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Richard Stallman's Personal Site

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RSS site feed for the most recent political notes and new material.

This is the personal web site of Richard Stallman.
The views expressed here are my personal views, not those of the Free Software Foundation or the GNU Project.
For the sake of separation, this site has always been hosted elsewhere and managed separately.

If you want to send me GPG-encrypted mail, do not trust key servers! Some of them have phony keys under my name and email address, made by someone else as a trick. See gpg.html for my real key.

Richard Stallman has cancer. Fortunately it is slow-growing and manageable follicular lymphoma, so he will probably live many more years nonetheless. But he now has to be even more careful not to catch Covid-19.

Don't watch TV coverage of Covid-19!

The next Boston rally for Julian Assange will be Monday, December 11 at 1pm-2:30 on the Boston Common, near the main entrance to Park St Station.

Canadians: I suggest you seek election advice at a local chapter of a group that pushes to curb global heating and has the courage to say, "Canada should stop exporting fossil fuel." It will at least use the right goals to suggest who to vote for in your area.

Join a Friday climate strike.
That page is made by scraping Fridays for Future so you can get the information without running any Javascript code. I would be very glad if they made the information on their own site accessible from the Free World; then we could simply refer people to their site and do without the scraping etc.


I am limiting the number of new political notes per day so as not to overload the volunteers who install new notes. If you'd like to help, please write to rms at gnu period org.


Is your bank pressuring you to use biometric ID? If so, please write to rms at gnu dot org. It could be useful if you document what is happening.

Please join the Free Software Foundation to support its work for your freedom.

"They" is plural — for singular antecedents, use singular gender-neutral pronouns.

Link Policy

The largest part of the site is the political notes, and they are typically updated every day.

I'm looking for people to

Civil Liberties Minute:

[America Means Civil Liberties / Patriotism Means Protecting 
             Them / www.aclu.org/safefree ]
graphic by Susan Henson
Americans, you may wish to copy this icon to your own page, as a way of showing what patriotism means to you.

Upcoming talks

  • [ No upcoming talks. ]

  • Urgent action items

    Recording of Guantanamero

    Listen to the recording of Guantanamero, a protest song written in Spanish. The recording is in Ogg Vorbis format. To install an Ogg Vorbis player, see the FSF's Ogg Players page.

    There Ought to Be a Law

    More items where there ought to be a law.

    Quotes

    Here are some quotations that I particularly like.

    Most recent Political Notes and News Items

    (RSS Feed)

    You can now read the political notes on Mastodon.

    Wrecker's trial if he becomes president again
    4 December 2023

    If the wrecker becomes president again in 2025, that would postpone his trial for trying to steal the 2020 election until he ceases to be president.

    That could mean, until he dies, since he would surely block any fair election if he gets that much power again.

    Israel's "new" military approach
    4 December 2023

    Israel's "new" military approach to attacking southern Gaza is not all that different from the way it attacked northern Gaza.

    Damage to hospitals in Gaza
    4 December 2023

    Examining heavy damage done to 10 hospitals in Gaza, mostly done by Israeli bombardment.

    Air pollution in Rome
    4 December 2023

    High levels of air pollution in Rome have been related to high levels of some mental disorders.

    History of racism through art
    4 December 2023

    Studying the history of racism through art donated to Cambridge University.

    Australian "national security" laws
    4 December 2023

    An Australian official calls for changes in "national security" laws that permitted an accused official to be secretly prosecuted, secretly convicted and secretly kept in jail, based on evidence that was kept secret from him and his lawyers.

    Meta-Facebook trying to wipe out FTC
    4 December 2023

    Meta-Facebook is suing to wipe out the Federal Trade Commission.

    With our current Supreme Court, dominated by right-wing members some of whom are corrupt and have personal interests in the decision, that is not guaranteed to fail.

    Ex-Rep Santos' response
    4 December 2023

    How Ex-Rep Santos responded when confronted about some of his lies.

    Tory ministers ignored ruling on trafficked foreigners
    4 December 2023

    Two Tory ministers successively disregarded a court decision that foreigners who had been trafficked into the UK were entitled to stay there. Those ministers simply did not give them permission to stay.

    Extreme weather could shut down hospitals
    4 December 2023

    *Extreme weather could [temporarily] shut down one in 12 hospitals worldwide, report warns.*

    US pressure on Israel
    4 December 2023

    Reportedly Israel is defying US pressure to avoid killing massive numbers of Palestinians in Gaza.

    Israel's plans to attack HAMAS are based on the assumption that killing its leaders will destroy the organization.

    This approach to a guerrilla organization with popular support basically never works.

    HAMAS hopes that Israel will lose the war by being unable to wipe out HAMAS, while committing more and more atrocities. That could happen.

