Richard Stallman's Political Notes

Unsafe to travel in US

Richard Stallman — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 20:37:29 -0000

Karen Newton, Briton, went to the US with permission for tourism, with her husband. They were jailed for 6 weeks based on no reason she was ever told.

They soon signed forms to agree to deportation, but instead of being sent home, they were kept in jail for weeks first, separated. She was sometimes kept in constant cold, without a bed.

Eventually the deportation thugs stole their luggage.

What she heard in prison was that the a thug gets a bonus for each victim perse jails.

Zohran Mamdani's comments on "globalize the intifada"

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 04:37:11 -0000

I just saw Zohran Mamdani's comments on "globalize the intifada" from last October, and his stance had much in common with mine.

I also recognize the tone of the criticism he received for discouraging that phrase. There are people whose attitude is, "If you reject my method of expressing disapproval of X, you're weak, and effectively a supporter of X." This reasoning is not valid.

Urgent: Repercussions of war in Middle East

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:58 -0000

The war in the Middle East is having major repercussions, including strengthening ties between Russia and China. Robert Reich calls on Americans to phone their members of Congress in support of invoking Congress's power to stop the US intervention.

There is no need to worry about how this might affect subsequent events in Iran, because nobody in the US government has a plan anyway. One more random shuffle won't make it any more random than it already is.

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Urgent: Transfer military spending to human needs

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:57 -0000

US citizens: call on Congress to transfer military spending to human needs.

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

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Urgent: Shut down US deportation prisons

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:57 -0000

US citizens: call on Congress to shut down the US deportation prisons rather than permit them to continue torturing.

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Conn Selmer's factory moving production to China

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:57 -0000

A billionaire supporter of the wrecker told the employees of Conn Selmer's factory that it will move production to China.

You can't expect a bullshitter to be sincere when he says he cares about your jobs.

People that needed rescue after military attacked boats

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:57 -0000

After the US military attacked three unarmed boats on Dec 30, 8 people jumped into the stormy and dangerous water, and needed immediate rescue. The US military waited 40 hours to send a plane to try to rescue them. It did not find anyone.

No survivors have been rescued after any of these murder missions.

The article speculates that this was intentional — that commanders intended the survivors to die. What is indisputable is that they did not make a competent attempt to rescue the survivors.

UK and US medics who have denounced atrocities by Israelis

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:57 -0000

Volunteer medics in UK and US who have denounced atrocities committed by Israelis that they witness while in Gaza say that Israel has refused to let them return to Gaza to work as medics again.

This retribution seems designed to intimidate present and future medics in Gaza so that they will help Israel cover up atrocities.

FBI investigating members of Extinction Rebellion

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:56 -0000

The FBI is investigating members of Extinction Rebellion.

This is an instance of how the wrecker aims to get things backwards. The FBI ought to investigate those who are contributing, knowingly, to the danger of extinction.

Fuel use of plugin-in hybrid cars

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:56 -0000

Many plug-in hybrid cars use considerably more fuel than manufacturers claim. How much more, varies from model to model.

FDA tried to reject flue mRNA vaccine

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:56 -0000

The Food and Drug Administration tried to reject the new mRNA flu vaccine without even examining it, in accord with antivax ideology, but has changed its mind and will now examine it.

US wants alliance with right-wing countries

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:56 -0000

The US told Europe it still wants an alliance — but only with tyrannical, right-wing countries.

The EU should avoid agreeing to this, and avoid being scared by the threats, while accepting the alliance as if it didn't have those conditions. This way it can play for time hoping the US kicks out these right-wing jerks, and use the time to prepare for the US to break off with them.

Digital systems to control parts of your home

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:56 -0000

Aside from the danger of remote surveillance and control, digital systems to control parts of your home have a tendency to be too smart for your own good.

When I looked for an apartment in 2019, I rejected outright any building with digital rather than metal keys. I do not trust whoever controls the system not to track residents' movements. I also rejected outright any building with a security camera.

Increase in union workers despite attacks on unions

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:56 -0000

Despite the bully's attacks on unions and unionizing rights, there was a small increase in 2025 in the number of union workers.

President of museum about US constitution fired

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:55 -0000

The US government's museum about the US Constitution has fired its president, and people suspect he was fired because he wasn't a magat.

Long Covid still here

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:55 -0000

*Long Covid is still here. I know – my life came to a stop because of it.*

Amazon Alexa listening device report

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:55 -0000

Someone asked Amazon for a report on everything that their Alexa listening device had listened to since they first got it. It was enormous.

Think about which words Amazon might have set it up to alert various US government departments about — and which departments those might be. (That might depend on which country you are in.)

Amazon never hears anything in my home.

Journalists tortured in prison

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:55 -0000

*The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reviewed dozens of testimonies, photographs and medical records documenting what it describes as serious abuses by Israeli soldiers and prison guards against Palestinian reporters. The report draws on in-depth interviews from 59 Palestinian journalists. Of those interviewed, 58 reported being subjected to what they described as torture [in prison].

