Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman
rms@mastodon-xyz.mostr.pub
npub1tp3f...e8qg
This is the Mastodon account for Richard Stallman. I founded GNU & the @fsf and with them launched the Free Software Movement. Please join or donate to the FSF: https://www.fsf.org I use this account to mirror the political notes from my web site, stallman.org. Read my linking policy: https://stallman.org/linkpolicy.html The views expressed here, as in stallman.org, are my personal views, not those of the Free Software Foundation or the GNU Project. #FSF #GNU #FreeSoftware
Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman 2 years ago
No milk, no eggs, small hope: fears rise for Sri Lanka’s malnourished children:
the Guardian
No milk, no eggs, small hope: fears rise for Sri Lanka’s malnourished children
Close to half the crisis-hit country’s under-fives go hungry and one in five suffer from wasting. Mothers tell here of their struggle as Unicef w...
 I've been told that Sri Lanka's economic collapse was due to a government policy that made farming uneconomical, but I can only consider that a rumor. Can anyone show me reliable information?
Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman 2 years ago
[01/04] The famous Tintin series of graphic novels from Belgium included adventures in the Belgian Congo, and they depicted realities of colonization. There have been demands to censor the books over that:
the Guardian
Blistering barnacles! Tintin mystery in Brussels after bust of Hergé vanishes
The disappearance of a bust of the comic book artist in his Belgian birthplace was thought to be an act of decolonisation
 When it comes to judging Belgian colonialism, we need not bother thinking of Tintin. The realities of the Congo were oppression from beginning to end. Initially, the Congo was King Leopold's personal possession, and he treated the inhabitants so cruelly that even...
Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman 2 years ago
Gordon Brown [ex-PM of UK] calls for Taliban to face crimes against humanity charges; urges UK and allies to impose sanctions on Afghan regime over its "brutalisation" of women and girls:
the Guardian
Gordon Brown calls for Taliban to face crimes against humanity charges
Ex-PM urges UK and allies to impose sanctions on Afghan regime over its ‘brutalisation’ of women and girls
 That policy is a massive denial of human rights. But those responses are less effective than one might hope for — especially on Afghanistan. It is not clear to me that they would do any good.
Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman 2 years ago
*CNET Deletes Thousands of Old Articles to Game Google Search:
Gizmodo
CNET Deletes Thousands of Old Articles to Game Google Search
Google says deleting old pages to bamboozle Search is "not a thing!" as CNET erases its history.
 This is an atrocity to records of the past. It is bad for secondary reasons too, as the article says, but the harm to society is the principal issue. I hope these pages are all saved in archive.org. Google ought to provide instructions for new sites about how how they can obtain, in some other way that deletes nothing, whatever SEO benefit (albeit small) they might have obtained by deleting anything.
Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman 2 years ago
[01/02] If the Tories can't send boat people to Rwanda, they want to send them to Ascension Island in the South Atlatic: over a 1000 miles from Africa or South America:
the Guardian
UK may try to send small boat arrivals to Ascension Island, minister confirms
Home Office minister says people could be sent to south Atlantic island if Rwanda policy fails
 In addition, they plan to adopt the cruelty of Australia's right-wing government, which sent people to the exile island of Nauru and would never let them go to Australia. (I think most of them have been given asylum in other countries.) The Tories plan to do likewise, so that the people sent to...
Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman 2 years ago
Supposed "AI" that generates recipes generated one which made chlorine gas:
the Guardian
Supermarket AI meal planner app suggests recipe that would create chlorine gas
Pak ‘n’ Save’s Savey Meal-bot cheerfully created unappealing recipes when customers experimented with non-grocery household items
 I can't tell for certain, but this looks like yet another bullshit generator that can come up with things that look smooth but doesn't really know or understand its subject.
Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman 2 years ago
[01/02] A survey of students of perceptions of their freedom of speech found that the vast majority feel free to express their opinions:
the Guardian
Almost nine in 10 students in England feel free to express their views – survey
Concerns that ‘cancel culture’ is blighting universities appear unfounded, according to OfS report
 The survey is useful but it could have been worded more carefully. The question asked whether students felt free to express the opinions they happen to hold. For the students who answered yes, it could be that they feel no pressure about what opinions they express. But it could be that they feel free to express their actual opinions...
Richard Stallman's avatar
Richard Stallman 2 years ago
Nixon supported a plan for a military coup in Chile in 1970 to prevent Allende from becoming president:
the Guardian
Files reveal Nixon role in plot to block Allende from Chilean presidency
President hosted rightwing mogul Agustín Edwards in September 1970 and discussed plans to foil socialist election-winner
 The coup attempt failed, but killed the head of Chile's armed forces, General Schneider, who would have opposed any coup. This probably paved the way for Pinochet's coup in 1973, which also had US support. For more information.
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