I just got out of jail, after being arrested for calling on to be a diplomat and negotiate a peace deal to end the horrible war in Ukraine. Why do the peacemakers get arrested and the warhawks get applauded?
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Medea Benjamin
@medeabenjamin
Cofounder of peace group CODEPINK. Author. Peace activist. Wannabe salsa dancer :)
Medea Benjamin’s posts
If Cuba proves that socialism doesn’t work, does Haiti prove that capitalism doesn’t work? (And remember, Cuba is under a 60-yr US blockade while Haiti gets billions in US aid.)
As an anti-war activist, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been told the ridiculous line that the troops are fighting overseas for my right to protest at home. Guess folks can’t use that BS argument anymore.
Oh my fucking god! A New Yorker is dying every 2 1/2 minutes from coronavirus. When do we overthrow our government???
So if the US can sue China for COVID19 damages, then Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Yemen, etc. should be able to sue the US for trillions in compensation.
I just got out of jail for asking to do his job--to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine. "If you don't like the Chinese peace proposal," I asked him, "where is YOUR peace plan?" #PeaceInUkraine t.co/9r0vZrJQ3O
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Danny Glover with Cuban President Diaz Canel calling on US government to lift the embargo
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Why are we always looking for enemies instead of cooperating to solve global problems? ChinaIsNotOurEnemy
Zelensky says "If you are not with Ukraine, you are with Russia." I say, "If you are not for peace talks to end the war, you are pro-war."
Let’s be clear Trump is not responding to Iranian aggression. TRUMP IS THE AGGRESSOR. He is the one who tore up the nuclear deal that Iran had agreed to and adhered to. TRUMP IS THE AGGRESSOR. Period.
WTF? I just got a funding request from Joe Biden w the subject line: My stutter. In the midst of this corona nightmare, he’s asking for money because he overcame his stutter??? This is leadership???
US claimed drone strike in Syria killed a high ranking terrorist but it really killed a poor farmer, father of 10.
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BREAKING: @medeabenjamin just disrupted @SecPompeo “Pompeo & OAS should not supporting coup on Venezuela. The US has long & sorted history of supporting coups in Latin America & they always turned out horrible for the people. Look at Guatemala 53’ Chili in 73’, Honduras today.”
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You have to understand what Qassim Soleimani means for millions of Shia. They see him as a hero who defeated al Nusra, al Qaeda and ISIS in Iraq and Syria. His death will be avenged.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan gives a chilling warning about a potential war between India and Pakistan over India’s repression in Kashmir. He says this fight between nuclear countries would have consequences for the whole world. Time for UN to act!
Democrats can pretend that Biden has the support of progressives, but I, for one, would never ever vote for Biden. And I am not alone. Thank goodness has given us a terrific alternative. #cornelwest2024
I don’t understand why it’s not all over mainstream news that Soleimani was going to meet the Iraqi PM to respond to mediation w Saudi Arabia TO EASE REGIONAL TENSIONS, but instead was murdered by Trump.
The Democrats used to have a faction that questioned war but no more. They gave Zelenskyy 18 standing ovations. They don't question sending more and more weapons. They won't even call for a ceasefire. Sad. #peaceinUkraine
As we look to hold Russia accountable for invading Ukraine, let’s recall that US post 9/11 wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen & Pakistan caused at least 4.5 million deaths and displaced 38 to 60 million people, with 7.6 million children starving.
Before escalating attacks in response to the killing of a US contractor in Syria, we might want to ask a simple question: What the heck are U.S. contractors doing in Syria in the first place? It's not our country!
I’m sick of being harassed by my govt every time I go thru customs. It happened again yesterday. Detained and grilled w really dumb questions like who I talk to Iran, why I went to N. Korea, what I think of Cuban govt. It is NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS.
I was held for 1 1/2 hours at customs in miami and interrogated about what life was like in venezuela, even though I was coming from ecuador!!!
We all had a moment to tell to be a diplomat re Ukraine, China, Palestine, Cuba and Venezuela. Then we all got arrested.
Sean Penn on CNN is saying how great it will be for the military to be involved in fighting coronavirus, because, as he said he saw in Haiti, “there is no greater humanitarian force on the planet than the US military. WTF??? Ask the Haitians. Ask the Iraqis. Afghans.