"While conditions varied at different facilities, the methods those interviewed recounted – physical assaults, forced stress positions, sensory deprivation, sexual violence, and medical neglect – were strikingly consistent," the report states.*

Social media sites eliminating fact checking

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:54 -0000

As part of the bullshitter's War on Truth, social media sites that suck up to him have eliminated fact checking. Since he equates fact-checking to censorship, they do too.

The difference between fact-checking and censorship is that the latter blocks or prohibits saying something, while the former labels it with a criticism that is labeled as such.

There is no absolute and inherently inerrant source of truth. Therefore, freedom of speech must include the freedom to make statements that others call "false". (If that becomes prohibited, everything that magats call "lies" will be censored.)

But that is no reason to get rid of fact checking.

Deportation thugs demanding antisocial media posts

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:54 -0000

The US Department of Hatred and Sadism, parent organization of the deportation thugs, makes a practice of subpoenas to demand antisocial media hand over identifying information about users who post, track, or criticize deportation thugs.

This comes after convincing Google and Amazon to censor the special apps for exchanging information about where thug operations are taking place.

The pretext the thugs give is that this information might perhaps be used for planning violence against the thugs. That is a rather weak pretext, since violence started by protesters is very rare, whereas violence (sometimes deadly) by thugs against protesters and journalists is frequent.

That might be an argument for quashing the subpoenas, if anyone went to court to try to do that. But these companies, since they suck up to the persecutor anyway, don't resist the subpoenas very hard.

The long-term lesson from this is not to trust your data to a cloudy storage system under the influence of a Big Tech company. Especially not if company makes users identify themselves, or blocks them from connecting via Tor. Such a company is generally a willing tool for a fascist regime such as the persecutor is trying to impose on the US.

Apps for facial and iris scanning used by deportation thugs

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:54 -0000

Deportation thugs use special apps for facial recognition and iris scanning.

US citizen George Retes arrested and jailed by deportation thugs

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:54 -0000

US citizen George Retes was arrested by deportation thugs while he was commuting to work, then jailed for days without access to family, an attorney, or information about the charges against him. He is now free, and suing. I hope he wins, but this is not enough.

The fact that Retes is an Army veteran does not seem significant to me. It would be just as bad if they did this to someone who was never in the US military.

I believe in being very tough on government crime.

When individual official thugs break the law in a significant way, they deserves to pay a penalty, such as a prison sentence. When the government agency broke the law, the agency also should pay a penalty. But when the agency follows a general practice of breaking the law, and that practice was accepted by upper management, the upper management should get the prison sentence.

Law about 3D printers proposed in California

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:54 -0000

A bill has been proposed in California to require all 3D printers to come equipped with gun-pattern detectors, starting in 2029.

In principle, I don't defend the right to make your own guns. I don't think what this law requires is inherently unjust.

However, there will be a tendency to implement it by making it impossible or illegal to modify the software in a 3D printer. That would be unjust.

Society's assumptions of how to collect and use data

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:53 -0000

Criticizing society's assumptions of how to collect and then use data, and what makes data valid or useful.

Molding the media, Hollywood control

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:52 -0000

The corrupter has found he can order some Hollywood billionaires around, much the way kings ordered their courtiers around.

Urgent: Stop big news merger

Richard Stallman — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:37:41 -0000

US citizens: call on Congress and the FCC to protect local news, by blocking the Nexstar-TEGNA merger.

Urgent: CBS capitulating to US gov

Richard Stallman — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:37:41 -0000

US citizens: call on CBS to stop yielding to magat bullying.

Urgent: Planantir immigrant surveillance

Richard Stallman — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:37:41 -0000

US citizens: Call on Congress to stop the deportation thug department from using Palantir's massive surveillance system to track and target immigrants.

Urgent: Palantir's congressional funding

Richard Stallman — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:37:41 -0000

US citizens: call on your congressional officials not to accept campaign funds from Palantir.

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

Urgent: Climate science

Richard Stallman — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:37:40 -0000

Everyone: Tell the IEA: Ignore Chris Wright’s Threats, Follow the Science on Climate Change.

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

Polymarket trade betting on Iran's supreme leader

Richard Stallman — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:19:49 -0000

A gambling site permits people to bet on questions such as "Will Ayatollah Khamanei be out of power tomorrow".

People who have secret information, such as "we attack at dawn", are allowed to bet. That makes the bet a cheat.

Yanis Varoufakis

Richard Stallman — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:20 -0000

The Greek right-wing government is prosecuting Yanis Varoufakis on the absurd charge that his description of using MDMA once constituted "promotion" of the drug.

Prosecution of political enemies on obviously absurd charges is a common tactic of fascist-minded governments, and it is no joke.

Prep Software Naviance

Richard Stallman — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:19 -0000

Many US colleges demand applicants run a nonfree program, Naviance, whose purpose is to collect data about them.

To that injustice, the program adds the annoyance of ads.

Some public school systems demand that students run this surveillance package for many years. But running it even once is an injustice.

