Portside

On August 6 and 9, people will commemorate the hundreds of thousands of Japanese people who died — crushed, vaporized, burned beyond recognition, poisoned by radiation — from the atomic bombs the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945

Those who desecrated the Capitol in January called themselves patriots. Millions supported them, including members of both Houses. This again reminded one of Robeson, because seventy-two years earlier, another angry mob might well have lynched him.

For China, the global war for influence is about trading partners. For the U.S., it could mean something more volatile. China recently softened its language toward the U.S., stressing peaceful co-existence.

Why is Trump unraveling treaties on nuclear arms? It's not just greed -- some people want to use them. The test ban did - and does - slow the development of nuclear weapons and limits their proliferation to other countries.

In the very near future, countries are going to have to choose whether they make guns or vaccines.

The current crisis might be averted, but the longer U.S. war with Iran continues. The United States has been in a 40-year cold war with Iran. Now, thanks to Donald Trump’s impulsive militarism this 40-year war is turning hot.

The world has enough water for 7 billion people, but not if countries waste, hoard, or weaponize it. Ongoing tensions over Kashmir have transformed water into a national security issue for both India and Pakistan.