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

Tidbits-Sept. 24: Reader Comments: We Know Where Talk of Erasing a Population for Generation Leads; Press Pool Turned Its Cameras Away; Was “Defund the Police” Crazy? And Defund? No; for or Against Murder of 20,000 Children; Resources; Virtual Events

https://portside.org/2026-09-24/tidbits-sept-24-reader-comments-we-know-where-talk-erasing-population-generation-leads
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"As Jews and as Americans, we know where talk of erasing a population for generation leads..."   (Amy Spitalnick, Jewish Council for Public Affairs)



Amy Spitalnick, CEO
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
September 22, 2026
 



 

Press Pool Turned Its Cameras Away  --  Meme
 

 


Post on Facebook
September 21, 2026
 



 

Trump bans CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House  --  Cartoon and Commentary by Ann Telnaes
 


and continues his attacks on our Free Press


No doubt Natalie helped with his response to the news organizations’ filing of a lawsuit based on the First Amendment.

Ann Telnaes
September 21, 2026
Open Windows- Ann Telnaes
 



 

Lone Gunman  --  Cartoon and Commentary by Steve Sack
 

 

In a colicky fit, Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over coverage he didn’t like. It would’ve been better if Natalie put him down for a nap.

Steve Sack
September 22, 2026
The Art of Sack
 



 

Re: Was “Defund the Police” Crazy?
 

How about simply saying recruit better human beings to be police and give them more humane training?

Karen Lee Wald



 

Defend Our Communities  --  Graphic by Monica Trinidad
 

 


[Monica Trinidad designed this graphic in response to the police violence that plagues the United States from Minneapolis to San Francisco and from Albuquerque to Chicago. Monica Trinidad is a queer, Latinx artist and organizer born and raised on the southeast side of Chicago.]

Share This Graphic  



 

Defund? No.
 

By Jack Radey

September 21, 2026

[Reader submission in response to Portside post - Was “Defund the Police” Crazy?]

The issue of police and policing is one that the left has bobbled badly. The "defund the police" is a classic case of our rhetoric carrying us away. For 50 years or more of my life, I observed the police from the front - lining up against a wall of cops in the full riot gear of the day (motorcycle helmets and leather jackets, long clubs, and tear gas) and yelled at them. When they line up in their party clothes, can you pick out the "good ones?"  I assumed there WERE no good ones, all cops are semi-fascist, racist, violent people who became cops in order to enjoy hurting people. On the streets of Oakland and NYC I have seen unprovoked violence against elderly, demented people and against a car load of young people (I was one). I have seen the Oakland, NYC PDs and the Alameda County and Cook County sheriffs in action against people only trying to exercise their 1st Amendment rights. I have been well aware most of my life about the violence of police officers, sometimes along with Klansmen attacking Black people, trade unionists, and others both engaged in non-violent demonstrations and the constant rain of cases of random violence, sometimes deadly, against young people of color.

But I became the chair of my local NAACP chapter's legal redress committee. Here in Eugene, OR. It fell to me to develop an approach to police reform for my town. I had been a close observer and critic of the department around a number of violent incidents. While Eugene is unusual - it has a population of 180,000 of whom 1.6%, 3200 are Black. It was previously a fairly typical dept, its chief had the view that if it wore blue, it was OK by him, "us against the world."  This is quite common.

But in preparation for writing demands, I began doing some research. First thing I did was download and print the report of Obama's commission on 21st Century Policing. I was gob smacked. Here was an assembly of law enforcement leaders - chiefs, deputy chiefs, union heads, sheriffs, DAs, and a few civil libertarians, discussing policing. And here were police chiefs talking about police misconduct the same way I did. WHAT??  My jaw was on the floor. Then I read an article in the PERF (Police Executive Research Forum - the professional journal of law enforcement) called "Re-engineering Training."  It would have been more accurately titled "Re-engineering Use of Force" because that was the training they were discussing. One chief stood up and said, "We cannot speak of 're-establishing' trust in some communities, because in some communities there has never been trust for the police and that is because of the way the police have treated these communities and we will never establish trust in these communities until we acknowledge our past actions and take steps to guarantee these actions will stop and compensate the communities for what we have done." Well, cut off my knees and call me shorty. WTF?

To be sure, in the 21st Century report NYPD deputy chief announced that the whole department has been put through a 6-week (2 hours a week?) training on racism so they no longer had any problems. Yeah. Sure. But the Re-engineering conference had a similar make-up to the Obama commission, over 300 police executives. And they had a long discussion of how the British police handle armed confrontations - namely take your time, pull back if threatened, talk to the person, try to calm the situation, call for whatever resources you need, unlike US police, who often end briefings with admonitions to stay safe out there, the British view is keep EVERYONE safe out there, including the people you're arresting.

