Portside

An early expression of democracy, the US patent system is out of step with today’s citizens.

On Tuesday Madrid’s newly elected mayor, Manuela Carmena, overturned the eviction orders for 70 families living in social housing and safeguarded more than 2,000 similar rental contracts. The move is the latest by the administration of Manuela Carmena, a former Communist, to protect housing in a country where tens of thousands of families have lost their homes. Over 50,000 mortgage holders were evicted in 2013 and 2014 in Spain.

Billionaire “vulture funds” managers have called on Puerto Rico to increase taxes, sell $4 billion worth of public buildings and drastically cut public spending, particularly on education, in order to pay the debt they have purchased. These “distressed debt” specialists hired former International Monetary Fund (IMF) economists to produce a “typically IMF recipe for radical austerity”, rejecting any attempts to restructure the poor island nation’s $72 billion debt.

Responding to the July 20 bombing in Suruç, Turkey ended its standoff with the Islamic State (Isis), and attacked Isis positions in Syria. Then, apparently with U.S. acquiescence, Turkey launched air strikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) bases in Iraq and Syria, ending a two-year ceasefire. Many believe Turkey’s targeting of Isis is only a pretext for its efforts to suppress the PKK, and the Kurdish national movements in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria.

California cities are being victimized by the latest iteration of Wall Street predation—the purchase in bulk of distressed single-family mortgages and foreclosed homes, so-called Real Estate Owned (REOs) properties—with the intent to rent them. Through this REO to Rental process, investors are muscling out first time homebuyers, displacing tenants, outbidding nonprofit affordable housing developers, and changing the demographics of whole communities.

Last Tuesday marked the 100th anniversary of the commencement of the U.S. occupation of Haiti. On July 28, 1915, U.S. Marines landed on the shores of Haiti and occupied the country for 19 years. A century later, the United Nations' "stabilization mission" in Haiti continues to compromise the nation's political and economic sovereignty. UN troops have now been patrolling the country for 11 years, in what some have characterized as a “humanitarian occupation.”

The College Board has revised its guidelines for teaching Advanced Placement History, which has broad influence in high school history courses, to accommodate right-wing pressures. Among the changes: Manifest Destiny is given a more benign treatment and violence against Native Americans is downplayed.

A woman’s decision to donate her aborted fetus to medical research—and Planned Parenthood’s willingness to transfer the fetal material—is deeply commendable. No woman is eager to have an unwanted pregnancy, but if she decides to terminate it, Planned Parenthood can help turn her misfortune into a mitzvah. That is not an act of killing. It is an act of altruism.

Iran's foreign minister has put forward three proposals: negotiations on a nuclear weapons elimination treaty; taking nuclear arsenals off high alert (for example, by removing warheads from missiles); and the creation of a zone in the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. This proposal represents a challenge to the members of the UN Security Council (all nuclear powers) as well as Israel, Pakistan and North Korea.

For those familiar with the senator’s long political career, expressing solidarity with suffering Greeks while teaching a little history is pure Bernie. Political reporters are typically confused by his socialist identity and either joke about this weird, rumpled lefty running for president or try to expose alleged contradictions. But as he often does, Sanders has taken the subject to a higher plane, explaining its significance beyond Greece and beyond Europe.