Information is power. Our mission at Portside is to seek out and to provide information that empowers you -- that empowers the left. Every day we search hundreds of sources to connect you with the most interesting, striking and useful material. Just once a year we appeal to you to contribute to make it possible to continue this work. Please help.

 

Friday Nite Videos | January 15, 2021

Bernie Sanders on America's Way Forward. Documentary: MLK/FBI. New Footage Shows What It Was. Like Inside the Trump Mob at the Capitol. How QAnon Addicts Its Followers. How Trump Has Incited Violence for Years.

DoJ: Rioters Aimed to 'Capture and Assassinate'

In a court filing late Thursday, the DoJ laid out the goal of the attack in uniquely stark terms: “the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government."

How to Fight Climate Change and Fascists

Democracy reform is the first step toward a sustainable future.

Trump and His Many Billionaire Enablers

Trump didn't get there on his own. Many have enabled him, especially the billionaires who funneled money his way and then stood by as he damaged our democracy.

The FBI’s Relentless Pursuit of Martin Luther King Jr.

Based on newly discovered and declassified files, the film MLK/FBI by the acclaimed Emmy Award winning director Sam Pollard, tells the story of the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of King.

The Capitol Riot: Documents You Should Read

The Pentagon’s timeline of its response to the January 6 mob attack on the Capitol features multiple discrepancies with the public record, while the first federal indictment details specific legal charges that likely will be brought against others

Capitol Riot Reveals the Dangers From the Enemy Within

The belief that America previously had a well-functioning democracy is an illusion. The riot by supporters of President Trump, aimed at preventing the counting of electoral votes, reveals a darker side of the history of American democracy.

Hold On to That Fear

The fear you felt that day was an authentic reflection of what millions of people have endured because of the votes you and past colleagues cast as they authorized trillions upon trillions of dollars to feed and unleash the largest war machine ever.

For First Time, Progressive Caucus Will Have Real Power

New rules will help Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) turn the caucus into a force to be reckoned with. Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) gained members in the new Congress.

The Future Is Ours to Decide

Georgia. MAGA insurrection. Impeachment. Conviction? Two different futures, an inclusive multiracial democracy or a fascist-like autocracy -- are colliding right now. This is about what we, and you, can do to determine which future will win.
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Culture

poetry

Never Again

David Alpaugh Verse Daily
For California poet David Alpaugh, despite the promises of peace or justice, the violence of war lives on.

books

The Post-Trump Future of Literature

Viet Thanh Nguyen New York Times
What will writers do when the outrage is over? Will they go back to writing about flowers and moons?

books

Strongmen

Charles Kaiser The Guardian
Ruth Ben-Ghiat delivers a superb examination of how close the US came to fascism – and how it has propped it up before.

food

The Customer Is Not Always Right

Khushbu Shah Food & Wine
Customer entitlement at restaurants is at an all-time high, making work unsafe and unbearable for many in the industry. The way we think about hospitality needs to change.

poetry

Speaking of Disinformation

Rebecca Starks Rattle
“I was trying to understand, on a smaller scale than national politics,” writes Vermont poet Rebecca Starks, “how an obvious falsehood can seem obviously true to someone else.”

Labor

labor

Google’s New Union Is Already Addressing Political Issues

Aarian Marshall WIRED
The Alphabet Workers Union said YouTube’s response to the insurrection was “lackluster” and inadequate. In a statement, the group said Google was not enforcing its own policies, while the platform was being used to “spread hatred and extremism.”

labor

Building Class Power by Fighting for the Common Good

Stephanie Luce Organizing Upgrade
"Mapping for the Common Good" is a tool for unions to map contracts and line up contract campaigns for more leverage. Bargaining for the Common Good combines union power with community demands in a way that can build class power.

labor

Building Class Power by Fighting for the Common Good

Stephanie Luce Organizing Upgrade
"Mapping for the Common Good" is a tool for unions to map contracts and line up contract campaigns for more leverage. Bargaining for the Common Good combines union power with community demands in a way that can build class power.

Friday nite video

video

Documentary: MLK/FBI

Award-winning editor and director Sam Pollard lays out a detailed account of the FBI surveillance that dogged King’s activism throughout the ’50s and ’60s, fueled by the racist and red-baiting paranoia of J. Edgar Hoover. Full review.

video

How QAnon Addicts Its Followers

VICE News investigates the who, what, and why behind the QAnon conspiracy movement to understand its radicalizing impact on society, in the wake of the Capitol riots.

video

How Trump Has Incited Violence for Years

'Knock the crap out of 'em, would you? I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees' — Trump has been inciting violence from his supporters for years.