in this area: it [ requires foreign journalists to get a special visa ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2004-may-aug.html#17%20June%202004%20(Elena%20Lappin) ) . The US should repeal this law so that it can effectively criticize other countries.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28China_harassing_foreign_journalists%29

A study of unschoolers — people who were allowed as children to learn on their own for some years — shows that they [ turned out quite well as adults ]( http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/09/how-do-unschoolers-turn-out/ ) . They had no trouble getting into college or being successful there. I suspect that one of the conditions for this to be successful was that the children did not feel the threat of poverty and were not surrounded by despair. It might not work for most children of the non-rich in the US today.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Unschoolers%29

The almond farms of California are rapidly [ exhausting the state's ground water ]( http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/sep/14/alarm-almond-farmers-drain-california-dry ) . Global heating will make droughts in California more frequent. For the short term, the state needs to manage its water rather than allow farmers to pump it at will. For the long term…there won't be much farming in California, by and by, unless we curb global heating.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28California_drought%29

The Prime Minister of New Zealand says that there is no massive surveillance there. Edward Snowden [ proves he is lying ]( https://firstlook.org/theintercept/?p=4849 ) . This was implemented in 2012/2013, under a law that was [ misrepresented as having a much smaller effect ]( https://firstlook.org/theintercept/?p=4767 ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Massive_surveillance_in_New_Zealand%29

In the UK, prisoners [ regularly die or commit suicide as a result of prison budget cuts ]( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/15/prison-suicides-tory-crime ) . They see no point in reporting when they are raped. There are no funds for rehabilitation, which puts a burden on the rest of society when they get out.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28UK_prison_budget_cuts%29

The Yangtze river sturgeon is following the Yangtze river dolphin [ into extinction ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/15/wild-chinese-sturgeon-on-brink-of-extinction-in-polluted-yangtze ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Yangtze_river_sturgeon_going_extinct%29

Shark meat is popular in Indonesia, and tuna fishers [ catch and sell lots of endangered sharks as "by catch" ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/the-coral-triangle/2014/sep/15/how-the-tuna-we-buy-is-killing-sharks-in-indonesia ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Endangered_sharks%29

Naomi Klein [ connects global heating to the plutocratic system ]( http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/14/naomi-klein-interview-capitalism-vs-the-climate ) that has subjugated democracy. Klein is right that reducing your personal energy consumption is not an effective action. Under a market system, the fossil fuel you don't use will be sold to someone else. The way to reduce the total use of fossil fuel is by macro-policies such as placing more tax on such use. The let's-win-over-the-billionaires environmentalism that Klein shows is ineffective is the climate analogue of "open source," which says, "Let's win over the businesses by not saying things they wouldn't like."
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Global_heating_and_plutocracy%29

Information provided by Edward Snowden proves that the NSA has [ penetrated national and international networks ]( https://firstlook.org/theintercept/?p=4792 ) operated by German companies in ways that they cannot figure out.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28NSAs_penetration_in_Germany%29

Everyone: [ call on the Pennsylvania legislature ]( http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/get-involved/actions/pa-legislature.html ) to stop impeding abortion.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Urgent%3A_Abortions_in_Pennsylvania%29

US citizens: sign [ this petition ]( http://action.citizen.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12581 ) to require disclosure of fracking chemicals.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Urgent%3A_Disclose_fracking_chemicals%29

US citizens: sign [ this petition ]( http://act.pricingcarbon.org/petition ) to put a price on carbon emissions.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Urgent%3A_Put_a_price_on_carbon_emissions%29

Militarization of thug forces implies that they are [ occupying enemy territory ]( http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/08/19/story-power-country-ferguson-institutionalized-racism-and-militarization-police ) , but who in the US is the enemy? Blacks, principally. This article makes the connection between militarization and racism. The article also explains that the occupation of Ferguson puts on display the weapons and armor that most often are used to attack private homes, unseen by anyone except the people who live there. Although non-blacks are not inherently part of the enemy, anyone such as a protester or journalist whose actions support the enemy is treated as one of them.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Militarization_of_thug_forces%29

The Israeli military intelligence reservists who revealed that their work included blackmailing innocent Palestinians have been [ condemned ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/15/israeli-refuseniks-are-criminals-defence-minister ) for puncturing the claim that Israel's army is "the most moral in the world". Those reservists believe their army is really supposed to be the world's most moral. That's why they are disgusted with what it really is.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Israeli_military_intelligence%29

