Since the NSA hands over [ data about Palestinian-Americans' communications ]( http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/09/18/new-questions-raised-about-nsa-israel-intelligence-sharing ) to Israel, and Israel uses such data to blackmail Palestinians in Palestine, it looks like the NSA is part of the blackmail system.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28NSA_part_of_blackmail_system%29

Putin is plans to set up means to [ disconnect the Russian internet from the rest of the world ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/19/vladimir-putin-plan-unplug-russia-internet-emergency-kremlin-moscow ) in an "emergency". "Emergency" in this case means Russians' paying attention to criticism of Putin.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Putin_to_set_up_internet_disconnect_switch%29

The proposed Australian "anti-terrorism" law [ would permit torture ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/19/asio-torture-warning-fears-new-powers-will-allow-suspects-to-be-harmed ) . This law is clearly unnecessary; an alleged terrorist plot involving real violence was watched and the planners were arrested yesterday.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Australian_anti-terrorism_law%29

The London thug department apologized to Nordell Edmonson. A gang of thugs [ pulled him out of his car and hit him with sticks while he was helpless ]( http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/18/nordell-edmondson-metropolitan-police-race-discrimination ) — supposedly because he was driving without insurance. If he was indeed driving without insurance — I would not take the thugs word for it — he deserved to be tried, not beat up. Edmonson is not satisfied with payment of compensation, because that helps him only. He wants action to curb the violence of the thugs.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28London_thugs_beat_helpless_man%29

Republican judges authorized Wisconsin's voter ID law less than two months before the election. [ 300,000 voters may be disenfranchised ]( http://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/09/12604/thousands-wi-students-could-be-disenfranchised ) , and it would be very hard for them to get IDs even if they can afford to try. Republicans impose voter ID laws because most citizens that don't have IDs are among the weak who are likely to vote Democrat.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Wisconsin_voter_ID_law%29

California has had the [ driest three years ever recorded ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/19/-sp-california-wildfires-climate-change ) , causing record-breaking fires, and it's expected to get worse in the coming months. The fire season in the US west has increased, typically, by 70 days since a few decades ago. That is long-term change, global heating at work. The fires convert trees into carbon dioxide, adding to global heating. Positive feedbacks like this mean that at some point (which we can't predict) global heating will become self-perpetuating. The fools running the University of California [ refused to divest from fossil fool companies ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/19/university-california-fossil-feul-investment-divest-climate-change ) . They think divestment would cut the income for running the university. That's probably true, for the next few years at least. They'd certainly be better off continuing the status quo — but they are fools to think that is what they have chosen. Have they thought about how much funds the University of California will lose when global heating wrecks the state economy? When drought eliminates half the farming in California, and the forests are burning up, do they think the state will prioritize the university over firefighters? If global heating continues unchecked, some sort of University of California may still exist in 30 years, but it will be a shadow of its present-day self. If the regents were wiser, they would grab at any chance to avoid that fate. Divestment at least offers a chance. This is much worse than rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. They are on the oil train, rolling slowly torwards Lac-Mégantic, and trying to save money by not putting on the brakes.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Record-breaking_fires_in_California%29

New pun: [ Fossil Fuels ]( https://stallman.org/puns.html ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28New_Pun%3A_Fossil_Fuels%29

Executives of a US peanut plant have been sentenced to prison for falsifying contamination test records. [ 9 people died ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/19/three-convicted-tainted-peanuts-salmonella-outbreak ) from the contamination that they hid this way.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Peanut_contamination_hidden%29

Nadya Tolokonnikova [ continues working in Russia to oppose Putin's regime ]( http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2014/sep/19/nadya-tolokonnikova-pussy-riot-interview-nothing-to-lose ) , and global capitalism on the side. I don't oppose capitalism as such — the existence of private businesses. However, what some call "global capitalism" is more plutocracy than capitalism as such, and I oppose plutocracy.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Nadya_ToloKonnikova%29

New Zealand voters [ reelected the rulers that spy on them all and lied about it ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/20/new-zealand-election-john-key-national-overwhelming-victory ) . One might be tempted to say that they deserve such mistreatment, but that is fallacious. Only half of them chose it — but all are now stuck with it.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28New_Zealand_voters_reelect_spying_liars%29

