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Tidbits - December 1, 2016 - Reader Comments: Fidel Castro, Cuba, Socialism and Solidarity; Resisting the Trump Presidency; Debating workers vote and "Russian fake news; Announcements, Resources; and more....

Portside
Reader Comments: Fidel Castro's Impact; New York Activists to Gather in Tribute Sunday at Cuban Mission; Resisting the Trump Presidency - No to Muslim Registry; Yes to Women's March on Washington; How Did Workers Vote; Needed a History of Beer and the Socialist Brewers; About the so-called Russian fake news - readers don't agree; Resources for Immigrants; Labor Scholarships Available at UMASS; Trump World Order - NYC forum; and more ....

Lessons From the Leveller Revolution

Dominic Alexander Counterfire
A look at the English Revolution's first decade, where radicals forced parliamentary leaders to complete the revolt against the monarchy, creating a some two decades-long republic through a genuine social revolution. The book's author is credited with bringing an activist's perspective to it and situating the uprising and the corresponding invention of the pamphlet as the basis for English popular sovereignty, despite the Glorious Revolution's return to a monarchy later.

More Than Ever - We Need You, We Need Each Other

Portside Labor Moderators Portside
Every year, Portside asks our readers for their help and support. This, however, is not like other years. What months ago was a scary thought is now our, and the world's reality - a Trump presidency. We need to work together, to build, to organize, and to understand what works, and what doesn't. Portside provides reportage, inspiration, investigation and analysis that are needed more than ever. We promise to do our part. Will you help?

#BlackLivesMatter Takes the Field: A Weekend of Athletes Speaking Out

Dave Zirin The Nation
This movement is not only explicitly about the right to live a life with more opportunity, but the right to simply live. As Howard Zinn said, "You can't be neutral on a moving train." The train is leaving the station, even in the world of sports. The marches in the streets are not done. The die-ins disrupting traffic are not done. And, as part of this moment, athletes are speaking out, with African American sports stars in the lead.

Progressive Caucus, Labor, Activist Groups Urge 'No' Vote on Spending Bill

Seung Min Kim; Jordan Fabian; Lindsay Koshgarian
Congressional Progressive Caucus urged members to reject the so-called Cromnibus if a provision which helps big banks trade derivatives in units backstopped by a government guarantee remained in the spending measure. This kind of activity was a cause of the 2008 crisis - it a giveaway to wealthy campaign donors and Wall Street banks. Analysis for more information about key takeaways from the proposed spending bill, as well as a few controversial surprises.

What Does it Take to Have an Open and Honest Conversation About Torture?

Shayna Plaut, Contributing Editor, Human Rights Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership
One thing that I wanted to learn in talking to a torturer - I guess every person is different - but I wanted to see: did this destroy him? Did this destroy his soul? Is he like a broken man wracked with guilt? And he wasn't.

They Fear and They Kill

Marge Piercy MRzine
Official government statistics document that African American young men are killed by the police at a rate quadruple that of the whole population. In the period 1999 through 2011, police officers killed 4,531 people. Marge Piercy, in poem, captures that reality of being young, African American, Hispanic, Asian or Native American Indian, and a police victim.

Tidbits - December 11, 2014

Portside
Reader Comments - CIA Lied About Torture; A New Civil Rights Movement?; Grand Jury Injustice - Justice Demanded; Members of Congress (and staffers) join protest; Illegal Cop Murders; Police Reform? - Bolder Steps Needed; Low Wage Workers: 'We Can't Breathe'; Slavery, Founding Fathers and Torture; Congress Plots against Pensions; Pardon Snowden, Manning and Leonard Peltier; Israel Lobby and Ukraine; War on Terror; Israel, U.S. and space weapons; New Republic; Correction

Trade Unions Go On The Offensive In India

David Browne Equal Times
Indian unions protest government plans for massive privatization and deregulation in the name of more ‘flexible’ labour laws that will impact precarious and unprotected workers particularly hard. The proposed changes, which will bring down social standards and social indicators, have been developed without any form of consultation or dialogue with labour unions whatsoever.