Colombia's army and the government-supported paramilitares continue their terrorism and repression, [ with US support ]( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/30/we-must-end-collusion-terror-colombia ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#30_July_2014_%28US-supported_terrorism_in_Colombia%29

The UK's dooH niboR government is proposing a [ new tax cut for the rich ]( http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jul/30/david-cameron-hints-giveaway-higher-rate-taxpayers ) . It will grasp any excuse to claim it has no money for the poor, the NHS, and so on.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#30_July_2014_%28UK_proposes_tax_cut_for_the_rich%29

Politicians want NATO to [ "respond" to non-armed "attacks" ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/nato-unprepared-threats-from-russia ) which might be nothing but propaganda. If the response to a non-armed "attack" is made in kind, without arms, it does not require the formality of NATO, or any treaty. It would be nonmilitary cooperation between governments, which they can do without NATO. It follows that this proposal is really about permitting NATO to launch a war in response to non-military action. That seems very dangerous to me.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Politicians_want_NATO_to_respond_to_non-armed_attacks%29

Israel intends to [ increase its attacks on Gaza ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/israel-calls-up-reservists-rejecting-calls-gaza-ceasefire ) , and is buying more ammunition from the US to kill more Palestinians.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Israel_to_increase_its_attacks_on_Gaza%29

Uganda's repressive anti-gay law is [ being challenged as unconstitutional ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/uganda-anti-gay-law-constitutional-court ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Uganda%27s_repressive_anti-gay_law%29

Some of the Greeks who shot the immigrant workers whose pay they were stealing [ were acquitted of human trafficking ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/greek-court-acquits-farmers-shot-strawberry-pickers ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Greeks_who_shot_immigrant_workers_acquitted_of_human_trafficking%29

The "public inquiry" into the murder of Alexander Litvinenko [ will not really be a public inquiry ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/alexander-litvinenko-inquiry-heard-secret-coroner ) . Even its conclusion will not be entirely published.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28The_public_inquiry_into_the_murder_of_Alexander_Litvinenko%29

Australia's prison for boat people is intended to make future boat people stay away, so it is intentionally cruel. About [ 1/3 of the prisoners have mental health problems ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/immigration-department-detention-child-mental-health-inquiry ) . One epileptic had seizures because the government took away her anti-seizure medicine and did not supply more. Some children are described as having given up eating because it was not worth living. The prisons are cruel to people with non-mental illnesses, too. This article (mostly overlapping) informs us that the [ thugs confiscated eyeglasses and hearing aids too ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/asylum-seekers-medications-seized-causing-child-to-suffer-fits-inquiry-told ) . The Australian government representative was shocked people could doubt the benign intentions and good judgment of the government, which are of course beyond question.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Australia%27s_prison_for_boat_people%29

Massachusetts has replaced its "buffer zone" law with a [ different way of preventing harassment of patients and doctors ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/30/massachusetts-law-limit-protests-abortion-clinics ) at abortion clinics.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Massachusetts_replaces_buffer_zone_law%29

An unidentified London thug will be [ charged with murder ]( http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/30/azelle-rodney-shooting-former-met-police-officer-charged-murder ) for a scandalous killing 9 years ago.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28London_thug_charged_with_murder%29

US electric companies are [ paying ALEC to push laws to obstruct installation of solar generation ]( http://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/07/12553/utility-trade-group-funds-alec-attack-americans-who-use-solar ) in homes and businesses.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Lobbying_against_solar%29

India has [ suspended trials of genetically modified foods ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2014/jul/31/india-gm-crop-trials-bjp-rss ) for the sake of protecting its food security.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28India_suspends_trials_of_GMO_foods%29

[ CIA Admits to Spying on Senate Staffers ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/cia-admits-spying-senate-staffers ) . And breaking the security on Senate computers, too. But worst of all is that they [ lied about it ]( https://firstlook.org/theintercept/?p=3096 ) . The CIA needs to be investigated by another Church Committee.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28CIA_spying_on_Senate_Staffers%29

[ 40 million US workers ]( http://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/07/12551/paid-sick-days-gain-momentum-as-alec-allies-push-back ) don't get paid sick days, and ALEC is fighting to keep it that way.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28US_workers_without_sick_days%29