Australia is drifting into less CO2 emissions, which is good, but means it [ should adopt a more ambitious target ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/20/australias-emissions-pledge-is-getting-easier-to-achieve-new-figures-show ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Less_CO2_emissions_from_Australia%29

Rich countries including the US are [ going back on their promises to help poor countries cope ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/20/us-climate-change-aid-poor-nations-un-summit ) with the damages of global heating. It was inevitable that, as those increased, the rich countries would someday face so much expense coping with those increasing damages that they would refuse to help other countries. Eventually the rich countries themselves will be unable to cope. However, the austerity that the plutocrats have imposed on the US has made it happen sooner.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28The_poor_to_bear_global_heating_cost%29

Leading US news editors [ rebuked Obama ]( http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/09/19/top-news-editors-slam-white-house-secrecy-intimidation ) for making the US government more secretive and for intimidation of journalists.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28US_news_editors_rebuke_Obama%29

Ralph Nader: [ Damaging Our Country from Wars of Choice ]( http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/09/19/damaging-our-country-wars-choice ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Wars_of_Choice%29

The proposed US law to prevent antibiotic resistance won't help; it [ will make the system worse ]( http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/09/19/congress-should-oppose-bill-undermines-patient-safety-and-fails-tackle-rise ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Antibiotic_resistance%29

A study gives a preliminary suggestion that common artificial sweeteners [ can affect intestinal bacteria in some people ]( http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/17/6338403/zero-calorie-blood-sugar-risk ) , causing them to experience high blood sugar levels.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Artificial_sweeteners%29

Warning to Canadians: in the US, thugs are [ waiting to rob you ]( http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/world/story/1.2760736 ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28US_thugs_waiting_to_rob_Canadians%29

Obama says he won't send ground troops to fight in Iraq, but instead will [ "forward-deploy" some of the "advisers" ]( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/20/obama-war-legal-rationale-isis ) . In practice, it may be the same thing. There may be some advantage in this disguise; until ISIS kills some on the battlefield, the US could claim not to have troops fighting in Iraq, much as [ Putin pretended not to have Russian troops fighting in Ukraine ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#02_September_2014_(Thousands_of_Russian_soldiers_sent_to_places_near_Ukraine) ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Obama_to_forward-deploy_some_advisors%29

Paranoia in Australia: a passenger was kicked off a flight because [ someone saw him scribbling in a notebook about the fear of terrorism ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/20/terror-doodles-removal-australian-man-tiger-airways ) . This sort of paranoia helps governments attack human rights, which does far more damage than terrorists ever could.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Paranoia_in_Australia%29

The CDT and ACLU reported 5 US massive surveillance programs to the UN as especially [ threatening to human rights ]( http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/09/19/five-us-surveillance-programs-undermining-global-human-rights ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28US_massive_surveillance_programs%29

Global heating's effects are all around us, but [ powerful plutocrats suppress recognition ]( http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/09/19/climate-change-you-can-believe ) of global heating in the US (and Canada, Australia and the UK). So US cities that want to plan to cope with the consequences expected in the next few decades have to tiptoe around the cause.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Global_heating_denial%29

Assange: Google is effectively the [ private equivalent of the NSA ]( http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/09/19/google-acts-privatized-nsa-wikileaks-julian-assange ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Google%29

UK schools have taken the fingerprints of a million students [ as if it were nothing ]( http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/privacy-concerns-raised-as-more-than-one-million-pupils-are-fingerprinted-in-schools-9034897.html ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Fingerprinting_students%29

Why poor people eat junk food and smoke, and can't make long-term plans that would improve their circumstances: [ they can barely cope with each week ]( http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/21/linda-tirado-poverty-hand-to-mouth-extract ) . Being sleepy all the time makes it harder for people to plan well. When the system imposes that on people, it's the system that must be changed. However, discouragement plays a role too. It is hard to summon up attention for long-term dangers when you know you can't protect yourself from the immediate dangers. This shows that the US needs to undo the plutocratic changes since 1980, so as to make most people's lives no worse than they were then. However, it also shows the importance of helping the poor in ways that don't require them to make plans, choose carefully among options, and apply for support. Because they don't have the time for that on top of their daily obligations. When a woman who did not want to get pregnant has an abortion, it means the system failed to give her the means to avoid pregnancy and she is correcting that failure. We should help poor women avoid pregnancy by having high school steer students into effective modern birth control, such as implants or IUDs. The state should pay for these, for all women. To refuse is stupid penny-pinching. If you want to buy Ms Tirado's book, please don't order it, [ especially not from Amazon. ]( https://stallman.org/amazon.html ) Buy it with anonymous cash in a local independent book store.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Poor_people_can_barely_cope%29

