In today's #vatniksoup, I'll introduce a US non-profit organization CODEPINK (@codepink), and its founders Jodie Evans (@MsJodieEvans) and Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin). It's best-known for its anti-US stance & for its support of totalitarian regimes around the world.
1/23
In 2006, Benjamin said in an interview with Tucker Carlson that Hugo Chávez, the President of Venezuela, hadn't eroded freedom of speech and civil rights in the country, calling it a "myth". Carlson blamed Medea for "the squelching of minority views", to which Medea...
2/23
..replied: "They [a local TV network] falsified information. They got people out on the street." Later, Chávez's regime seized control of the Supreme Court and undercut the ability of journalists,human rights defenders & other Venezuelans to exercise their fundamental rights.3/23
In 2014, Benjamin attended the New Horizon conference in Tehran, Iran. The event included a panel titled "Mossad’s Role in the 9/11 Coup d’Etat", and it hosted figures like Randy Short, who claims that "Boko Haram was created and funded by the CIA", and Wayne Madsen, ...
4/23
... who has declared that 9/11 attacks were carried out by Mossad together with CIA and Saudi intelligence. The event also hosted German neo-Nazis Manuel Ochsenreiter & Kevin Barrett, and in 2018 one of the keynote speakers at New Horizon was one Aleksander Dugin.
5/23
Benjamin later stated that she was "uncomfortable" but learned a lot.
In Mar 2019 while visiting Iran, CODEPINK, a "grassroots peace and social justice movement", voiced their support over Iran's developing missile technology because the US has military bases around Iran.
6/23
People's Support Foundation (PSF), an NGO co-founded by Evans, has invested heavily on companies that cooperate with the Israeli Defense Force, including Israel Chemicals Ltd., Caterpillar, and Atlas Copco. These investments seem strange, when we consider Evans' ...
7/23
..strong anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian stance. PSF has also funneled 700 000 USD into Tricontinental, which describes itself as an "Institute for Social Research". It's ran by Vijay Prashad, a gentleman seen here holding a sign that seems to support both China and Russia.
8/23
When there's an actual, well-documented genocide of the Uyghur population going on in China, CODEPINK falls silent. In Jodie's case, this could be due to her personal relations. Her current partner is Neville Roy Singham, a tech entrepreneur who's been connected to the...
9/23
...funneling of 65 million USD to "various entities connected with people who have defended the Chinese government and downplayed or denied documented human rights violations" of the Uyghurs. In Sep 2020, Evans was a speaker at far-left conference, calling for the US to...
10/23
..."de-escalate" relations with China. Imagine being a "peace activist" & completely disregarding a genocide involving 2 million people.The genocide denial of CODEPINK key figures has made them popular interviewees on CCP-controlled propaganda outlets like The Global Times.
11/23
Regarding Ukraine, both Evans and Benjamin cheer for Russia. By CODEPINK's logic, "If that money flow [to Ukraine] stops, the war will come to an end because both sides will sit down and negotiate." Their coordinator continued that "I don't think that the Russians...
12/23
are that interested in war either." Yet there they are, invading.
In Nov 2022, Medea joined RT journalist Chris Hedges for an interview. By Hedges' view, the invasion itself is a war crime conducted by Putin, but Medea focuses more on the NATO's involvement and "meddling"..
13/23
..in Ukraine. The interview is full of false and biased statements, including "Crimea is Russia", oppression against the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine,NATO expansion, calling the events in Donbas in 2014 a "civil war", and of course the "Ukrainian neo-Nazis" trope.
14/23
Benjamin also refers to the controversial CBS report that only 30% of military aid arrives to the front. The article has been partially retracted and updated with the actual data. To summarize the interview, there's only little mention or talk about Russia, and she mostly..
15/23
..focuses on the "far-right elements" and the coup-that-never-happened in Ukraine. Most of this stuff is also promoted in Benjamin's 2022 book "War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict", which again focuses on bashing NATO and the US, & even supports Russia's...
16/23
... intervention in Syria. She also casts doubt on Russian-Syrian chemical attacks on civilians. A common narrative these days is the one where pro-Kremlin propagandists compare the establishment of Russian bases in Canada or in Mexico. The problem with this speculative...
17/23
... scenario is that the US really hasn't had any major conflicts between its neighbors. These countries have had free trade agreements like NAFTA and USMCA since the 90s and there is a lot of immigration coming into the US from both Canada and Mexico.
