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Ben Wikler
@benwikler
, 11 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
My grandfather, John W. McDonald, retired today. He’s 95. Hero of mine. 1/
Worked his way through law school driving a milk delivery truck. Became a Teamster. Joined the foreign service. First post: Marshall Plan.
Served in Germany, France, Turkey, Egypt. Raised his four kids, including my mom, in a series of new countries and languages.
In 1974, the International Labor Organization needed a new deputy director general. How many diplomats were union members? He got the job.
Named Ambassador to rep US @ UN negotiations re disability rights & water Access. Helped start UN Environmental Program & UN Population Fund
Retired from State Dpt after 40-year diplomatic career—& devoted rest of his life to idea that it’s not only diplomats who can build peace.
Founded the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy in 1992. Ran it until today. Worked all over the world.

imtd.org
Four kids. Four grandkids. Five great grandkids (& counting). Well-lived life. Well-earned retirement. Blind now; fan of The Economist audio
Taught me about living a life of service. Taught me about what America can be in the world, at its best. Building for people, with people.
Taught me about taking the long view. About respecting everyone you meet. About believing things can change, and you can change them.
The object he’s holding is an award that he received today, for peace with justice. The right goal.

Happy retirement, grandad.

Love you.
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Ben Wikler
@benwikler
Mary Poppins Returns is a powerful movie about the dangers of toxic financial products, foreclosure fraud, and predatory financiers—defeated at last by the organizing of young people, public employees, and domestic workers.
Mary Poppins Returns also illustrates how, when the chips are down, even the children of privilege will be destroyed by elites the next rung up if they don’t cast their lot with working people who refuse to accept the rules as they are and united to achieve the impossible.
Also, good songs.
Read 3 tweets
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Ben Wikler
@benwikler
Just finished watching Vice. You should see it. You'll laugh more than you expected. You'll end it reeling and furious.
There's a very strong case to be made that Trump isn't even the worst president of the 21st century. That dishonor belongs to Dick Cheney.
The story of Cheney—and particularly of the Iraq war—is so stunningly ugly that it partisans to tell it accurately. Hard to imagine it'll be told—that it's being told—properly in high school history classes. Kids, go see Vice.
Read 10 tweets
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Ben Wikler
@benwikler
Folks in DC (for starters). If Trump goes full autocrat tomorrow and declares an emergency to make the military perform civilian functions in defiance of the Congress and the constitution, be ready to protest.
A protest to end the shutdown is already planned for tomorrow at noon at the AFL-CIO, right by the White House. Furloughed? Lunch break? Go. Everyone else, spread the word.
facebook.com/events/2162568…
Wherever you are, call your senators: tell Dems to hold strong; tell Republicans to join Dems to reopen the government with no wall. 202-224-3121. And ask what they plan to do if Trump declares an emergency.
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Over the past few months I have collected 500+ Trump, Pence and RNC tracking URLs dating back to June 2016. I've shared bits & pieces of this (⏬) as I've been looking under the hood, in search of the truth behind Project Alamo/Trump marketing ops.

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