It’s great being at the Rage Against the War Machine rally with all kinds of people who want to end the war in Ukraine #PeaceInUkraine
A partially blind Palestinian widow with six children is shot dead by Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint. Where is the world outrage??? #FreePalestine
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After this peaceful protest, 5 police cars sorted up at my house, threatening to arrest me for assaulting the congresswoman next to me, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Police state
As a Benjamin, I am so proud of for calling out #AIPAC and its corrupting influence in our politics. I’m going to contribute some Benjamins to her right now, as should all who appreciate her courage and support for #Palestine. #BenjaminsforOmars
We hear ad nauseum that NATO is a purely defensive military alliance. Unless you are from Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya...
Now the US govt has turned off the water in the Venezuela Embassy to smoke us out. No lights, no water, little food. This is how Big Brother tries to crush other countries as well. We remain firm. Send love to #embassyprotectioncollective #HandsOffVenezeula
Trump could have pardoned whistleblowers Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Instead he chose to pardon 4 Blackwater mercenaries who murdered 17 Iraqi civilians, including two boys 8 and 11, in an unprovoked attack on a crowd of unarmed people. Disgusting.
Wow. is unpeeling the onion re Med4All. Why CAN’T we force Pelosi to put Med4All to a vote? And if we lose the vote, at least we can see who to target as cruel, inhumane sellouts who don’t want us to have healthcare during a pandemic!!! We deserve a vote!
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Progressives in congress CAN actually force a Med4all vote if they withhold their vote for Pelosi as speaker to do it.
I ask all progressives to pressure ur favorite progressive congressperson
to withhold their Vote 4 Pelosi & demand a Med4all vote!
youtu.be/iIqw-mTX6ro
So Israel bombs Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex and the world just yawns. What if Iran bombed Israel’s nuclear facilities, which, by the way, really DO have nuclear weapons??? Israel is trying to push the US into a war with Iran, and we can’t let that happen!
After listening to 5 hours of talks at the #PeoplesConvention today, I feel like I have a political home, a political family, a political base to build with the Movement for a People’s Party. Bravo to all who worked so hard to make it happen. Onward.
What does it say about progressive Democrats in Congress when the best person on Ukraine is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene???
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Ukraine is the MIC’s new Iraq wrapped up with a pretty little NATO bow, with a nuclear present inside.
A unwanted gift that will keep giving for far too long.
We, anti-war activists, have been protesting at the US Capitol for decades, getting arrested over and over again for peaceful speech against violent war. If we had done ANYTHING like this, we’d be dead right now.
How ironic hearing Colin Powell on Fareed Zakaria’s show talking about Trump: “There must be accountability for people who have done things that are wrong.” Uh—what about YOU being held accountable for lying us into a devastating war with Iraq????
Thanks to President Biden, the US is back…to bombing sovereign nations without congressional authorization.
Wow. Incredible Chicago turnout to support Palestine!!!
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The Chicago march for justice in Palestine is absolutely enormous
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How come people don’t protest against Saudi oil like they protest Russian oil? Perhaps it’s because Yemeni lives “don’t matter”?
So we will have a president who supported the invasion of Iraq, and a secretary of state (Tony Blinken) who supported the invasion of Iraq. In the US, there is no accountability for supporting the worst foreign policy disaster in modern history . Only rewards.
Incredible. Two days after Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said there was no imminent threat to Kabul, Taliban officials are now sitting at the desk of President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country.
. called me a low life scum. I took it as a compliment coming from a man who bombed Vietnamese, pushed for war in Iraq, called for bombing of Iran and supported the Saudi destruction of yemen. RIP
There is no greater humanitarian force on the planet than the US military, said Sean Penn on CNN. What is he high on???
Now that Iran is responding, don’t forget:
This is Trump’s war against Iran. This is a Trump-provoked war. This is a Trump-manufactured war.
This is Trump’s war.
Don’t forget it.
#NoWarWithIran #PeaceWithIran
Where is the US peace proposal for Ukraine? The US just wants to escalate, not negotiate.
BREAKING: As part of the US attempted coup against President Maduro in Venezuela, U.S. "Justice Dept” puts a $15 million bounty on Maduro for drug trafficking and calls Venezuela a state sponsor of terrorism. US imperialism at its worst!
How ironic. After CODEPINK protested at congressional hearing on China, the witness bragged that unlike in China, people in US have the right to free speech. Here's what happened when exercised her right to free speech and called for peace with China.
