Portside

REWIND - A Week [more or less] of Quotes and Cartoons

SUNDAY

Quote of the Day
February 16, 2014

'There are real issues that need to be addressed
between the U.S. and Cuba, including the
continuing imprisonment of Alan Gross, a U.S.
government subcontractor, and Cuba's human
rights record. But there are sound political and
economic reasons to support normalization. The
world has changed radically since the nuclear-
freighted tango between the United States and the
Soviet Union ended more than 20 years ago. These
days, the U.S.-Cuba rift puts us at odds with many
of our hemispheric allies and perpetuates the image
of the U.S. as an overbearing neighbor. Also, with
the economic rise of the European Union, China
and Brazil, it is in our national interest to remove a
regional roadblock to economic cooperation.

'And then there's the human dimension. The
embargo has inflicted suffering on the Cuban people
for generations and yet has notably failed to achieve
its goal of ousting the Castros. It's time to lift it.'

Editorial
Los Angeles Times
February 16, 2014
 

Toon of the Day

GOP Plan
Hogan's View
 

MONDAY

Quote of the Day

'Chattanooga is the new Madison, Wisconsin.  All of
us must realize that this kind of pressure from
elected officials is unprecedented from the time the
right to organize was adopted in 1935.  The National
Labor Relations Act states that the purpose of the
law is to "promote collective bargaining."

'Now, all of us in CWA must use our free speech
rights and other rights to answer back.  We cannot
sit back and let Corker and his right wing cronies
have the last word.  The great German union I G
Metall understood, in supporting organizing rights
in Chattanooga, that we all have an obligation to do
so.  Organizing is a human and civil right in
virtually every global democracy except the US.  We
applaud I G Metall as well as the neutrality of VW
management.  It is a sad day in our history that
these politicians were able to interfere with workers'
basic rights. Now we must call on all of our allies to
Stand Up and Fight Back.'

Statement from Communications
Workers of America (CWA) on UAW
election at VW Chattanooga

CWA
February 17, 2014
 

Toon of the Day

Compromise
Monte Wolverton
 

TUESDAY

Quote of the Day

'When is it considered legitimate to try and
overthrow a democratically-elected government?  In
Washington, the answer has always been simple:
when the U.S. government says it is.  Not
surprisingly, that’s not the way Latin American
governments generally see it.

On Sunday, the Mercosur governments (Brazil,Argentina,
Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela) released a statement on the past week’s
demonstrations in Venezuela.  They described “the
recent violent acts” in Venezuela as “attempts to
destabilize the democratic order.”  They made it
abundantly clear where they stood.'

Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the
Center for Economic and Policy
Research and president of Just
Foreign Policy.

The Guardian (UK)
February 18, 2014

Toon of the Day

One Rich Guy
Modern World -Tom Tomorrow
 

FRIDAY

Quote of the Day
February 21, 2014

'Great news! The Associated Press reported on Thursday
that an unnamed Obama administration official (speaking
on background) announced that the chained CPI will not
be in President Obama’s budget. Just so we all really
believed this signal, the White House Office of
Legislative Affairs emailed out the AP story a few
minutes later.

'This represents a victory for populists who want
politicians to fight for the majority of real Americans
facing tough economic realities at work and in
retirement. Apparently the bad idea of means-testing
Medicare will still be in the budget, but the
disappearance of the chained CPI is a win to be savored
and built upon.

'This should be chalked up as another triumph for the
rising new populist electorate – and a powerful message
to politicians that the old Washington game no longer
works. It is harder and harder to do the bidding of
powerful elites in the halls of Congress while
pretending to be on the side of the voters.'

Roger Hickey
Campaign for America's Future
February 21, 2014

Toon of the Day

Capitalist Job Creator
David Horsey
Los Angeles Times
 

SATURDAY

Quote of the Day
February 22, 2014

'Why worry about 2016 now, when there
are so many other pressing issues?
Because the power brokers who profit
from our system's many imperfections
are busy locking down the next election.'

Editorial
The Nation
February 24, 2014
 

Toon of the Day

One Percent Day
K Chronicles - Steve Nutley