Sea animals near Australia are eating plastic, [ 3/4 of which comes from waste from cities ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/15/plastic-rubbish-from-land-not-ships-killing-australian-sea-life-scientists ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Plastic_in_the_sea%29

[ Scientists Don't Need to Kill Whales to Study Them ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/15/japans-whaling-has-produced-more-sushi-than-science ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Whaling%29

Everyone: sign [ this petition ]( http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/the-world-community-must ) for the UN to take control of the removal of fuel rods from the fuel pool at Fukushima #4.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Urgent%3A_UN_control_of_fuel_rod_removal%29

A Republican congresscritter [ champions the right to fire people for being gay ]( http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/08/1328117/-GOP-congressman-calls-firing-gay-people-one-of-the-freedoms-we-enjoy ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Firing_people_for_being_gay%29

An Uruguayan marine who snuck out to Italy when investigated for participation in government torture now [ faces charges in Italy ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/14/uruguayan-naval-officer-alleged-torture-italy ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Uruguayan_marine_faces_charges_in_Italy%29

The UK's right-wing parties talk about recovering sovereignty from the EU, but they are eager to surrender sovereignty to businesses through [ TTIP (This Treaty Is Plutocratic) ]( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/14/ttip-deal-british-sovereignty-cameron-ukip-treaty ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28UK_eager_to_surrender_sovereignty%29

British politicians [ distract attention from the need to reduce CO2 emissions ]( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/14/guardian-view-unchanging-message-climate-scientists ) by debating where to expand airports in the London area. At least the estuary airport would be self-limiting, since global heating will eventually make it unserviceable.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Airport_expansions_in_London_area%29

Nigeria is imposing biometric ID cards that include fingerprints and iris scans. [ And share all the data with Mastercard. ]( http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/09/03/nigeria_s_orwellian_biometric_id_is_brought_to_you_by_mastercard ) National ID cards such as this are inherently oppressive. Nigeria faces a big terrorist threat, but these [ cards will do no good ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2007-jan-apr.html#14%20February%202007%20%28Real%20ID%20plan%29 ) whatsoever against it.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Biometric_ID_cards%29

LA thugs saw a black woman kiss a white man in a car, and handcuffed her, [ making the assumption based on that alone that she was a prostitute ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/14/django-unchained-actor-alleges-racial-bias-arrest-los-angeles ) . They do this every day, but this time they were embarrassed because she was a film star. Real prostitutes don't deserve to be treated that way either, so jumping to the conclusion because of her race makes it two wrongs.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28How_LA_thugs_see_black_people%29

Thousands of rich French people are dodging taxes by [ moving their money to Belgium ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/14/french-rich-belgium-holdings-tax ) . France needs to tax these people no matter where they go.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Rich_French_people_dodging_taxes%29

A newspaper requested an interview with a Canadian scientist about algae. Government officials had a discussion of [ 100 pages ]( http://thechronicleherald.ca/canada/1234766-request-to-interview-federal-scientist-sparks-110-pages-of-government-emails ) before they refused permission for him to talk to the press. This is because the facts about the algae demonstrate effects of global heating, while the Canadian government wants to promote use of fossil fuel.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Press_access_to_Canadian_scientist_denied%29

Some librarians are campaigning to [ protect library users from massive digital surveillance ]( http://boingboing.net/2014/09/13/radical-librarianship-how-nin.html ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Librarians_campaigning_to_protect_users%29

[ Deforestation and global heating ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/15/drought-bites-as-amazons-flying-rivers-dry-up ) have put an end to rain in part of Brazil.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28An_end_to_rain_in_part_of_Brazil%29

Fracking's contamination of drinking water in Texas and Pennsylvania was due to [ leaky cement in frack wells ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/15/drinking-water-contaminated-by-shale-gas-boom-in-texas-and-pennslyvania-study ) , a study finds.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Frack_wells_contaminate_drinking_water%29

The FCC received [ 3 million comments about network neutrality ]( http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/15/fcc-receives-record-3m-comments-net-neutrality ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28FCC_receives_3_million_comments%29

US citizens: [ call on Congress ]( http://act.democracyforamerica.com/sign/vote_on_isis_plan/ ) to debate the war against ISIS. [ Call on Obama ]( http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/dont-rush-into-endless ) to seek authorization for this war.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#16_September_2014_%28Urgent%3A_Debate_the_war_against_ISIS%29