Richard Stallman's Personal Site

I continue to be the Chief GNUisance of the GNU Project.
This is my long-term commitment and I plan to continue.
Support me against a campaign of hatred

Political Articles | Political Notes | Talks | Airlines | Anti-Glossary | Archive | Ban face recognition | Books | Comics | Empire of the Megacorporations | Fiction | Glossary | GPG Key | Humor | Humorous Bio | Links | Media/Press/Bio | Non-Political Articles | The Four Factors of the Apocalypse | There Ought to Be a Law | Travel Experiences | Travel Photos | RMS personal FAQ | Sayings | Scientific Links | Stallman on Love | Thanks |

advanced

Send comments/questions about the search engine to: rms at gnu dot org


What's bad about: Airbnb | Amazon | Amtrak | Ancestry | Apple | Cloudflare | Discord | Ebooks | Eventbrite | Evernote | Facebook | Frito-Lay | Frontier | Google | Gofundme | Grubhub | Intel | LinkedIn | Lyft | Meetup | Microsoft | Netflix | Patreon | Pay Toilets | Skype | Slack | Spotify | Tesla | Ticketmaster | Twitter | Uber | Wendy's | WhatsApp | Zoom

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.

Don't watch TV coverage of Covid-19!

Our next rally for Julian Assange is Saturday, March 4 at 11:30 to 12:30pm. We will gather at Park St. Station on the Boston Common to speak out for Assange and gather signatures on our petition to our senators.
(See how the media failed Julian Assange at Harper's Magazine.)

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.

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.

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

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)

Scientists parse another clue to possible origins of Covid-19 as WHO says all possibilities ‘remain on the table’
20 March 2023

Newly studied evidence suggests that raccoon dogs (a species related to foxes) in Wuhan's live animal market were infected by SARS-CoV-2.

US to pay $6.5 million in lost wages owed to Mexican migrant workers
20 March 2023

The US and Mexico are cooperating to send Mexicans who worked legally in the US the wages that employers stole from them.

(satire) Locksmith Called After Man Loses Incantation Used To Open Ancient Stone Chamber
20 March 2023

(satire) *Locksmith Called After Man Loses Incantation Used To Open Ancient Stone Chamber.*

One year on, has P&O Ferries got away with illegally sacking all its crew?
20 March 2023

P&O Ferries aroused condemnation by firing its well-paid workers and hiring low-paid foreigners.

But nothing has been done to reverse that or punish the company or prevent repetition.

This does not surprise me. Tories would consider this desirable as it enriches the wealthy.

Sunak to focus on carbon capture and mini-nuclear reactors in energy policy
20 March 2023

Sunak proposes a planet-roasting distraction policy to prolong fossil fuel use.

It promotes carbon capture

and mini-nuclear reactors,

neither of which even exists as a working solution now.

For planet roasters, delaying renewable energy is as good as rejecting it entirely.

Urgent: Make Warren Buffett answer for pushing to deregulate railroads
20 March 2023

US citizens: call on Congress to make Warren Buffett answer for his push to deregulate the railroads. The Capitol Switchboard numbers are +1-202-224-3121, +1-888-818-6641 and +1-888-355-3588.

If you phone, please spread the word!

Urgent: Call Biden not to imprison immigrant families
20 March 2023

US citizens: call on Biden not to imprison unauthorized immigrant families.

The White House comments lines are +1-202-456-1111 and (TTY/TDD) +1-202-456-6213.

If you phone, please spread the word!

(satire) Diversity ultimately doomed Third Reich
20 March 2023

(satire) *Conservative Historian Claims Diversity Ultimately Doomed Third Reich.*

Thugs charged for smothering prisoner to death
20 March 2023

Virginia thugs have been charged with second-degree murder for smothering a prisoner to death. The prisoner's hands and feet were chained, so he was no threat to them at the time.

Court rejected DeMentis's education censorship law
20 March 2023

A federal appeals court rejected DeMentis's education censorship law.

Demand on global fresh water supply
20 March 2023

*Global fresh water demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030, say experts.*

The increase will not be due to the need for humans' domestic use.

Biden budget worth celebrating
20 March 2023

*Aside From the Military Bloat, Biden Budget Is Worth Celebrating.*

I am less enthusiastic because I am sure FDR would have done a lot more.

Russian soldier jailed
20 March 2023

*Russian soldier who confessed to killing Ukrainian civilian [has been] jailed [for supposedly posting] "fake news."*

Putin deploys bogus criminal charges to punish any disobedience.

Information about death of Manuel Paez Terán
20 March 2023

Many city, county and state agencies have refused to give Manuel Paez Terán's family answers or evidence about how thugs killed him.

There is no reason to doubt that this is what it looks like: a murder followed by playing dumb. The thugs' denials count for nothing since they are biased and untrustworthy witnesses.

Lies that misled America into Iraq
20 March 2023

The campaign of repeated lies by which Dubya won support for attacking Iraq misled Americans about fundamental background facts, such as the fact that Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with the September 2001 terrorist attacks and treated al Qa'ida as an enemy.

A similar preparatory campaign against Iran seems to have been running for years.

Plutocrats distorting public education
20 March 2023

Since young Americans reject the Republican politics, the plutocrats are trying to wipe or our distort public education.

Loophole undermined fishing quotas
20 March 2023

A loophole in log requirements has undermined European fishing quotas. Governments corrupted by fishing interests are now pushing to make the loophole bigger.

Possible Federal Reserve Board nominee
20 March 2023

Biden is considering nominating for the Federal Reserve Board someone who previously supported the banks against innocent US homeowners while an official in a related agency, the US Treasury.

(satire) Invest in businesses governments will bail out
20 March 2023

(satire) *Financial Experts Recommend Investing In Businesses Government Will Bail Out Anytime They Fuck Up.*

Executives of failed banks
20 March 2023

*Biden Says Top Executives of Failed Banks Should Face Harsher Penalties.*


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


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