Of course, many of those school systems demand that students run other nonfree programs. Each one is an injustice; each one deserves fighting back. One injustice doesn't become less evil merely because there are others.

Nuclear negotiations

Richard Stallman — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:19 -0000

*Yet another mid-talks attack jeopardizes chances of Iran taking Trump seriously.*

In 1941, Japan launched a mid-talks attack against the US — but it was mid-talks because of a screw-up. (The Japanese embassy was slow in translating the note that declared war, and when Washington learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the translation was still not finished.)

Trump’s global tariff war

Richard Stallman — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:19 -0000

*The real winners of [the wrecker's] global tariff war: law firms, hedge funds and [bubble-blowing machine learning].

Businesses are vying for a refund, with nearly $175bn on the line, but customers are unlikely to benefit from reversal.*

Cuban sovereignty

Richard Stallman — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:19 -0000

*[Some] Caribbean countries pledge humanitarian support for Cuba amid rising tensions with US.*

Israel’s Iran war

Richard Stallman — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:19 -0000

Israel is using its attack on Iran as an excuse to starve Gaza completely.

Hegseth on Iran

Richard Stallman — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:18 -0000

While the bullshitter gives an array of bombastic excuses for attacking Iran, Henchman Hegseth treats the question of "why" as irrelevant.

When the US entered World War II, it published a series of short films collectively entitled, "Why We Fight." That responded to understanding that something as violent as war requires a moral justification, not merely an order. However, according to magats, "The ruler says so" is supposed to suffice.

The one reason that in my mind could have justified the attack is if the Iranian people had implored the US to defeat their cruel government. The bullshitter addresses Iranians, calling on them to rise up, so as to make people imagine they are doing so.

Many Iranians hate their government and for good reason, but it doesn't follow that they want a foreign enemy to attack their country.

Meanwhile, Hegseth and Vance says that they don't care whether Iranians overthrow their government or not, and that is not the aim of the attack. I hope Iranians do eliminate that religious repression, but if they do, the US won't deserve any credit for it.

Banned Speech State

Richard Stallman — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:18 -0000

Florida, the Banned Speech State.

Talk in Bern Switzerland

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:14 -0000

Richard Stallman will speak on March 11 in Bern, Switzerland, for the Guild42 group, at Berner Fachhochschule, Brückenstrasse 73, 3005 Bern

Title: Free/Libre Software and Freedom, touching on how they relate to machine learning

An explanation of the issues of justice and injustice in distribution and running of software, and in use of computing services and dis-services, with discussion of how this relates to machine learning, including both Artificial Intelligence and Pretend Intelligence.

Location: Brückenstrasse 73, CH-3012 Bern, Room: Aula

Time: 17:30

As usual, the event will have around an hour of presentation and around an hour of Q&A.

Urgent: Block construction of deportation prison-warehouses

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:14 -0000

US citizens: call on your state legislators to block construction of deportation prison-warehouses in your state.

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

Urgent: Protect Vote by Mail

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:14 -0000

US citizens: call on Protect Vote by Mail. Tell Congress to act now! Demand the USPS Restore Real-Time Postmarks.

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

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Urgent: CBS political censorship

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:13 -0000

US citizens: call on CBS to stop engaging in political censorship to fawn at magat officials.

More information: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/21/cbs-trump-anderson-cooper-stephen-colbert-paramount

Urgent: Tel IEA Ignore Chris Wright's threats

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:13 -0000

Everyone: Tell the IEA: Ignore Chris Wright’s Threats, Follow the Science on Climate Change.

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

Urgent: Campaign funds from Palantir

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:13 -0000

US citizens: call on your congressional officials not to accept campaign funds from Palantir.

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

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Urgent: Stop deportation thug use of Palantir's surveillance

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:13 -0000

US citizens: call on Congress to stop the deportation thug department from using Palantir's massive surveillance system to track and target immigrants.

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Urgent: Stop CBS yielding to magat bullying

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:13 -0000

US citizens: call on CBS to stop yielding to magat bullying.

Urgent: block Nextstar-TEGNA merger

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:13 -0000

US citizens: call on Congress and the FCC to protect local news, by blocking the Nexstar-TEGNA merger.

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Urgent: Fight to impeach Bondi

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:12 -0000

US citizens: call on your congressional representatives to fight to impeach Bondi.

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

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.

Urgent: Stop next great recession

Richard Stallman — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:37:11 -0000

US citizens: call on your representatives and senators to take action to stop the next great recession!

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

Here is what I used as my letter text. I hope it inspires you.

The wrecker's henchmen at the Securities and Exchange Commission are laying the groundwork to bring back one of the core financial products that led to millions of foreclosures during the 2008 crash — even as economic and climate conditions make its return all the more destabilizing. The SEC is intended to act as Wall Street’s top regulator, but they want to do the opposite of their job. Then the megabanks will "need" another big bailout, and Republicans will eagerly give them one. Please fight hard to prevent this big theft.

US citizens: Join with this campaign to address this issue.

To phone your congresscritter about this, the main switchboard is +1-202-224-3121.

Please spread the word.