    Israel would be wiser to refrain by choice from massacring Palestinians, based on recognizing the moral (and legal) obligation to do so.

    Iran using Gaza conflict as cover
    4 December 2023

    *Iran "using Gaza conflict as cover" for execution of 127 people since war began.*

    Voluntary pledges to reduce greenhouse emissions
    4 December 2023

    The oil emir who is president of Cop28 has proposed voluntary pledges to reduce greenhouse emissions. Climate defense activists have denounced this as insufficient and demand commitments for reductions.

    Nonviolent obstruction to block deep sea mining
    4 December 2023

    Activists are using nonviolent obstruction to block deep sea mining. The deep sea has ecosystems, and mining can wipe them out.

    Murder of Berta Cáceres
    4 December 2023

    Honduras has accused someone of organizing the murder of Berta Cáceres. He was an executive of the company building the dam that she organized protests against.

    Measures to cut methane emissions
    4 December 2023

    *US outlines measures to cut methane emissions by 80% in next 15 years.*

    Checking heartbeats to detect illness
    4 December 2023

    A kiosk using a laser could check people's heartbeats and detect some sorts of illnesses Then it could send the information to various commercial partners of the company that installed the kiosk.

    I don't think that approach is trustworthy. It is better to have this medical device in a clinic, since the clinic would have at least a minimal obligation to protect your privacy.

    Pandering for pandas ceased
    3 December 2023

    Countries seem to have ceased being willing to pander to China in order to obtain the loan of a few pandas to a zoo.

    China used to be able to get substantial concessions in exchange for the loan of pandas.

    HIV rates higher in countries with anti-LGBT laws
    3 December 2023

    *In countries that criminalise gay sex, HIV infection rates are higher and access to lifesaving drugs and services are denied.*

    Urgent: Increase capital requirement
    3 December 2023

    US citizens: To avoid another bank bailout, support the Federal Reserve's proposal to increase capital requirements on large banks.


    The four factors of the apocalypse:
       global heating, global hating,
       global eating, global mating.


    [More Cartoons]


    Not f'd. You won't find us on Facebook

    Copy this button (courtesy of R.Siddharth) to express your rejection of Facebook.


    Support the Green Party



    Republican Election Rigging Tactics



    Evoting



    The Olympics



    Why everyone has a reason to fear massive surveillance



    Churchandstate.org.uk


    Censorship and Repression


    Private equity


    E-books

    Non-oppressive Commercial E-books


    Don't use Facebook

    Facebook's face recognition demonstrates a threat to everyone's privacy. I therefore ask people not to put photos of me on Facebook; you can do likewise.

    Of course, Facebook is bad for many other reasons as well.


    Boycott Harry Potter Books, Movies, etc.



    Internet Music EULAS



    Business Supremacy Treaties



    Countries to Stay Away From



    No national identity cards

    I'd like to make a list of countries that do not require a national identity card, and have no plans to adopt one. If you live in or have confirmed knowledge of such a country, please send email to rms at gnu.org.

    Here's my list of countries with no national ID cards and no plans for one: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK. Australia's previous government tried to institute national ID cards, but the Labor government dropped the plan.

    India has mostly finished imposing a national biometric ID number in a grand act of oppression.

    Switzerland has national ID cards which are optional, but they or some other government ID card are needed for some purposes.

    Iceland doesn't have ID cards as such, but they have ID numbers that citizens are forced to use frequently. For example, the national ID number is often required to rent a video or use a gym.

    Denmark issues non-photo ID cards with a "person number", and many services use this card to identify people.

    Norway will impose a national biometric ID card.

    Ireland - national ID card by stealth.

    ACLU: the five dangers of national ID cards.

    Wikipedia has a list of identity card policies by country.


    Borders

    Stay away from certain countries because of their bad immigration policies.


    Flight connections

    Avoid flight connections in these airports because of their treatment of passengers.


    The Lifelong Activist

    People often ask how I manage to continue devoting myself to progressive activism (such as the free software movement) for years without burning out. The best way I can answer is by recommending a book, The Lifelong Activist by Hillary Rettig.

    I disagree with the book on one theoretical point in the last part of the book: we shouldn't think of political activism as being marketing and sales, because those terms refer to business, and politics is something much more important than mere business. However, this doesn't diminish the value of the book's practical advice about borrowing techniques from marketing and sales.

    Disclosure: I am friends with the author.


    Bob Chassell

    Writing (mostly science fiction) by my friend Bob Chassell who recently died.


    Solidarity Economy and Free Software

    Personal Declaration of Richard Stallman and Euclides Mance on Solidarity Economy and Free Software.


