Portside

Which America should we recall on the Fourth of July? The "all men are created equal" of the Declaration of Independence or the gross inequalities by race, class and gender, the crying disparities of wealth, voice and security in real life? Both. Because the lofty declaration is more than a platitude and a snare; it has also always been a goal and a call to strive "to finish the work we are in." Lefty alternatives for the Fourth: songs, thoughts, a little inspiration.

The award-winning poet Julia B. Levine opens her eyes to global tragedies we leave for our children to inherit and our attempts still to shelter their innocence from what will haunt them.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, nearly twice as many people have been killed by white supremacists, antigovernment fanatics and other non-Muslim extremists than by radical Muslims:

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Israel dropped by almost 50% last year in comparison to the year before as the country continues to feel the effects of last summer's Gaza conflict, a new UN report has revealed.

The landmark, 5-4 decision was authored by Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Public sector unions are playing defense. They need a plan to convince employees to join (or stay in) the union. But they're operating in a difficult terrain, after years of cuts and concessions.

Worker participation does not consist in attendance at purely formal meetings but rather in taking part in real discussions about wages, training, conditions at work. We use no shock therapy. Changes cannot be decreed, they are first debated by all the workers, by the whole population. We are proud of Cuban workers' capacity for resistance, for creativity. We are aware of the issues at stake and we are confident. We, Cubans, are not a bit afraid!