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Portside aims to provide material of interest to people on the left that will help them to interpret the world and to change it.

A House Divided: Washington, Langley, Saigon, and the Plot Against Diem

Arturo Jimenez-Bacardi and Luca Trenta National Security Archive
Newly available historical evidence shows that the U.S. was deeply involved with the key players who would ultimately assassinate Diem, up to and including the day of the coup. CIA leaders opposed the coup but were overruled by President Kennedy.

Why South Africa Is Torn Over the Trump-Ramaphosa Showdown

Sizwe Mpofu Walsh TIME
Pretoria must now accept that Washington will inflame racial tensions in South Africa for the foreseeable future. What happens in our country is no longer just a foreign-policy file, but a live domestic wedge issue in MAGA-world. 

“Like a Pendulum”: How America’s Racial Reckoning Unraveled

Delano Massey , Russell Contreras , Zachary Basu Axios
In the five years since Floyd's death, dozens of cities and states have passed bans on no-knock warrants, expanded crisis response teams and introduced civilian review boards — wins drowned out by public fatigue.

Voters Demand a Bolder and More Progressive Democratic Party

Marianne Dhenin Yes! Magazine
Anger among Democratic voters nationwide over the Trump administration’s agenda and Democrats’ unwillingness to act as a bulwark against its overreaches also points to a growing desire for alternatives to the old guard.

House Republicans Just Touched the Third Rail

Timothy Noah The New Republic
Early this morning, House Republicans, rushed to cut not quite $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next 10 years. Today, Medicaid commands not merely a significant voting bloc, but a significant Republican voting bloc.

The Weaponization Czar and Our Russia Problem

Timothy Snyder Thinking about...
Ed Martin is a major actor in Trump's attempted regime change to authoritarianism. His particular role is to transform the law into a tool to intimidate Americans. Martin will now continue his work for Trump as the official "weaponization czar."

The Trump-Supporting Christians Accusing Jews of Antisemitism

Michelle Goldberg The New York Times
Ultra-Zionist gentiles are transforming America into something out of Jewish nightmares, pretending they're trying to ensure Jewish safety. The campaign called Project Esther, and it aims to destroy the pro-Palestinian movement in the United States.
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