Portside

On the line are the lives of decent hardworking Americans, trying to cross over into the dignity of work but still caught in the barbwire of an historic global recession. The jobless rate for young African Americans (16-19 years old) was 35.5 percent in December.

Reader Comments - Kshama Sawant's election; The Vietnam Antiwar Movement; AFL-CIO's new road; Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA; Religious Freedom, or Reproductive Freedom; Israel Boycott Movement Controversy; Chris Christie; Bill de Blasio; Announcements - Chicago (Jan. 18); New York (Jan. 21, 24 and 30); Bay Area (Jan. 22) Today in History

The wrangling between the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) had two main goals. In its election campaign the SPD had tried to sound leftish so as to keep or win back the votes of union members and at least some progressive voters. But now, to become part of a "grand coalition" government, it had to tone down such escapades and sooth the fears of big biz bosses.

For now, Bill de Blasio is a populist hero of our times, at least for now. Is a revived Populism blowing in that wind? Maybe so. Signs of a change in the weather have been sprouting here and there. There was the occupation of the State House in Madison. And then there was the occupation of Wall Street. Mini uprisings of the most abused and intimidated workers at fast food outlets, car washes, even at Wal-mart register not so much desperation as bravery, a will to resist

The full text of the new Seattle city council member's inauguration speech. Despite recent talk of economic growth, it has only been a recovery for the richest 1%, while the rest of us are falling ever farther behind. To begin to change all of this, we need organized mass movements of workers and young people, relying on their own independent strength. That is how we won unions, civil rights and LGBTQ rights.

Today, the Dream Defenders--a multiracial, multiethnic group of young people--celebrated the 10th day of occupying Florida's state capitol. They say they're not leaving until Florida takes concrete steps to deal with the bigger issues exposed by Trayvon Martin's shooting. When Gov. Rick Scott met with them and suggested they "pray" about racial profiling, they responded, "Faith without works is dead."

Cynicism or struggle? Cynicism is self-fulfilling prophesy. The generation of 1968 fought - America changed. The changes didn't come easily. Every positive step was met with determined resistance. But we became better and stronger because we were determined to change. Today to make progress, to prevent slipping backwards - will require no less steadfastness, intelligence, and patience than was necessitated before. Graduates today are the most indebted - ever.