How the "privatization" of Britain [ replaced government services with foreign-controlled monopolies ]( http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/21/private-island-britain-belongs-someone-else-review-compelling-study-industries-foreign-hands ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28The_privatization_of_Britain%29

In the horrible world where Ebola virus spreads, [ anyone who comes near you could kill you ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/21/ebola-makes-you-a-risk-to-yourself-sierra-leone ) . If we stop the spread of Ebola reasonably soon, the long-term population growth will be unaffected. Having "neighbourhood festivities" when a baby is born might be partly responsible for the dangerously high growth rate. We need to do something about that.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#21_September_2014_%28Ebola_virus%29

Libyan Islamists appear to be behind a [ wave of assassinations of non-Islamists in Benghazi ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/20/teenaged-libyan-peace-activists-assassinations-benghazi-libya-tripoli ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28A_wave_of_assassinations%29

The US handed over some [ Pakistani prisoners from its secret prison in Afghanistan to prison in Pakistan ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/20/us-releases-14-pakistani-detainees-afghanistan ) . This Bagram prison is even nastier than Guantanamo; the prisoners have been brought there from around the world, can't even see a lawyer, and the US won't even say who is imprisoned there. In effect, they have been disappeared. No matter what those men did, or are accused (perhaps spuriously) of doing, it can't justify this.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Secret_prison_in_Afghanistan%29

Desmond Tutu calls for [ fighting fossil fuels with the tactics used to fight apartheid ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/21/desmond-tutu-climate-change-united-nations ) , including boycotting anything sponsored by fossil fuel companies.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Fighting_fossil_fuels%29

Afghanistan was unable to conclude an election to choose between two candidates for president, so eventually [ the two leading candidates made a power-sharing deal ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/21/afghanistan-power-sharing-deal-abdullah-ashraf-ghani-ahmadzai ) . It does not betoken a government with sufficient unity and strength to fight the Taliban.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Afghanistan_was_unable_to_conclude_an_election%29

Humanity is [ failing completely to reduce CO2 emissions ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/21/record-co2-emissions-committing-world-to-dangerous-climate-change ) ; they are headed for a record this year.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Failing_completely_to_reduce_CO2_emissions%29

Only in the US would people propose [ a law to punish parents simply because their teenage children commit crimes ]( http://www.reason.com/blog/2014/09/18/are-the-parents-of-a-teen-murderer-guilt ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Only_in_US_would_people_propose_this_law%29

Thousands [ protested in Moscow against aggression in Ukraine ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/21/protest-moscow-russia-ukraine ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Thousands_protested_in_Moscow%29

[ The folly ]( http://karenfraid.tumblr.com/post/42953390104/permanent-lockdown-and-the-ethics-of-lying-to-children ) of repeated "lockdown" drills in US schools.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Folly_of_school_lockdown_drills%29

The University of Dayton has [ decided to divest from fossil fuels ]( http://ncronline.org/blogs/eco-catholic/university-dayton-divests-fossil-fuels ) and invest some of those funds in green energy.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28University_divestment_from_fossil_fuels%29

Uber drivers are [ getting shafted ]( https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/09/against-sharing/ ) ; Uber can arbitrarily cut their pay, and they have to work 15 hours a day. Some are trying to unionize. Uber [ requires running nonfree software ]( https://stallman.org/uber.html ) , too; if you value your freedom, you won't consider Uber an option. We should not accept the whitewash label of "sharing economy" for companies like Uber. A more accurate term is "piecework subcontractor economy".
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Uber_drivers_getting_shafted%29

[ While We March for the Climate, Governments Meet with Polluters ]( http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/09/19/while-we-march-climate-governments-meet-polluters ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28March_for_the_Climate%29

