variety/lite reading, 20180818

Public Sector Workers Should Have the Right to Strike [Ben Beckett / Jacobin] – https://jacobinmag.com/2018/08/taylor-law-strike-nixon-public-sector – Tags: Cynthia Nixon, NY State politics, unions

NY State voters – Reminder – primaries for state offices on Sept. 13th. I am endorsing Cynthia Nixon / Jumaane Wilson, as well as Zephyr Teachout for NYS Attorney General.

Even if they don’t win, a strong turnout will send a message to politicians in close races that “progressive” issues like single payer, statewide fight-for-$15, and public education can and do produce votes.

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Telling the Truth About Defects in Technology Should Never, Ever, Ever Be Illegal. EVER. [Cory Doctorow / EFF] – https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/08/telling-truth-about-defects-technology-should-never-ever-ever-be-illegal-ever [via NC] – Tags: technology, digital rights, freedom of speech

The relevant portion of the DMCA from the 1990s is a particularly malicious bit of law, that radically shifts the balance of power away from users of technology and also away from researchers working for the public good. A classic ‘tech-freedom’ issue that is only getting more relevant with time.

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The Future of NATO: an Interview With Richard Falk [ Daniel Falcone / CounterPunch (orig published in The TransNational) ] – https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/08/17/the-future-of-nato-an-interview-with-richard-falk/ – Tags: Foreign Policy, NATO, Trump

A keen point made by Falk, in that Trump has succeeded in shifting the terms of NATO policy debate into “how much to spend”, rather than “what goals to pursue”. One thing I’d add to Falk’s analysis, is that by agitating for 2% of GDP for euro defense budgets, Trump is also going to bat for the defense industry here. Exactly in line with the transactional and reduced-to-dollar-amount type mentality (of the Trump admin) that is outlined in the interview.