Scientists have [ found more coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico that have been badly damaged ]( http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/29/3465261/bp-oil-spill-coral-reefs/ ) by the Big Spill. They say that not all reefs in the area were harmed. It makes sense that the oil was carried by currents in certain directions and others were spared. It makes for a good comparison.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28More_coral_reefs_damaged_by_Big_Spill%29

Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court [ struck down ]( https://cpj.org/blog/2014/07/zimbabwe-court-strikes-down-criminal-defamation-im.php ) the law criminalizing defamation. However, [ Cambodia is moving in the other direction ]( http://en.rsf.org/cambodia-heavy-damages-award-against-29-07-2014,46714.html ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Defamation_laws%29

Extreme weather in Siberia has impacted salmon, [ causing bears to attack humans ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/01/bear-attacks-people-dead-siberia-russi-extreme-weather ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Extreme_weather_in_Siberia%29

Russia has [ prohibited anonymous comments on web sites ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/russia-controls-blogosphere-new-law ) . It has also imposed many other limits on Internet use, including [ arbitrary blocking ]( http://m.bbc.com/news/technology-28583669 ) of inconvenient web sites. Of course, Russia is ruled by a tyrant, and this is what tyrants do. (I pity the poor fools in the Crimea that wanted to be under Putin's power — if indeed they were more than a bunch of armed gangs he had set up.) What is more dangerous is that governments of "free" countries such as the [ US ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2013-may-aug.html#03_July_2013_(US_gov%27t_blocked_access_to_entire_Guardian_web_site) ) , [ France ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2011-jul-oct.html#21_October_2011_(French_Court:_ISPs) ) , [ Italy ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2013-sep-dec.html#31_October_2013_(Italys_proposal_to_shut_down_web_sites) ) , and [ Finland ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2012-may-aug.html#03_August_2012_(Band_in_Finland_supports_sharing) ) also block web sites, and have laws such as the DMCA that lend themselves to [ political censorship ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2012-mar-jun.html#9_May_2012_(Political_Censorship) ) . A [ UK committee wants to ban anonymity ]( https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140729/10593428044/uk-government-report-recommends-ending-online-anonymity.shtml ) on the internet.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Russia_prohibits_anonymity%29

US citizens: [ call on Congress ]( https://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/tell-congressional-republicans-stop-the-use-of-antibiotics-in-factory-farms ) to end bulk use of antibiotics in factory farms, before the resistant bacteria kill us.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#01_August_2014_%28Urgent%3A_End_bulk_antibiotics_use_in_farms%29

Japan's Yushukan war museum says that Japan was never an aggressor, and that Japanese troops never committed atrocities. It was [ always all the other side's fault ]( http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2014/07/28/issues/trip-around-yushukan-japans-font-discord/ ) . Japan is not the only country to whitewash aggression and massacres in this way. Today Israel and the US do it. It is noteworthy how the Japanese army defined all Chinese men of military age in Nanjing as soldiers in civilian disguise; thus it can claim their execution was not a massacre. Did Bush and Obama get the idea from there?
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Whitewash_by_Yushukan_war_museum%29

Some prisoners in Guantanamo said they would accept force-feeding done in a way that doesn't amount to torture. [ Obama would rather torture them ]( http://commondreams.org/views/2014/07/30/why-has-obama-rejected-more-humane-response-hunger-strike-gitmo ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Force-feeding_in_Guantanamo%29

The Obama regime and CIA torturers are [ censoring the Senate investigation ]( http://commondreams.org/news/2014/07/30/jeremy-scahill-white-house-censoring-what-us-public-can-know-about-torture-program ) into CIA torture.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Investigation_into_CIA_torture%29

Israeli artillery practices are a [ recipe for hitting civilians ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/31/gaza-civilian-death-toll-military-training-experts ) . Are the gunners sloppy and incompetent, or do they just not care about killing Arabs?
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Israeli_artillery_practices%29

The inhabitants of Mosul are [ resisting ISIS ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/01/iraqis-isis-mosul-resistance ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Resistance_to_ISIS%29

The UK government, which does not want climate negotiations to succeed, has [ cut the budget for its climate diplomacy by 1/3 in recent years ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/01/uk-slashes-climate-change-diplomacy-budget ) . The UK government is working for fossil fuel companies and intends to prevent an agreement. That does not require much staff work.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28UK_cuts_climate_diplomacy_budget%29