Congress is considering a [ bill to allow resale of devices that contain software covered by EULAs ]( https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/09/bill-introduced-congress-let-you-actually-own-things-even-if-they-contain-software ) . This is a first step in the right direction. The right of first sale should trump all EULAs, and so should personal modification. The article refers to [ DRM (digital restrictions management) ]( http://DefectiveByDesign.org ) by the unfortunate term [ "digital locks" ]( http://gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalLocks ) . This grants them legitimacy by comparing them to ordinary locks. Please criticize that term when you see it.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Right_of_first_sale%29

New [ puns in Italian ]( https://stallman.org/italian_puns.html )
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#22_September_2014_%28Italian_Puns%29

A humorous article, [ Futon Physics ]( https://stallman.org/futon-physics )
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Futon_Physics%29

Arrogant sports teams [ bully US cities into funding stadiums for them ]( http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/sep/22/-sp-how-american-sports-franchises-sell-cities-short ) , promising the cities economic growth — which benefits only a few, if it happens at all.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Sports_teams_bully_US_cities%29

Human CO2 emissions, by acidifying the oceans, are [ reducing the ocean's ability to absorb CO2 ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/22/the-uns-new-york-climate-summit-is-guilty-of-a-major-sin-of-omission ) . This means more of the emissions will go into the atmosphere and global heating will speed up.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Ocean_acidification%29

There is evidence suggesting Darrien Hunt was [ cosplaying when thugs shot him ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/22/darrien-hunt-sketches-fantasy-cosplay ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Evidence_that_Darrien_Hunt_was_cosplaying%29

India denied entry to a Greenpeace official, as part of a [ broad attack against Greenpeace ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/22/greenpeace-worker-refused-entry-india ) . The Modi government is turning out to be an even greater sellout to business than the Congress Party was.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Indias_attack_against_Greenpeace%29

[ Why Ordinary People Bear Economic Risks and Donald Trump Doesn't. ]( http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/09/22/why-ordinary-people-bear-economic-risks-and-donald-trump-doesnt )
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Bearers_of_economic_risks%29

The Pentagon gives military weapons even to [ thug departments that the US government considers likely to violate people's rights ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/22/pentagon-police-military-gear-civil-rights-justice-department ) . It is a mistake to suppose that the other thug departments won't do this. Hardly any of them should get military weapons. The existence of a SWAT team [ impels rules to use it frequently ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2013-jan-apr.html#11_March_2013_(Giving_US_thugs_military_weapons) ) , and that use puts people's lives in danger. The US needs 20 SWAT teams in cities distributed around the country; more than that is an avoidable risk.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Militarization_of_US_thugs%29

The French government, under the Socialist Party, plans to make France [ "more competitive" ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/22/manuel-valls-praise-angela-merkel-french-economic-reform-plans ) . That's the code word for "surrender to the plutocrats."
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Surrendering_France_to_plutocrats%29

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund [ pledged to divest from fossil fuel ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/22/rockefellers-and-investors-pledge-50bn-divestment-from-fossil-fuels ) . In addition to punishing fossil fuel companies' stock price — which could be cancelled out if other investors buy in — the divestment movement can concentrate plutocratic lobbying power in favor of decarbonization. Plutocratic lobbying power is an injustice, and to restore democracy we must get rid of it, but in the mean time setting some of it against global heating is a step forward.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Rockefellers_to_divest_from_fossil_fuel%29

After Scotland almost voted to exit the UK, [ will that be enough to convert the timid Labour Party ]( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/21/miliband-memo-britain-social-order-bankrupt ) into something ready to fix what is wrong?
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28After_Scotlands_vote%29

A thug tased a teenage driver, apparently because the car's electric window on the passenger side did not open. Dragged out of the car, the driver's head seems to have hit the ground, causing a grave brain injury. This is unremarkable in the US, but this teenager was not a mere citizen. He was the son of another thug. So [ shit is hitting the fan ]( http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/16/1330050/-Another-Out-Of-Control-Cop-Story-But-This-Cop-May-Have-Messed-With-The-Wrong-Kid ) . I hope that kid gets justice, but it won't be a lot of justice if it applies only when the victim is the child of a thug.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-jul-oct.html#23_September_2014_%28Thug_tases_teenage_driver%29