Portside

"Hopefully, it is not also trying to hide or obscure a distressing system or set of facts.”

The rampant capitalism that has brought the market into every corner of society needs to be reined in

Activism brought changes in gay rights, marijuana laws, but guns, immigration, inequality and more stay unchanged. America’s ability to repair and renew itself rests, as ever, on the democratic spirit that burns within its citizenry.

Buy less. Give five per cent of your earnings to others fostering change.

The Republican Party last week quietly declared war on itself, in the process essentially confessing to a generation of failed governance and dumbed-down politics.

The individual mandate was not necessary - the insurance companies like it because it does bring young, healthy people who aren't likely to get sick into the system.

It's a Wonderful Commie Plot; Wired's Top 13 for `13; Black-owned TV Disappears; $50m for Greenwald Media Venture; FAIR's P.U.-litzers; Euro Teens are Done with Facebook

While Washington was stuck in the grip of the politics of obstruction, grass-roots activists did their part, scoring some major wins for economic justice, civil liberties and democracy. As we near the end of the year, here are some of the biggest progressive wins we saw.

We can wrest back control of our economy, and finally our political system, from corporate speculators only by building local movements that decentralize economic power through the creation of hundreds of publicly owned state, county and city banks.

It was clear from the beginning national IAM officials were upset with the Nov 13 overwhelming rejection of their deal with Boeing and they seemed to be making the point more emphatically by ordering a new vote. Obviously disappointed with the national leadership, a longtime IAM member told me “this rushed vote is not right,” and pointed out “35% of our members are on vacation during this period,” unable to get the information and participate in a democratic discussion