Published on Portside (https://portside.org/)

Tidbits-Aug. 27: Reader Comments: Trade War – With Canada?; Dolly Parton-Life of Many Colors; Kate Bronfenbrenner; Germany’s Die Linke; Some Readers Respond on Ortega Post; 9 to 5; Resource – Election Defense Scenarios; What Is Democratic Socialism?;

https://portside.org/2026-08-27/tidbits-aug-27-reader-comments-trade-war-canada-dolly-parton-life-many-colors-kate
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Canadian Clubbed  --  Cartoon and Commentary by Steve Sack

 

The dumbest trade war in history.

Could you expect anything less?

Steve Sack
August 25, 2026
The Art of Sack
 




 

Re: The Moose That Roared
 

Canadian here. Most of us are dug in on this issue. We would rather have no deal than a deal that disrespects us and is bad for our country. You can't deal with someone who bargains in bad faith.

Robert Laite
Posted on Portside's Facebook page
 



 

Dolly Parton - Life of Many Colors  --  Cartoon by Joe Heller
 

 


Joe Heller
August 25, 2026
Joe Heller
 




 

Donald J. Trump Brand Secure Voter Ballot  --  Cartoon by Christopher Weyant
 

 


Christopher Weyant
July 31, 2026
Arizona Daily Star
 



 

Re: “Moderates” Support Extreme Injustice
 

Norman Solomon's analysis of the Democratic Party "split" is right on the mark.  If young people (and others)  are turning to democratic socialism it is because corporate capitalism and politics a la Trump  isn't working for them and so many others.  And it is the road to political and environmental disaster.  At eighty-two, I agree completely.  

Noel Kent  in Honolulu.




 

Chilling ICE  --  Cartoon and Commentary by Steve Sack
 

 

The Dept of Homeland Security has a new toy for their creepy ICE crew. Up to 20 million dollars may be budgeted for new torture “shock gloves”. They supposedly leave no marks. Or evidence, if misused.

Is there any atrocity this crowd is unwilling to embrace?

Steve Sack
August 20, 2026
The Art of Sack
 



 

Re: The Gaping Hole in El-Sayed’s Progressive Agenda
 

El-Sayed's main task now is to get elected. Any rational progressive citizen will recognize that and prioritize supporting his campaign over focusing on secondary hair-splitting differences of opinion, an activity that aids only his reactionary opponents.

John Woodford




 

Economic War  --  Cartoon by Rob Rogers
 

 


Rob Rogers
August 21, 2026
https://robrogers.com/
 




 

Re: Kate Bronfenbrenner, the Union Organizer’s Scholar
 

Kate is an American hero. Her four decades of dedication to the labor movement, from her groundbreaking research on union campaigns to founding the Strategic Corporate Research Summer School at Cornell, have fundamentally changed how unions organize and build power for working people.

Her legacy as a scholar, strategist, and champion for rank-and-file workers is truly unmatched

Paul F. Cole
www.labor-studies.org
www.katemullanynhs.org



 

Re: Former Strikers Start Cooperative News Organization
 

The Newspaper Guild of Old had a practice that seems to have been lost on the current leadership, as well as the local folks in Pgh.  That is, when a strike occurred, the folks on strike set up an alternate newspaper.  Take a look at the Wikipedia entry on the 1978 history of the Citizens' Voice in Wilkes Barre, PA.  The "strike newspaper" ultimately worked into a regular daily publication founded by the striking Guild members.

Three years of labor law delays was way too long to wait to found a substantive alternative to the Block's party!

When we forget our history . . .

Paul Gottlieb




 

Plowing America Under  --  Cartoon by Peter Kuper

 

 

Plowing America Under. Who voted for this??

Peter Kuper
August 15, 2026
kuperart
 



 

Re: Germany’s Die Linke Takes a Stand
 

Having spent time with Die Linke in 2004 and in 2015, I am so happy to see the party reviving and "meeting the moment". I look forward to Die Linke's bright future.

Marilyn

     =====

I haven't noticed this anywhere in the UK mainstream media, which is mostly owned by right-wing (including German) millionaires (Axel Springer, The Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph). Not that I see everything in the MSM, of course.