How fantastic! MAS candidate Luis Arce has won the Bolivia elections!!! The people have overwhelmingly rejected the coup government. Bravo!!!
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MAS Candidate @LuchoXBolivia addresses the country after exit polls announce him as the winner in Bolivia's presidential elections: "Democracy has won"
If human rights is really at “the core” of US foreign policy, why are we selling weapons to the Saudis????
If the U.S. military wants to “take out” someone responsible for the death of hundreds—no, thousands—of US soldiers in the Middle East, perhaps that would be…George Bush???
This is just disgusting. Pence trying to tie Soleimani to 9/11--the same guy who has been fighting Al Qaeda, Al Nusra, ISIS and every Sunni extremist group!!! Pence, it is your SAUDI friends who were behind 9/11, not Iran.
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Replying to @Mike_Pence
Assisted in the clandestine travel to Afghanistan of 10 of the 12 terrorists who carried out the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Yes, the anti-war left is starting to rise! Here we are in Detroit calling for negotiations in Ukraine. We are holding teach-ins, marching, lobbying Congress. Join us. #peaceinUkraine
Evo Morales of Bolivia has been on US hit-list since he came to power, since he is socialist and anti-imperialist. US and its allies have achieved their goal—Evo has resigned. Now the vulture capitalists will swarm in, and losers will be the Bolivian poor.
Slept overnight at DC Venezuela embassy when we heard opposition might try to take it over, as they took over the NY consulate and the DC military attache office. This is insane!!!
There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of starting a war with Iran that will lead to the deaths of thousands of deaths.
While the US is accusing Russia of using food as a weapon, the US-with its brutal sanctions-is causing hunger in countries like Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and North Korea. Food should never been weaponized!
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I am shocked that in this political climate, Dems who call for diplomacy re Ukraine are considered traitors and Putin-lovers instead of the "adults in the room" who want to end the suffering and avoid a nuclear confrontation.
Police intimidation, surrounding my house and threatening to arrest me
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Replying to @FordFischer
The police hoped @medeabenjamin would be arrested willingly - which she refused.
They say they’re coming back with a warrant.
Medea compares this to the arrest of journalist @MaxBlumenthal and says it seems to be a case of trying to intimidate activists.
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“What happened in Washington DC yesterday was not America,” said French President Macron. He should have added: America usually creates this kind of chaos abroad, not at home.
Unbelievable arrogance of US Navy challenging China’s “unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea.” Hello?!? It’s the South CHINA Sea!!! #ChinaIsNotOurEnemy asiatimes.com/2023/04/us-cra via
Readers added context
China is not the only nation who borders the South China Sea (otherwise known as the South East Asian Sea). Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Vietnam also border the sea and many have ongoing territory disputes.
cfr.org/global-conflic…
bbc.com/news/world-us-…
Mexican president AMLO, rejecting Biden's exclusion of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the upcoming Summit of the Americas, asks: What is this supposed to be--the Summit of the Americas, or the Summit of the Friends of America? #peoplessummit22
Photo bombs are SO much better than the bombs that blow people up!
Venezuela opposition couldn’t pull off a coup today or even take over the DC embassy—despite full support from the empire. They will keep trying, though, with all the dirty tricks that Elliot Abrams has in his imperial toolbox. And who suffers? The Venezuelan people.
BREAKING the Venezuelan opposition had a press conference today in Washington DC. What what and I did
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When I was in Afghanistan, the US military was paying about $1,000 in “condolence payments” when it killed innocent Afghans. In the US, 9/11 families received $2 million. Now 9/11 families are asking Afghans to pay them billions more for a crime they didn’t commit. Soooo wrong.
The Progressive Caucus just abandoned for corporate democrat Shontel Brown? , what happened???
Love this quote from William Blum: The American people are very much like the children of a Mafia boss who do not know what their father does for a living, and don’t want to know, but then wonder why someone just threw a firebomb through the living room window. #CutThePentagon
Why is the president surrounded by the CEOs of mega companies like Walmart instead of heads of govt agencies? Why did Trump refuse the WHO Coronavirus diagnostic test and instead wait for private companies? Looks like “disaster capitalism” that talks about.
