Portside

1. The Second Russian Imperialism
2. Which Way COSATU?
3. The Hottest Spots
4. India Protests Put Modi on the Spot
5. Poll Numbers Tied Ahead of Brazil Election
6. Women and Youth in the Palestinian Struggle
7. Left is Divided Over Spain’s Snap Election
8. What Name for South Korea’s Left?
9. Zionism, Racism and the UK Greens
10. The Quest for Democracy in the Sahel

The Second Russian Imperialism

Simon Pirani / Links (Sydney)

Ilya Budraitskis and Ilya Matveev point to (1) the understanding of post-Soviet Russia as a subimperialist power; (2) the development of imperialist and nationalist ideologies in the Russian elite prior to 2014; (3) the threat posed by the Maidan uprising in Ukraine to the Kremlin, and how it reacted; and (4) the driving forces that took the Kremlin to all-out invasion in 2022.

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Which Way COSATU?

Greg Dor / GroundUp (Cape Town)

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) national congress concluded its reconvened national congress with a new leadership and a resolution calling on workers to support both the ANC and the South African Communist Party, in spite of the decision by the SACP to contest elections on its own. The previous congress, in September, was adjourned because of internal fights.

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The Hottest Spots

Overview   El Ciudadano (Santiago de Chile)

Albania   Shendi Veli / il manifesto Global (Rome)

Argentina   Valentina Di Liscia / The Guardian (London)

Belgium   Evelyn Ann-Marie Dom / Euronews (Lyon)

Colombia   Justice for Colombia (London)

France   Rositsa Kratunkova / Red Threads

Greece   Daphne Tolis / Greek City Times (Sydney)

Italy   Richard Connor / Deutsche Welle (Berlin) 

Mexico   Tamara Pearson / Green Left (Sydney)

Portugal  João Azevedo / Euronews

Spain     Christina Thykjaer / Euronews

Venezuela   APT (Jakarta)

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India Protests Put Modi on the Spot

Cockroach Janata Leader Busted   Hannah Ellis-Petersen / The Guardian

Modi Has Lost Control   Seema Chishti / The Wire (New Delhi)

Opposition Unity Taking Shape   Mukul Kesavan / Frontline (Mumbai)

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Poll Numbers Tied Ahead of Brazil Election

Thomas Milz / Deutsche Welle

While three polls from last week showed a razor-thin lead for Bolsonaro, the PoderData polling institute has now projected 50% voter backing for each candidate. Last week, Lula managed to gain momentum through nationwide mass rallies and his dynamic social media presence. Bolsonaro, in contrast, had scaled back street campaigning in light of his strong poll numbers.

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Women and Youth in the Palestinian Struggle

Nada Elia / Truthout (Sacramento)

While the struggles of Palestinian women in the opening decades of the twentieth century were inextricably connected to the broader national struggle for liberation, their activism also challenged the internal status quo of Palestinian society and should be understood as random acts of feminism.

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Left is Divided Over Spain’s Snap Election

Spain in English (London)

Spain’s parties to the left of the socialists (PSOE) will contest most of the country separately in the 29 November general election after negotiations between the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) and Podemos failed to produce a nationwide agreement. This potentially weakens Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s chances of securing another term.

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What Name for South Korea’s Left?

Park Jeong-hoon / The Chosun Daily (Seoul)

Before democratization, authoritarian regimes used anti-communism as a ruling ideology, labeling dissenters as “좌경” (left-leaning), “용공” (pro-communist), or “친북” (pro-North Korea) to justify repression. During this era, the term “left-wing” was taboo, associated with the “빨갱이 프레임” (red complex) that instilled existential fear.

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Zionism, Racism and the UK Greens

Ben Jamal / Middle East Eye (London)

In recent years, the Green Party has made great strides in its positioning, with motions recognising the realities of apartheid and genocide, and supporting BDS. We must focus this conversation on the BDS campaigns needed to end complicity with Israel’s system of racist domination, and not give space to those who say the key targets are Jewish institutions that call themselves Zionist. 

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The Quest for Democracy in the Sahel

Jean Sovon / Global Voices (The Hague)

In the countries of the central Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, military juntas present themselves as the voices of restored popular sovereignty. But what becomes of the right to protest when those in power claim to embody the very people on whose behalf the protests are being held?