The "social" aspect of multiplayer video games is an unhealthy society, totally [ structured to get people to play and pay ]( http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/01/what-would-social-video-games-look-like-gamers ) . While we have seen such things before, such as shopping malls as places to hang out, and the increasing number of holidays structured around socially-pressured gift-giving, they do involve a lot of social interaction on which no structure is imposed. This is a change for the worse; it could be producing millions of people who don't interact with their "friends" outside of the imposed structure.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Multiplayer_video_games%29

The Palestinian Authority should [ call on the International Criminal Court ]( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/01/gaza-international-law-war-crimes-security-council ) to prosecute the war crimes in Gaza. Although Israel claims that Hamas uses UN schools for military activities, so far there is no evidence that it did so in the schools where civilians are sheltering. The UN reported finding rockets stored in UN schools that were closed and not in use.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28War_crimes_in_Gaza%29

The unknown spider species we are driving to extinction today [ might save your life if it survives ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/01/spiders-conservation-importance-agriculture ) . And wiping them out could make us starve.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Unknown_spider_species%29

Uganda's [ latest anti-gay law ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/01/uganda-anti-gay-law-null-and-void ) was struck down as unconstitutional, but only on a technicality, and the old one that was imposed by British colonialists remains.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Anti-gay_laws_in_Uganda%29

The GAO says big US banks are still "<a href='http://m.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/07/gao-report-too-big-to-fail-brown-vitter'>too big to fail</a>".
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28US_Banks_still_too_big_to_fail%29

The Great Barrier Reef is already sick, and the new coal mine that Australia plans to create will attack it in several ways, [ probably killing it ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/01/-sp-great-barrier-reef-and-coal-mine-could-kill-it ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28New_coal_mine_will_probably_kill_The_Great_Barrier_Reef%29

A US court continues to demand that Microsoft [ hand over a client's emails stored in Ireland, without consulting Ireland ]( http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/07/31/3466427/microsoft-overseas-emails-district-ruling/ ) . Ireland could stop Microsoft from complying, if it had the guts.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28US_court_demands_Microsoft_hand_over_client%27s_emails%29

72 companies have stopped funding ALEC, but ALEC [ still gets plenty from the Koch brothers, tobacco companies and Big Pharma ]( http://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/07/12552/alec-funders-flee-but-koch-tobacco-phrma-remain-loyal ) . Lots of [ Earth-broiling companies support ALEC ]( http://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/07/12557/polluters ) . Did [ Google ever stop funding ALEC? ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2013-nov-feb.html#04_December_2013_%28Google_funds_many_right-wing_campaigns_in_the_US%29 )
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%2872_companies_have_stopped_funding_ALEC%29

Wall Street Has Raked In Almost [ A Billion Dollars Helping Companies Move Overseas To Dodge Taxes ]( http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/07/29/3465206/wall-street-inversions-overseas/ ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Helping_Companies_Move__Overseas_To_Dodge_Taxes%29

Hungary's government is [ slowy extending censorship ]( http://www.ifex.org/hungary/2014/07/28/slow_steady/ ) , much as Putin did until a couple of years ago.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Hungary%27s_government_is_slowy_extending_censorship%29

US citizens: [ oppose mergers of big companies such as Comcast ]( http://act.freepress.net/sign/consol_dear_comcast_twc/?t=1008&akid=4879.9489429.QN3_MO ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Urgent%3A_oppose_mergers_of_big_companies%29

The US [ denies citizenship to Muslim permanent residents and refuses to tell them why ]( http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/07/31/lawsuit-charges-us-uses-secret-unfounded-national-security-concerns-deny-muslim ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28US_denies_citizenship_to_Muslim_permanent_residents%29

25,000 people in Detroit are [ cut off from water supplies ]( http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/08/01/partial-victory-detroit-water-crisis-city-regains-power-resource ) , and it is not clear that the mayor is going to treat the poor any better than the bankruptcy manager.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%2825%2C000_people_in_Detroit_are_cut_off_from_water_supplies%29

People who committed crimes while drunk show a [ pretty good rate of staying sober under the monitoring of a sobriety bracelet ]( http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/01/sobriety-tags-might-prove-better-than-prison ) . This use of surveillance is legitimate because it is specifically targeted and because it is imposed after due process.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Staying_sober_under_the_monitoring_of_a_sobriety_bracelet%29