Andrew M. Colman



 

Re: Ortega, Elections, and the Context Western Media Won’t Print
 

The question is, can we oppose US sanctions on Nicaragua while also opposing the Ortega-Murillo government's anti-democratic practices? Ask Dora María Tellez:
Nicaragua: The Undoing of a Dream
 

Ethan Young
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

     =====

Portside should be embarrassed to have published this ridiculous article.  Ortega is a dictator who has established himself and his family as dynastic rulers of a country he has impoverished.  Ortega imprisons or deports his opposition because he knows he would lose a free and fair election.  Perhaps Mr. Balzono also thought that Stalin was a man of the people?  Ortega is similar.

Bill Pearson




 

Re: Mississippi Transit Workers Strike for Better Protections and Service

(posting on Portside Labor)
 

Hello Leaders of Local 1208 this is Buzz Davis formerly of WI and now in Tucson.  I am a WI AFT member to lead the organization of a new state of WI union in 1990 thru 1993.

We won the right to organize the WI Professional Employees Council union and then contracts.

I recommend that you set up a nationwide petition effort to gather support for your union and money for your strike fund.  Thousands will sign and send a few dollars to help.

Peace!

Buzz Davis, Progressive & Vets for Peace member in Tucson




 

Go Jump In the Lake  --  Cartoon by Jack Ohman

 



Jack Ohman
August 26, 2026
Jack Ohman's You Betcha!
 



 

Here's the truth about "9 to 5" !

My brief experience in 9 to 5....


Dolly Parton's '9 To 5' Is A Workers' Anthem Across Decades : NPR


Listen here 

The song and story of "9 to 5" is everywhere since Dolly Parton's untimely death.  The story on National Public Radio linked above is the truth - the details are correct, including how Jane Fonda first connected to 9 to 5.

In 1972 in Boston, a group of office workers  - myself included - came together, led by Karen Nussbaum and Ellen Cassidy - there were about 10 of us and it was not long before we published a newsletter for Boston office workers.  We passed it out in the cold Boston winter at the local MTA stations - mine was South Station, near the downtown office building where I had a typing job.

But before we could put out our newsletter we needed a name for what we hoped would become an organization.

To the best of my decades' long memory, every time Dolly, Jane, or Lily popped on my screen or 9 to 5 was in the news (like when a 9 to 5 play came to Broadway), I asked myself "Didn't I think of the name 9 to 5?"   Several years ago I posed the question in an email to Karen Nussbaum and Karen said she thought it was me.   However, it was not long before I quit my typing career to become a health care worker and health union activist, which I did for more than 40 years, but  I always kept track of 9 to 5, and its transition into a bona fide labor union, a movie, and even a song played by the King's Guard at Buckingham Palace! (link below)


Buckingham Palace guards play '9 to 5' in honor of Dolly Parton
 

Listen here  

Marilyn Albert




 

Dangerous  --  Cartoon and Commentary by Kevin Necessary
 

 



The Trump Republican cult has no ideas. It refuses to govern. All it knows is power, and the only way it can stay in power is by trying to scare voters. Nearly every GOP attack ad I see can be boiled down to: “IMMIGRANTS! COMMUNISTS! BE AFRAID!”

Except that there’s no logical reason for anyone to be afraid of immigrants, regardless of their legal status. Undocumented immigrants aren’t taking away your jobs or your social security or any welfare benefits, even though they still have to pay taxes. They’re not a hoard of dangerous criminals; they keep their heads down and actively try to avoid being noticed by law enforcement. They’re just people, like you and me.

And as more and more people realize that unchecked capitalism has left them in ruin while the wealthy prosper, a spate of Democratic Socialists have won elections across the country. In response, the GOP has rolled out its ancient boogeyman, Communism, and is trying to convince its voters that a new Red Menace wants to turn America blue. The GOP is banking on the ignorance of its red meat-devouring constituency gobble up and regurgitate a scary-sounding buzzword.

There are real dangers and challenges facing Americans. The GOP is again cutting health care. Trump’s disastrous war in Iran and his foolhardy trade wars have caused prices to skyrocket. DOGE dismantled vital government services, such as warning systems for extreme weather. Artificial intelligence is eliminating jobs and polluting our country due to data centers. Republicans are attempting to curb voting, while Trump is threatening to spoil the upcoming midterm elections.