    Falkvinge articles

    I have reposted some of Rick Falkvinge's articles. As posted on his site, you can't see them in a browser without running some nonfree Javascript code which is apparently non-free. These versions show the same text, without the obstacle.


    Long-term action items


    Political Articles

    These are my political articles that are not related to the GNU operating system or free software. For GNU-related articles, see the GNU philosophy directory. You can also order copies of my book, Free Software, Free Society, 3rd edition', signed or not signed.

    Political notes

    "Those who profess to favor freedom, yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will."

    Here are notes about various issues I care about, usually with links to more information. The current notes are here. For all previous notes, see this page.

    See this page for information on efforts to maintain links in the political notes.

    Political notes about the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa, Italy are being archived on their own page.

    Media/Press/Bios

    Richard Stallman's bio and publicity photos, and other things of interest to the press, have been moved to a separate page.

    Travel experiences

    Photos about my travels

    Scientific Links


    Some humor

    The berry torture.

    The Free Software Song, by Richard M. Stallman. You can listen to a performance of the song: Free Software Song performed by Thor Here is a variant of this song called "The Free Firmware Song".

    A song parody, Colors of the Lisp, by Jefferson Carpenter.

    Earth under attack from planet Koch.

    On doxing, and how to spell it.

    Futon Physics

    A Spanish cartoon: La Ruleta Española. thumbnail

    The Night before M-x-mas

    Here I am wearing my "power tie".

    Wine snobs get their comeuppance.

    Here I am struggling to open a bottle of water.

    My application to an join Marian Henley's ex-boyfriends list.

    My funny poetry and song parodies.

    My Cartoons

    My Puns in English (Little Leaguer, August 2019).

    My Puns in Spanish (New pun: Apostasía April 2019)

    My Puns in French (New pun: Microsoft à l'école July 2019)

    My Puns in Portuguese

    My Puns in Italian (New pun: Quale pesce fa starnutire? New 10/2018)

    My Puns in German (New 02/2016)

    Linguistic Swifties (Now with: Wintu, Penutian, Cochiti, Taos, and Towa.)

    I am a
     Saint In the Church Of Emacs --Saint IGNUcius-- The Church of Emacs will soon be officially listed by at least one person as his religion for census purposes.

    There are no godfathers in the Church of Emacs, since there are no gods, but you can be someone's editorfather.

    Stallman Does Dallas: "I have to warn you that Texans have been known to have an adverse reaction to my personality…"

    The Dalai Lama today announced the official release of Yellow Hat GNU/Linux.

    Pre-Zen Studies.

    I found a funny song about the Mickey Mouse Copyright Act (officially the Sonny Bono Copyright Act) which extended copyright retroactively by 20 years on works made as early as the 1920s.

    If you are a geek and read Spanish, you will love Raulito el Friki, who said "Hello, world!" immediately after he was born. Here's an archive of this now-defunct comic strip.

    Sleeping with Stallman at MIT.

    Un malentendido gracioso.

    ESR's favorite programming language: Objectivist C.

    American Extremists

    My Small Mouth

    The huns and the writs.

    No Kludges in Cluj (June 2014)

    Hammer into Anvil

    Fiction

    Made for You (December 2012) (local copy) Esperanto translation

    A science fiction story: Jinnetic Engineering (in Portuguese, Farsi, Spanish, Armenian, Russian, French, and Italian).

    The Right to Read

    Books

    My book of essays about the philosophy of Software Freedom, is available from the GNU Press.

    Stallman on Love

    Love and Dance

    My Childhood Sweetheart

    Made for You

    My Former Personal Ad

    Non-Political Articles

    Am I Doctor Stallman?

    Avec des chapeaux French song parody.

    My radio program of Music from Georgia, originally broadcast on WUOG in Athens, Georgia on Oct 13, 2014.

    Resolving the trolley problem

    Quantum Theory and Abortion Rights

    A proposal for gender neutrality in Spanish, suitable for both speech and writing.

    Origin of the POSIX name.

    On Hacking: In June 2000, while visiting Korea, I did a fun hack that clearly illustrates the original and true meaning of the word "hacker".

    My Childhood Sweetheart

    Love and Dance

    Predicting the attack on Pearl Harbor

    Certificate of confusion

    Links

    Thanks

    I would like to thank:


    Please send comments on these web pages to rms at gnu period org.

    Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Richard Stallman
    Verbatim copying and redistribution of this entire page are permitted provided this notice is preserved.
    Verbatim copying and redistribution of any of the photos in the photos subdirectory is permitted under the Creative Commons Noderivs license version 3.0 or later. You can copy and redistribute the photo of me playing music to the butterfly under the Creative Commons Noderivs Nocommercial license version 3.0 or later. Any other photos of me in this (the toplevel) directory may be copied and redistributed under the Creative Commons Noderivs license version 3.0