10 years ago Eugene, by citizen initiative, established an independent police auditor, who reports to and works for the city, not the department, and whose office receives all complaints against the dept, and investigates every use of force or threat of use of force.  We established at the same time a Civilian Review Board that investigates major complaints. They and the auditor's office review major complaints, watch all the body and dashboard cam footage, review the investigations. The department's Professional Standards (who run training, internal affairs, etc.) also do the same. At the end of an investigation, the auditor, chief, and CRB issue opinions as to whether or not the officer violated policy. Discipline is the prerogative of the chief, and discipline, if any, is not public information. I'm working on a plan to open up a window into the discipline for the public. We have a terrific chief, but he won't be in there forever.

After reading, I began talking to cops. And listening to them. Everyone had told me it was impossible to reform the police because of "the UNION."  So, I started with the union head. And our new chief (7 yrs ago) and the deputy chief. And taking ride-alongs, where you ride in the front seat of a police cruiser for a shift (I'm more used to being in the back seat.)  And taking the 40-hour Police Citizen's Academy, where you go to a 2-hour session a week and find out about all the things the police do, some of the problems they face. And one more important thing, for my education. I got to see how amazingly varied police can be. From the cheerful ghouls in forensic evidence to the uptight librarians in evidence control to the bleeding hearts of the crisis negotiation team to the borderline psychopaths from SWAT (the negotiator was in tears; the SWAT bros were in the back of the room laughing at him). So. They AREN'T all alike. Who knew? And talking to, and especially listening to, and observing close up, I have gained a far greater understanding of what it is police do, and what an amazingly shitty and necessary job it is.

Let’s get down to it.  The article, and frequently advocates for defunding or abolishing the police, cites a statistic that is fundamentally dishonest. It cites the number of killings of people by the police. It fails to make a crucial distinction. There are police-killings that are murder, plain and simple, an over-adrenalized officer, breathing hard and convinced he is in danger, empties his Glock into some unarmed individual, an old woman with a pot of water, a kid with a toy gun, or kneels on someone's neck. Those are murders committed by people sworn and paid to protect us. The visceral reaction we have to it is totally appropriate.

But that is not all police killings. Police operate in a society that is saturated with firearms and glorifies macho violence. Every officer is very aware that not only do police shoot a fair amount of people, a fair number of cops are shot (or knifed) by people they are stopping. And it can happen any time, any place. A veteran policeman told me that there are four categories of adrenaline state. Green, Yellow, Red, and Black. Most people live their lives in the Green, maybe once in a while flashing Yellow in an auto near-collision, or the like. Cops are in the Yellow at all times when awake. Go to coffee with one. "I've got to sit facing the front door - if someone walks in to rob the place, I can't have my back to the door."  Almost never happens, but they must be conscious and ready. Cops go into the Red in a crisis, that is what it is designed for, fight or flight, and cops generally are not supposed to flee. They deal with people who are drunk, drugged, and/or demented, having their worst day, and the presence of the officer just made it worse. Some of them are armed. They try to never go into the Black – in which they will have no conscious memory of what they’ve done. A berserker rage, very dangerous.

We had two cases that were made cause célèbres by the left. Charlie Landeros, a Filipino-Chicano activist who used 'they' pronouns and who had a website offering training for people who would "defend themselves against the police with guns."  He (they) had a daughter in high school; his divorce had given his (their) ex-wife power to choose where the daughter went to school. He (they) called the school, found she was there, objected, and was told to come down to discuss it. (Having done school security, I knew you NEVER invite a non-custodial father to the school to discuss this - meet him somewhere far from the school.)  The school's police officer heard this and wisely called for backup. One officer responded. The first body cam footage shows an officer walking into the principal's office, where Charlie is sitting, hand inside his bulky jacket, sneering at the officer. The cop tells him (them) they've checked, the divorce decree gives his (their) ex the power, "but if you go back to the judge, you ought to be able to get this changed, if the daughter agrees."

Charlie then left the principal's office, stood in the school hallway, back to the outside doors, and the officers explained that he (they) now had to leave. He (they) insisted that the police had no ability to tell him (them) to leave, only the principal could. He began to move towards the hall where kids were just about to get out of class, including his daughter. One cop pushed him out through the doors to keep him away from the kids. Charlie shoved back, was told he (they) was under arrest. He (they) then drew an Astra 9mm pistol, and fired two shots, at point blank range, missing only because one of the cops had a grip on his (their) gun hand. Just a few seconds before on the body cam footage the gun is aimed straight at the officer. Both shots were in the direction of the school, where Charlie's daughter had just reached the school door. A cop then drew and fired twice, the second shot hitting Charlie in the head and killing him (them.)