I could have added so many more sharks to this cartoon. Climate change, ICE, the destruction of civil services, poop lettuce, right-wing media, pedophiles, etc. But then it would have been nothing but sharks.

Kevin Necessary
August 24, 2026
Kevin's UnNecessary Things
 




 

Election Defense Scenarios  (Freedom Trainers)
 

 


Election Defense Scenarios is a field guide for protecting democracy. This resource walks readers through eighteen detailed scenarios — from voter roll purges and redistricting attacks to armed intimidation at polling places and post-election certification battles — giving organizers, poll workers, community leaders, and everyday citizens the knowledge they need before a crisis hits. Each scenario draws on real historical examples from Georgia to Belarus to Tuskegee, showing not just how threats unfold, but how ordinary people have successfully pushed back.

What makes this guide indispensable is its refusal to inspire helplessness. Rather than cataloguing threats for their own sake, every scenario pairs clear-eyed analysis with concrete, actionable responses grounded in law, history, and proven organizing strategy constantly asking “What would you do?” Because the best time to prepare is now.


DOWNLOAD FREE PDF  

ORDER AS BOOK  


Table of Contents

Using the Scenarios
The People’s Election Playbook


(scenarios roughly ordered by timing)
BEFORE ELECTION DAY
Scenario 1: Redistricting to Erase Representation
Scenario 2: The Voter Roll Purge
Scenario 3: ID Requirements Close to Election Day
Scenario 4: Mail-In Ballot Deadline Changes
Scenario 5: Drop Box Sabotoge/Bomb Threats
Scenario 6: DOJ Election Fraud Investigations

ELECTION DAY
Scenario 7: Last-Minute Voting Location Chaos
Scenario 8: Mass Voter Challenge Campaign
Scenario 9: Disinformation Flood: Place, Time, Day
Scenario 10: Armed Civilians at Polling Places
Scenario 11: Federal Agents at Polling Places

AFTER ELECTION DAY
Scenario 12: Recounts and Ballot Curing
Scenario 13: SCOTUS Overturns Counting
Scenario 14: Canvassers Refuses to Certify
Scenario 15: Federal Seizure of Ballots
Scenario 16: Congress Refuses to Seat Winners

SPECIAL SCENARIOS
Scenario 17: DC: Override of Home Rule Election
Scenario 18: Puerto Rico: Federal Interference

Bonus: 1-day Scenario Planning Agenda


Freedom Trainers

A loose network of trainers teaching collective noncooperation — tools of proven power against authoritarianism.

Before Donald Trump’s election, an informal group of trainers—many with experience working under authoritarian regimes—began asking a sobering question: what would people need if he won? One answer rose above the rest, echoed by pro-democracy movements worldwide: training. Out of those early conversations, Freedom Trainers was formed.

Today, Freedom Trainers is a decentralized network of experienced educators and organizers, including leaders from the Horizons Project, Beautiful Trouble, and Free DC. Together, we work to counter democratic backsliding by equipping people with the skills and strategies of strategic noncooperation.

All of our trainings draw on rigorous pro-democracy research and data, combined with popular education and direct action training. Around the world, movements that successfully resist authoritarianism invest heavily in training—and it remains one of the clearest “no-regrets” strategies for strengthening civil society and nonviolent resistance.

Since launching in 2024, Freedom Trainers has trained hundreds of thousands of committed people across the United States.

Contact Us 


Join Our Network 




 

“What is Democratic Socialism?” - Virtual Event - September 12  (Socialist Majority Caucus of DSA)
 

 


Saturday Sept 12, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM EDT

Virtual Event


 

What is Democratic Socialism? Explore the answer with leading organizers and thinkers.

Moderated by Susan Kang, the panel will feature Chris Maisano, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Barbara Smith, and New York Assemblymember Diana Moreno alongside Alex Caputo-Pearl, Jeremy Cohan, Kristian Hernandez, Jose Alejandro La Luz, Sam Lewis, Hoda Mitwally, and Jana Silverman.

Susan Kang, an associate professor of political science at John Jay College, City University of New York, is the author of Human Rights and Labor Solidarity: Trade Unions in the Global Economy.

Chris Maisano’s influential article on democratic socialism, “A Precious Legacy,” appeared in Socialist Forum in Fall 2023. He is editor of New Labor Forum.