18/23
Hell, there's even speculation that the fake news blogger @aaronjmate married a former NPR journalist, Starlee Kine (@StarleeKine), to be able to work in the US, a country that he seems to despise so much.
Why don't people flock to Russia the same way they do to the US?
19/23
In Feb 2023, Medea was planned to be one of the speakers at the "antiwar" event Rage Against the War Machine, but she stepped down after she was criticized by her CODEPINK fellows. This didn't stop her from attending the event & even joining the speaker's "VIP area".
20/23
In my mind, there's no doubt whose side in the world stage both CODEPINK founders have taken: they systematically support the anti-West totalitarian and authoritarian regimes around the world. Putin, Xi, Maduro and Chávez are/were the good guys, and US is the actual enemy.
21/23
We all know that you're not going to answer any questions, Jodie and Medea, but here's few anyway:
What are your thoughts on the Bucha massacre?
What about the mass graves in Izium?
Children's torture chambers in Kherson?
Why are you so afraid to talk about Putin?
22/23
And what about the Uyghur genocide in Xinjian, China?
When will PSF stop investing in companies that support the Israeli Defense Force?
I know you're busy bootlicking various dictators, but please try and find the time to respond!
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russian propagandist Sergei Tsaulin. He’s best-known for spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Estonia, fleeing to Russia after breaking several laws in Estonia, and almost getting blown up by a bomb in St. Petersburg.
1/17
For years, Tsaulin was known for organizing marches and events glorifying the Soviet Union. Under the excuse of “remembering history,” these events were nothing more than Kremlin propaganda, wrapped in a red flag with a hammer and sickle.
2/17
One of his most infamous events was the “Immortal Regiment” march, held every 9th of May, where people carried portraits of Soviet soldiers. These marches are used by Russia to push the idea that the Baltics owe their existence to the Soviets.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a podcaster and conspiracy theorist, Joe Rogan (@joerogan). He’s best-known for launching the biggest podcast in the world, promoting various conspiracy theories, his support for Donald Trump and his anti-Ukraine rhetoric.
1/22
Joe Rogan started as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s, found fame on NewsRadio, and became a household name with Fear Factor. But his biggest impact came in 2009 when he launched The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), one of the first major podcasts.
2/22
JRE started as casual but deep conversations, often covering countercultural topics like psychedelics, MMA & hunting. Joe’s podcasting style is largely non-confrontational, often allowing his guests to share their views without significant pushback or critical questioning.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce KOOS party leader and Estonian crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov. He’s best known for running shady businesses, spreading Russian false narratives in Estonia, and participating in the pro-Kremlin political party KOOS.
1/18
As a talented youngster, Oleg learned Estonian almost flawlessly, was a promising karate athlete, and landed a job at a law firm at just 20. He caught the eye of Estonian fuel entrepreneur Endel Siff, who quickly took him under his wing.
2/18
Oleg’s father, Vladimir Ivanov, was a longtime politician from the Russian-funded United People’s Party of Estonia. His career at the town hall ended abruptly when he was caught drunk at work. After that, he went into business with his son, Oleg.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about the takeover of social media by illiberal, populist influencers. For the last ten years, social media has been dominated by these voices and it is one of the main reasons for the political rise of people like Trump and Orban.
1/25
“Illiberal populists” like Trump reject democratic norms while claiming to speak for “the people.” They centralize power, attack institutions, and push nationalism over rights. Elections exist, but checks & balances erode. This is democracy in name, autocracy in action.
2/25
The media landscape has changed drastically over the past two decades. The Internet and social media have changed how we interact online & how we consume media,but it has also become our main source of news. In many ways,social media companies have control over information.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Lithuanian far-right politician and Seimas member Remigijus Žemaitaitis. He’s best known for his extremist political views and for falling for a scam that convinced him he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk.
1/17
Like many vatniks before him, Remigijus worked as a lawyer before entering the world of politics. Once just another politician, he gradually embraced far-right nationalism and populism, following a trend seen across Europe over the past 15 years.
2/17
Instead of real policies, he tapped into fear, resentment, and anger, turning 4chan talking points into a populist political strategy. His speeches became more extreme, targeting minorities, Western institutions, and Lithuania’s support for Ukraine.