Archive | Portside

October 31, 2015

How the National Endowment for Democracy Manufactures Regime Change Around the World

Derek Royden Nation of Change

"A lot of what we do was done 25 years ago covertly by the CIA." Alan Weinstein, one of the founders of the National Endowment for Democracy

October 31, 2015

Nepalese Parliament Elects First Female President

Associated Press in Kathmandu The Guardian

Bidhya Devi Bhandari is deputy leader of the ruling Communist party and campaigned to secure women's rights under the new constitution.

October 31, 2015

Monsters of Modernity: The Metamorphosis at 100

Alexander Billet Red Wedge

This may be the most relevant legacy of Franz Kafka’s tale. It is a reminder that in a world dominated by capital, terror is so commonplace as to be almost hidden in plain sight. And in so being, it is capable of turning the human condition into something unspeakable.

October 31, 2015

'Gasoline on the Fire': Obama Orders Ground Troops To Syria

Jon Queally Common Dreams

Since Obama first announced the bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria in 2014, critics have warned that such tactics would likely lead to "mission creep" in the two countries. As the number of troops in Iraq has steadily grown over the last year and a half, this will be the first acknowledged presence of U.S. soldiers in Syria—a country against which the U.S. has not officially declared war.

October 30, 2015

Amending Wall

Darrel Alejandro Holnes Heart Journal Online

The New York-based poet Darrel Alejandro Holnes addresses the matter of walls--geographic boundaries, borders, fences--that attempt to delineate the peoples on different sides and the ultimate hypocrisy, futility of the effort.

October 30, 2015

Vampire Bats: More Cuddly Than You Think

molneyhamel PLOS One

Vampire bats, unlike werewolves and ghosts, are real critters, and at this time of the year they get lots of mentions. But their image, research shows, doesn't really do them justice. Vampire bats do drink blood, but they are also the most social of bats, cuddling and grooming each other at far higher rates than other bats. And this may be the surprising reason that they're so social.