Barbara Smith, a pioneer in Black feminist thought, is the author of The Truth that Never Hurts and an author of the Combahee River Collective Statement.

Bill Fletcher, Jr., is author of Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path toward Social Justice, among other works. He was president of TransAfrica Forum and is cofounder of standing4democracy.org.

Diana Moreno represents the 36th district (Queens) in the New York State Assembly.

Alex Caputo-Pearl is the former president of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), currently on UTLA's bargaining team and the California Federation of Teachers' Civil, Human, and Women's Rights committee.

Jeremy Cohan, a sociologist, is a member of DSA’s National Political Committee and former cochair of NYC-DSA. 

Jose Alejandro La Luz was the architect of the grassroots campaign that won bargaining rights for public employees in Puerto Rico. One of the founders of DSA, he has served on the National Political Committee.

Kristian Hernandez, an immigrant rights organizer, served as national chair of DSA in 2021–23. She is cochair of Socialist Majority.

Sam Lewis is a union organizer and an architect of DSA’s electoral project. His article, “A Coup is Coming. Only the Socialist Left Can Stop It” appeared in Convergence.

Hoda Mitwally serves as the Membership Coordinator on the NYC-DSA Steering Committee and is a decade-long member of the United Auto Workers (UAW). 

Jana Silverman, professor of International Relations at UFABC in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, is co-chair of the DSA International Committee and a foreign policy analyst with the Fundacao Perseu Abramo (the political foundation of the Partido dos Trabalhadores).


Socialist Majority is a caucus in the Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the United States.




 

Black on Screen: A PLACE OF RAGE with Black Women Radicals - New York - September 22  (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture)
 

 

Photo: Courtesy Women Make Movies


Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Blvd
New York, NY 10037

Tuesday, September 22  •  6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

RSVP

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED Events are free and open to all, but due to space constraints registration is requested. Registered guests are given priority check-in 15 to 30 minutes before start time. After the event starts all registered seats are released regardless of registration, so we recommend that you arrive early. We generally overbook to ensure a full house.

A celebration of Black feminist resistance featuring a screening and book talk with Dr. Jaimee Swift and film director, Pratibha Parmar.

Join us for a screening of A PLACE OF RAGE (1991), Pratibha Parmar's award-winning documentary film that illuminates the contributions of Black women in the Civil Rights Movement through intimate interviews with trailblazing writers and leaders, including Angela Davis, June Jordan, Alice Walker, and Trinh T. Minh-ha. The film bridges Civil Rights era organizing with contemporary discourses on Black power, feminism, and queer rights.

Following the screening, director Pratibha Parmar will be in conversation with Dr. Jaimee A. Swift, Executive Director and Founder of Black Women Radicals and The School for Black Feminist Politics. Swift is the co-editor of We Are Each Other's Liberation: Black and Asian Feminist Solidarities — an anthology that includes an interview with Parmar, who discusses her friendships with Davis, Jordan, and Walker. The anthology is a collaborative project between Black Women Radicals and the Asian American Feminist Collective and uplifts cross-racial and internationalist politics that address solidarity between Black and Asian feminists. We Are Each Other's Liberation: Black and Asian Feminist Solidarities will be available for sale at the Schomburg Shop and a book signing will follow.

Runtime: 54 minutes

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

ABOUT BLACK ON SCREEN

Black on Screen: A Century of Radical Visual Culture continues to amplify 100 years of local and transnational Black movement work and artistic evolution on film. Sourced from The Schomburg’s collection and others, it takes a kaleidoscopic look at Black life and expression across diasporas, rendering a range of storytelling traditions that incite and inspire Black world-building. The Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division (MIRS, pronounced “meers”) at the Schomburg Center collects and preserves audio and moving image (AMI) materials related to the experiences of people of African descent. The division has amassed nearly 400 collections, approximately 5,000 square feet, in a variety of formats, which captures the gestures and sounds of major historical, artistic and cultural moments and influencers. While the strength is the Black American holdings there is considerable Caribbean and African representation in the collection. Learn more about this division.

Source URL: https://portside.org/2026-08-27/tidbits-aug-27-reader-comments-trade-war-canada-dolly-parton-life-many-colors-kate