Australia [ forced the Tamil boat people onto a plane to Nauru ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/02/abbott-government-faces-barrage-of-criticism-over-secret-nauru-transfer ) with no warning and without informing their lawyers.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Australia_forced_the_Tamil_boat_people_onto_a_plane_to_Nauru%29

A Hindu-nationalist politician [ claims that rape accusations in India are a "fashion" ]( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/02/rape-charges-fashion-india-shiv-sena-hindu-nationalist ) , in effect asserting it is unthinkable that rape could really occur in India.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Politician_claims_rape_accusations_are_a_fashion%29

Global heating is visible in the [ change of which fish species live around Britain ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/02/gurnard-and-chips-cod-warmer-seas-uk-fish-stock ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#02_August_2014_%28Global_heating_is_visible%29

In order for fracking to have a chance of leading a transition to cleaner energy, it [ would need a coherent plan to end use of coal and oil ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2014/aug/01/its-time-energy-policy-hums-to-a-different-tune ) . There is no such plan, because the backers of fracking don't really want to reduce fossil fuel use. They only want to extract more and faster. This is aside from the point that fracked gas releases a lot of methane which makes its greenhouse contributions much higher.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#03_August_2014_%28Fracking%29

With the Earth's surface heating, and ice melting everywhere, it was a mystery why sea ice around Antarctica was increasing. Part of the explanation is that the increase is [ less than was thought ]( http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2014/aug/01/error-may-have-overestimated-antarctic-sea-ice-expansion ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#03_August_2014_%28The_ice_around_Antarctica%29

The UK Labour Party is terrified that people might think it is planning to [ tax inherited fortunes ]( http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/02/ed-balls-labour-no-death-tax ) . That would be a tax on wealth. [ Taxing wealth is just what Thomas Piketty says we need to do ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2014-mar-jun.html#20_April_2014_(The_natural_tendency_in_capitalism) ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#03_August_2014_%28Tax_on_wealth%29

In the US: [ call on Walgreens ]( https://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/walgreens-stand-with-us-and-stay-in-america ) to remain a US company.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#03_August_2014_%28Urgent%3A_Walgreens%29

Vandana Shiva explains Monsanto's [ world-wide attack ]( http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/08/01/fine-print-food-wars ) on food safety laws.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#03_August_2014_%28Monsantos_attack_on_food_safety_laws%29

Uri Avnery: Israel [ keeps changing the "aim" ]( http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1406902487/ ) of the attack on Gaza, so there is always a reason to keep attacking. To keep it going, the US has just [ sold Israel more ammunition ]( http://commondreams.org/news/2014/07/31/world-condemns-attack-gaza-us-resupplies-israel-weapons ) . The [ latest "war aim" is to destroy Hamas tunnels ]( http://www.fair.org/blog/2014/07/29/media-hype-and-gazas-terror-tunnels/ ) , which Israel claims are meant to attack Israeli civilians. Never mind the fact that they have only been used to attack soldiers. It's [ not clear the Iron Dome rockets are effective at destroying Hamas missiles ]( https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#14_July_2014_(The_Iron_Dome_missile_interceptor) ) (which seem to pose little danger in any case), but they are great for making loud explosions that get Israelis scared. Israeli civilians have talked themselves into a frenzy of fear based on a danger that is tiny. That frenzy is, in objective terms, no justification for them to inflict great harm on civilians in Gaza. The casualties (killed and wounded) in Gaza, around 10,000 people, amount to half a percent of the population of Gaza (1.8 million). If 30,000 Israelis were casualties of Hamas attacks, Israelis would face the same level of danger as Gazans, and I'd agree they had a valid reason to be frightened.
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#03_August_2014_%28Israels_aim_of_attack_on_Gaza%29

How the US empire [ weakens the US and harms Americans ]( http://greenshadowcabinet.us/statements/empire-economy-does-not-serve-economy-or-people ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#04_August_2014_%28The_US_empire%29

The ignorance of right-wingers knows no bounds. A language teacher in Utah was [ fired for writing an article about homophones ]( http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/01/1318397/-Homophobic-Paranoia-In-Utah?detail=email ) .
Ссылка: https://stallman.org/archives/2014-may-aug.html#04_August_2014_%28The_ignorance_of_right-wingers%29