The Civil Liberties Defense Center and Eugene DSA chapter issued statements denouncing this assassination of an activist of color by the racist police.  That was before the DA finished the investigation and posted the body cam footage. They never apologized.

Another cause célèbres involved a man who was shot to death after seizing an officer's Taser, tasing him with drive stun, half paralyzing him, and was beating his head on a curb when the officer drew and shot him.

IF WE CANNOT DISTINGUISH CASES LIKE GEORGE FLOYD'S FROM CHARLIE LANDEROS, we cannot expect to convince anyone to change their behavior, policies, or practices. Those who have never been in a fight, or who have no idea what sorts of situations officers face, not infrequently will insist they not use force.

If we cannot distinguish between legitimate use of force by police, which is part of policing - never pretty, but not infrequently required, we essentially have nothing to say. No one would take the job in the USA if forced to work unarmed. There ARE criminals, there are violent people, there are mentally ill or drugged people who often carry arms of one kind or other.

But you can demand policy, training, and leadership that emphasizes de-escalation, patience, time, and empathy. You can demand oversight, body cams, civilian review. In some departments, you may discover if you bother to ask you will find that you have a surprising number of allies, in blue. All cops are not stupid. More than a few have realized that the old methods and attitudes are unjust, counterproductive, make their jobs much more difficult, and their lives more stressful. Officers are in daily contact with the most desperate members of our community. Listening to them discuss their frustrations with the job I have heard many insist the entire system is broken, they are expected to pick up all the pieces, and more than a few develop a remarkable empathy with the poor, the homeless, and the mentally ill.

That is not to say this is simple stuff. There are four factors that will strongly affect the sort of policing you get. Leadership must demand it, and enforce policy. Policy must make clear what is acceptable and what isn’t and must be clear and unambiguous. There must be consistent, intelligent public demand for reform. But the key to change will be inside the departments - department culture. As the Obama report said, "Organizational culture eats policy for lunch."  

In a place like NYC, Oakland, SF, Chicago, LA, etc, etc, etc, there exist departments with more than 100 years of rotten culture - massive corruption, consistent violence against communities of color, sexism, etc. They are big organizations, and as Zohran Mamdani has realized, you can't fire 2/3 of them and start over. Because the police actually do some things society, and working-class communities, need and want.

Police culture is in the process of change. There are lots of old harness bulls who know the right way to do it is take the suspect out and give him a good thrashing, never mind all the whining from liberals. But there are fewer and less of them every day. While Eugene has only 180 sworn officers for 180,000 population, half of them have less than 5 years seniority. I was talking to a sergeant who told me, “The kids are different from the guys we were hiring 20 years ago. They have different attitudes on race, gender, poverty.”  “Are you saying the new recruits are ‘woke’?”  She thought for a minute, then said, “Yeah.”  

Good leadership means pressure on the reprobates to retire, and is EXTREMELY careful about who it hires. Our department flushes 97% of its applicants, and the department is desperate to keep its numbers up. Good leadership also means making it very clear to its members what is and is not acceptable.

Good public pressure is both insistent on policing that understands that everyone is entitled to respect and humane treatment. It is also informed, so it does not make ludicrous demands (disarm the police, don’t let them wear uniforms, don’t let them ask people questions, do not conduct foot pursuits – we’ve had all of these raised). It also involves listening to the police. Ever notice that yelling at people from across the street seldom convinces people to change their behavior?            

Defunding is fundamentally a foolish demand. It belongs to the family of arguments that insist no, don't spend on senior housing, spend on education. No, don't spend on education, spend on mental health. No, don't spend on mental health, spend on food for the hungry. No, don't spend money there, spend it HERE. This is the ruling class throwing us crumbs for social needs and telling us to fight over them.

Yes, it is true that reducing poverty, providing mental health facilities, drug treatment, jobs, better education, etc will all reduce crime. Yes, this is true. Let’s do it.

But here's what happens when you defund the police while doing that:  

1) Less money for retraining

2) Less money to hire more officers - which means each officer has that much less time they can give any call, and it is hurry, quick action, that leads to a lot of unneeded violence

3) Less money for oversight (body cams, civilian oversight)

Policing is a social service. The decay of capitalism leaves far more people desperate and crazed. Much crime comes from that. Addressing the effects of that decay are entirely appropriate. Until all that actually reduces crime, we're going to need cops.

I strongly urge my fellow leftists to go talk to some cops. I have been appointed to our city's police commission (actually a policy advisory board, we administer nothing, our decisions are recommendations, nothing more, though we have excellent cooperation from the dept.