Love it
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“America is so corrupt even our Nobel peace prize winners are war criminals.” -@jimmy_dore #RageAgainstWar
Don’t you think it’s funny that Biden won’t invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to the Summit of the Americas because they are “not democratic,” but will travel to Saudi Arabia to meet the barbaric butcher MBS? Hmmmm.
The ONLY nuclear armed country in the Middle East, Israel, just assassinated a nuclear scientist in Iran, a country that has signed a deal to prevent it from getting nuclear weapons. Where is the world outrage???
Biden makes me sick! He just approved cluster munitions—a banned weapon— to Ukraine
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Readers added context
Cluster munitions are not banned in USA, Ukraine, Russia, and other major powers including China and India. There is a treaty between 108 other countries prohibiting their use.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conventio…
Cluster munitions are already being used in Ukraine by both Russian and Ukrainian forces.
cnn.com/2023/07/07/eur…
Biden wants to give US 911 families $3.5 b that belongs to the Afghan people, who are now facing a catastrophic famine. This will not bring justice to the 9/11 families but will bring more misery to the Afghans, who—for 20 years—have been paying for a crime they didn't commit.
Curious that allegations re Russia giving Taliban $ to kill US soldiers comes just in time to sabotage talks re the last nuclear treaty between the US and Russia, the withdrawal of more US troops from Afghanistan and peace in Syria. Sounds like fake news to me...
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei the "new Hitler of the Middle East" and urged the US to carry out "surgical strikes” against Iran. This from Mr. Bonesaw who orders journalist to be chopped up into pieces.
Looks like Iran targeted the part of the base In Iraq without US military. It is crystal clear that Iran is the rational actor in this conflict vs. the irrational, erratic imperial aggressor. But we must hope that Trump acts in a rational way and BACKS DOWN. #NoWarWithIran
We will not sit by and watch Cong. Ilhan Omar be attacked for accurately critiquing #AIPAC for exerting outsized influence on our politicians. #StandWithIlhan
The two war parties are coming together to try to stop Trump’s right-on decision to bring US troops out of #Syria. They WANT endless US military engagement. We, the people, DON’T! #SyriaWithdrawal #EndWar
For amazingly courageous embassy protectors are still inside the Venezuelan embassy. Heroes. #EmbassyProtctionCollective
All out for a rally against war with Iran tomorrow Sunday, June 23, 1 PM at the White House
I just joined the advisory board of the to REALLY stop endless wars and get Medicare for all. Let’s start by getting congress to #ForceTheVote on #M4A
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US complains that its Reaper drone conducting "routine operations" over the Black Sea was intercepted by a Russian jet. Why are US drones flying over Black Sea??? Routine operations or routine provocations?
We were outside Union Station tonight, where President Biden was giving a speech about democracy. Our message re Ukraine was “negotiate, don’t escalate.” #peaceinUkraine
Did really say that in Afghanistan “The thing that kept me safe just as sure as my body armor was the flag in my shoulder?” I think the thing that kept him safe was that he wasn’t in combat.
I protest in Washington DC ALL THE TIME. If we did what the Trumpsters are doing now, we’d be gassed, sprayed, pelleted with rubber bullets, beat up and arrested.
Why are these folks not getting the same treatment?
Which is worse? Saudi killing 40 Yemeni schoolchildren with US bomb or attack on Saudi oil facilities where no one was hurt??? Why the world outcry against an attack on oil and not an attack on children? Money, perhaps?
Our research shows an astounding result: the US & its allies have dropped over 326,000 bombs & missiles since Oct. 2001. That’s an average of 46 per day, day-in, day-out, year-in, year-out, for nearly 20 years. Let that sink in.
progressive.org/dispatches/tru
progressive.org/dispatches/tru
You gotta love Jimmy Carter. He talked with Trump about China last weekend and told him: "China has not wasted a single penny on war, and that's why they're ahead of us. In almost every way.” Amen.
It’s funny how much support the US media show towards the anti-war activists in Russia while the same media vilified or ignored us when we protested the US invasion of Iraq. #warisnevertheanwer
#NoWarInUkraine
Holy crap. I agree with Stephen Miller on Wolf Blitzer’s show on #CNN. He’s calling for US to get out of other nation’s wars!!! The world is upside down.
Does anyone in the mainstream media give a damn about international law? You think it’s OK to hand over Venezuela Embassy to a fake Guaido govt. and think that won’t affect the security of US embassies in the future? Might makes right and to hell with int’l law?