Portside

Liberal opinion holds that the Vietnam War was a mistake. The right continues to see it as a noble cause. Author Michael Uhl calls the slaughter in Vietnam planned and deliberate, saying that the United States would not tolerate then or now efforts by people in the Global South to escape the imperialist trap. Uhl writes as a participant, first as an intelligence officer and then as an historian, to paint a merciless and highly detailed picture of US policy at its rawest.

Socialists must work with all levels of the labor movement. Calling for an “insurgency” within the labor movement doesn’t further that goal. The Trump onslaught against unions will come immediately after he assumes office. While supporting strong rank-and-file we must work with anyone we can, including International leaders who supported Hillary. To do otherwise weakens us in this fight for union survival. And the work of Labor for Bernie proves it can be done.

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Time Magazine is clear on its sole criterion - 'the person who had the greatest influence, for better or worse, on the events of the year.' For clues as to how Time feels about that question - is it 'better or worse?' - we can look to the image chosen for the cover of the issue. Time's decisions regarding how to photograph Trump reveal a layered, nuanced field of references that place the image among the magazine's greatest covers.

Young voters were the only age bracket that Clinton actually won. We need to stop blaming them. Far from sitting on their hands, today's young voters are actively engaged. If the Clinton campaign is dissatisfied with their level of millennial support, they should take a hard look at where their young voter strategy failed.

Donald Trump, at war with the American safety net, and the environment, not to mention the planet -- and that's before we even get to actual war, which will be overseen by a crew of Islamo- and Irano-phobes. If, as Klare points out today, Trump himself has a serious case of nostalgia for the America of his youth, with its untrammeled growth and its fossil-fueled wonders, don't think that nostalgia doesn't include military affairs, and future military adventures and wars.

We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families -- recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country...Because women's rights are human rights. Join the January 21 march in Washington, or in cities across the country. (Information and links for every state below.)

In this novel, Whitehead reimagines both slavery and the resistance to it.

Diversion is intended to relieve overburdened courts and crowded jails, and to spare low-risk offenders from the devastating consequences of a criminal record. But an examination by The New York Times found that in many places, only people with money could afford a second chance. Though diversion was introduced as a money-saving reform, some jurisdictions quickly turned it into a source of revenue.