Face it. The police are NOT our main enemy. And if you actually talk to any, you may be surprised to learn that more than a few of them have drawn similar conclusions about law enforcement, and the state of our nation, as we have. Since the country is as close to chaos as it was in 1860, if the Proud Boys come to town, who you gonna call? Remember Vietnam? Some people yelled “Baby Killer” at any soldier they saw. Some tried to get a nail bomb into the NCO Club at Ft. Dix.  Thank god they blew themselves up, because lots of people actually TALKED to GIs and it helped sponsor widespread resistance inside the military. So yeah. Talk to your local police.

There are grounds for hope. The incoming head of the union told me he's just finished Zinn's People's History and wanted book recommendations. Another sergeant argued for classes in economics so cops could better understand why there were so many homeless on the street. Our department has told ICE not to call them for help.

 


 

Are You For or Against the Murder of 20,000 Children

 



 

Re: Sunday Science: Creating a Kill Switch To Shut Down a Rogue A.I. Is Harder Than It Sounds
 

Its not, just unplug everything lol

Wes Nomdeplume
Posted on Portside's Facebook page
 


 

New Book - The History of  Black Washington, DC - By Maurice Jackson Foreword by Lonnie G. Bunch III
 



Pre-Order Now - Click here 


Halfway to Freedom is a social, political, intellectual, and cultural history of African Americans in Washington, DC, looking at the role that race, gender, color, culture, class, and power have played in the city and its relationship with the federal government, the nation, and the world.

For more than two hundred years, the history and culture of the District of Columbia have been in great part shaped by its Black residents. Several Black men were elected to political positions citywide only a handful of years after the end of the Civil War, and while the years after Reconstruction saw the region plagued with segregation and racial violence, the capital’s Black population continued to grow at all economic levels. Washington became the first major US city with a majority Black population in 1957, a status it held for almost seventy years as gentrification has led to the decline of Black political and economic power in DC in the twenty-first century. 
 
Halfway to Freedom is a social, political, intellectual, and cultural history of African Americans in Washington, DC; it explores the role that race, gender, color, class, and power have played in the city and its relationship with the federal government. Maurice Jackson explores the material conditions that shaped life for African Americans, free and enslaved, from the earliest moments of the District’s history to more contemporary times of organization and activism. Through an array of archival materials, especially firsthand accounts of Black residents in the area, Jackson critiques how and why DC exists as a haven within the Black American imaginary given the realities of conflict its Black residents have faced and continue to face today. In doing so, he highlights and honors the gains they have earned through the concerted struggles of labor organizations, women’s movements, sports, music, art, legal activism, and more.

“Washington, DC is one of the preeminent capitals of Black America, and here, in one place, is its breathtaking backstory, as brilliantly conceived and written by Georgetown’s own Maurice Jackson, a distinguished scholar who knows this history in his bones. He situates his tale within the broader social, cultural, political currents of the times and, as important, explains the unique space DC occupies as a metropolis on the local, federal, and world stage. Halfway to Freedom is destined to become the canonical text on Washington, DC.” - Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University

“In Maurice Jackson, ‘Chocolate City’ has found its preeminent historian. And that’s an understatement, for Halfway to Freedom offers a window on to the full history of our settler, slaveholding, and segregated Republic, and a spotlight on the brilliant, creative, and courageous Washingtonians who showed the nation and the world how to be free. A truly magnificent achievement.” - Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original




 

Virtual Participation - Cuba Sí, Bloqueo no. - Conference of the European Left - September 30-October 1
 

 

 

Wednesday 30th September and Thursday 1st October  | European Parliament, Brussels

The Left in the European Parliament is pleased to invite you to the event “Cuba Sí, Bloqueo no.”, taking place over two days, on Wednesday 30th September and Thursday 1st October - also available online in the link below.

This two-day conference will examine the impact of the US blockade on Cuba and the political, economic, social and humanitarian consequences it continues to have on the country. The first part of the event will focus on the blockade itself, bringing together Cuban voices, legal experts, economists and political figures to examine its effects on Cuba's economy, healthcare system and daily life, as well as its wider implications under international law. The discussion will also address the extraterritorial consequences of the blockade and the role of European countries in challenging or upholding these policies.

The second part, "Standing with Cuba: Voices of International Solidarity," will highlight experiences of international solidarity with Cuba, including medical cooperation and solidarity initiatives. It will provide a space to exchange experiences, strengthen networks of solidarity and discuss how political organisations, civil society and citizens in Europe can contribute to ending the blockade and defending Cuba's sovereignty.

