Portside

Social democrats wrongly thought the reforms they won were won for good. The left used to beat itself up, sometimes quite literally, with debates over reform vs revolution, parliamentarianism vs extra-parliamentarianism, party vs movement - as if one ruled out the other. The question for the 21st century is not reform v revolution, but rather what kinds of reforms, with what kinds of popular movements behind them. In Greece, the lesson has been learned by Syriza.

If the wealthy paid Social Security taxes on their full salaries (and we aren't even talking stock options and other forms of bonuses that are not subject to Social Security taxation) the Social Security Trust Fund would likely be able to expand benefits.

Women's reproductive rights remain under assault, fueled by entrenched religious and right wing ideology.

Hitler on the e-book charts; A new contender in rightwing media; Bookless library; Mass culture for profit; Internet - not safe for women

A new wave of female labor leaders are winning by thinking big.

New database lets consumers see if product has ingredient known to cause cancer, reproductive harm

Driest conditions in 100 years could hit the nation’s food basket hard, affecting half of US fruits and vegetables.

The AFL–CIO is a multifaceted institution composed of scores of autonomous unions, so President Richard Trumka’s leadership can hardly turn around this cumbersome vessel all that quickly. But the new emphasis is clear: the unions should ally with progressive partners and devote more energy to make the kind of changes in social policy that can benefit millions of poorly paid and insecure workers.