Portside

In advance of President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba on March 20, there was speculation about whether he can pressure Cuba to improve its human rights. But a comparison of Cuba’s human rights record with that of the United States shows that the US should be taking lessons from Cuba.

The war on terror’s methods of mass surveillance and remote warfare are not unique. The US is also addicted to covert tools in its ‘war on drugs’, with disastrous consequences.

The savior; The gangster; The conservatives' nightmare; Facing the base; Speech rights defeat; Voting rights victory

It’s a hundred years since some 750 men and women threw up barricades and seized key locations in downtown Dublin. They would be joined by maybe 1,000 more. In six days it would be over, the post office in flames, the streets blackened by shell fire, and the rebellion’s leaders on their way to face firing squads against the walls of Kilmainham Jail. Yet this “failure” that would reverberate worldwide and be mirrored by colonial uprisings almost half a century later.

While the battle rages for the soul of the Republican Party, Frank sees Democrats in the throes of their own identity crisis. The one-time party of the working class has been co-opted by a hyper-educated elite, he argues in his just-published Listen Liberal.

Unlike Clinton, and all the Republican presidential candidates who spoke at AIPAC, Sanders called attention to Palestinian human rights issues. He said security meant “achieving self-determination, civil rights, and economic wellbeing for the Palestinian people.” Sanders also said peace meant ending the “occupation of Palestinian territory.”

Today’s terrorist attack in Brussels is an unspeakable tragedy, and the victims should never be forgotten. However, seeking vengeance through a militarized response will only create more terrorists.

With financial support from Silicon Valley and a growing distrust of ‘Big Food’ by Millennials, entrepreneurial companies are disrupting the food chain through product innovation, storytelling, and home delivery services.

Health-conscious millennials favor small companies disrupting the food system, trading out mass food brands and chains for unique, local, and fresh food experiences. They expect higher quality and want to be closer to their food—knowing where it comes from and who made it. Small food startups are in tune with this new food culture, telling engaging stories about their products, their ingredients, and how they’re made.

Teachers in Hungary went on strike, even though striking is illegal, in protest against educational reforms. Teachers claim the reforms are hurting educational quality and disadvantaged students, and giving teachers less freedom to do their jobs. The strike has garnered popular support and may lead to a general strike, mobilizing large numbers of people who are dissatisfied with the government and who are pushing for greater economic and social justice.