The event will create an opportunity for different actors to exchange experiences, strengthen cooperation and explore avenues for further advocacy and other initiatives aimed at ending the blockade and defending Cuba's sovereignty.

We look forward to welcoming you to this important discussion.

Check the programme here

Register here - Click here 




 

Virtual Training - Union Training to Defend Our Votes and Elections - October 6  (Labor for Democracy, Standing for Democracy, and May Day Strong)
 

 


 

Start: Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT

End: Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 1:30 PM EDT

Event Type: Virtual
A virtual link will be communicated before the event.

Host contact info trina@laborfordemocracy.org


Join us for a virtual 90-minute training for union leaders and members that will be facilitating election scenario planning at their union local and/or in their community.

Trump and his minions have made clear their intention to disrupt the November 2026 elections. Rather than allowing this to paralyze us, pro-democracy forces, particularly within organized labor, need to be fully prepared to respond to any attempts to disrupt our elections and voting. Part of that response is to ascertain, at the local level, the possible and probable scenarios we should be preparing to engage. This training is precisely about that! We will discuss the anticipated national threats as well as introduce an approach that can be taken by your union at the local level, with other unions and/or with other pro-democracy allies, to address potential threats to our elections. This will be a 90-minute intensive look at scenario planning that your union can use.

This virtual training is co-sponsored by Labor for Democracy, Standing for Democracy, and May Day Strong.

For further information, please feel free to contact: trina@laborfordemocracy.org

Sponsored by




 

Palestine Unions: Global Call for Worker Action Against Genocide - November 29
 

 


Palestine Unions: Global Call for Worker Action Against Genocide
September 21, 2026
The Bullet / Socialist Project
 

he Palestinian labour movement reiterates its solidarity with workers across the world resisting all forms of oppression and calls for global action to end complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide and apartheid from Friday, November 20th, leading up to the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Sunday, November 29th, 2026.

This coming November, we the undersigned Palestinian trade unions and federations urgently renew our call to unions around the world:

Ongoing Genocide in Gaza

While approaching the third anniversary of the beginning of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and in light of Israel’s accelerating ethnic cleansing, annexation, settler violence and pogroms in the West Bank, and depraved violent repression of our prisoners, we remind ourselves that an injury to one is an injury to all. Israel’s livestreamed genocide, coupled with the wars and threats of aggression by its imperialist partners in Washington, is leading to the collapse of respect for international law, human rights, and workers’ rights, threatening humanity at large, not just Palestinians.

Today, the Palestinian struggle for justice is at the heart of the battle against a world order of “might makes right” that is being imposed by the US-Israel genocidal axis and enabled by colonial powers. As Israel’s wars of aggression against the peoples of the region expand from Lebanon to Syria and from Yemen to Iran, and as the US threatens the peoples of Cuba, Greenland, Venezuela, Oman, among others, it is clear that hardly anyone is safe from this descent into the abyss.

The Israel-US axis is waging its war for Greater Israel without any consideration for the global recession (maybe even depression) it is potentially creating and its impacts globally. This includes the exacerbation of the cost-of-living crisis, austerity measures, the housing crisis, and food insecurity, among others. Military budgets are swelling at the cost of health, housing, and education. The first to feel the brunt of all this are working people and their families. The demands for affordability, fair wages, more and better social services, and lower living costs are organically connected to the calls for an end to astronomical military spending, vicious privatisation, and global complicity in Israeli crimes. This affects us all and therefore should unite us all. Where states fail to uphold international law and end their own complicity, workers and their unions must take the lead in acting to end this complicity!

Our struggle for justice in Palestine is inseparable from the global struggle against systemic racism, exploitation, climate devastation, and all forms of oppression.

It is the duty of unions to ensure that the workers they represent – whether in ports, on ships, in businesses, or in government offices – are not involved, often without their knowledge and/or consent, in actions that involve complicity in atrocity crimes anywhere, including Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against our people.

The 2024 decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – that Israel is plausibly committing genocide, that its occupation is illegal, and its policies amount to apartheid – make ending all complicity in Israel’s crimes not only a moral but also a legal obligation. States, institutions (including unions), and corporations must impose targeted, lawful sanctions on Israel. We call on all union bodies and civil society organisations worldwide to organise, uplift, and turn solidarity into concrete strategic action across the ten days leading up to the November 29th international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people from November 20th to November 29th 2026.



We, the undersigned Palestinian trade unions, call on workers and unions around the world to escalate their support for our liberation struggle by:


Signatories:

Source URL: https://portside.org/2026-09-24/tidbits-sept-24-reader-comments-we-know-where-talk-erasing-population-generation-leads