I don't know exactly how these things work, but you may run into copyright/TM issues with Deque's Axe tool: https://www.deque.com/axe/devtools/

Also same experience here. I can write UART code with DMA in 20 lines of code on an STM32 microcontroller. Same functionality using HAL is astonishingly cumbersome. The reference manual and willingness to read it is all you need.

I find that encapsulation of devices (UART, I2C, etc.) as classes in C++ rather than global functions that take structs, etc. as input arguments in C to be much more manageable. Same for device drivers for individual sensor ICs.

> I will vote for and donate to candidates who also want to fight ...

Fight for what? I bet to change one or more of the things that I have mentioned above. I have said "nothing will change" unless these things change; I didn't say you/we shouldn't do anything.

Why would you claim that my statement is defeatist? It is just acknowledging the reality of how things work nowadays without saying anything about giving up. If anything, it cautions people that change will not come easily and to be prepared for it. I vote, give money to political/public causes, to go meetings of my federal representatives, post my opinions on HN, ... I am just being more realistic about my expectations.