“The government could end all of the suffering in our country… We could have health care and access to food, healthy foods, fresh food, we could have good doctors. We should be asking, ‘Why are we investing billions of dollars into another war across the seas?’”
This article is a joint publication of @workdaymagazine.bsky.social and @prospect.org. You can read the Workday Magazine version here.
Sheigh Freeberg, secretary-treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 17 in Minnesota, says “the only people getting rich on this are the people who sell the bombs and that build the bullshit AI. Everyone else suffers. All working people here suffer, and working people in Iran are suffering.”
One of the people I interviewed for this article found out during the course of the war that she had lost her food stamps. For the money the US is spending on war with Iran, it could be covering food stamps for 41 million people or Medicaid for 16 million people.
Mary Turner, an intensive care unit nurse in Minnesota who is on the council of presidents for the National Nurses United labor union (NNU), was brought to tears when discussing the U.S. and Israel bombing hospitals. The World Health Organization says it has verified the bombing of at least 13 hospitals and medical institutions in Iran and Lebanon. “That’s beyond the pale. That is unconscionable,” Turner says. “To be bombing and killing health care workers and obviously the patients in their most vulnerable state, it’s monstrous, inhumane. Boy, now we really know they have no respect for human life at all.” “And the thing is, the hospitals get bombed and all that, and they’re half functioning, they lose power, those health care workers don’t leave their post,” she added. “That’s the thing about doctors, nurses, and all health care workers. We don’t abandon our patients, like the government does. The government abandons them, but we don’t.”
The workers I talked to were extremely upset that public dollars are going toward killing people in Iran and Lebanon. In opposing war on Iran, they reflect US public opinion, which poll after poll shows is firmly against the war. Here's what an ICU nurse and labor leader told me.
Food stamp recipients, laid-off autoworkers, ICU nurses don't want war with Iran. I talked to workers who are horrified by the US-Israeli bombing of schools, hospitals, homes—and outraged that we're spending billions of public dollars on war while people in the US go hungry.
Lockheed Martin, RTX Land F-35 Contracts, US to Triple Some Defense Prodution
This is a publicly funded industry, proof that the U.S. can create jobs programs and design industrial policy when it wants to, but only substantially does so for the purpose of war and violence.
The US and Israel have bombed at least 13 hospitals and health facilities in Iran and one in Lebanon.
Michael was an unfailingly sweet, generous man, selfless organizer and father and a friend of Palestine. Read his obit if you have time.
Target has allowed ICE to abduct its workers and use its property for staging. Now Minnesota organizers are building a pressure campaign against the company. "There is no neutral here," says labor organizer Veronica Mendez Moore. Vital reporting by Isabela Escalona.
Please take a moment to learn about Michael's life. He was smart, humble, kind, and deeply dedicated to movements of the oppressed, and his impact will continue to be felt for a long time.
American Future’s biggest beneficiary, receiving more than $263,000, is Emil Jones III, a state senator who was indicted in 2022 on federal bribery charges, and faces little-known opponents in his race to hold on to his seat. In a race featuring a stark ideological contrast, American Future has spent over $220,000 in the 40th Legislative District in northwest Chicago, backing an entrenched Democratic machine incumbent, Jaime Andrade, Jr., against a democratic socialist challenger, Miguel Alvelo-Rivera, who, in a statement to the Center for Media and Democracy, pledged to “fight to tax wealthy corporations and individuals in Illinois, and… make sure they know our legislature isn’t for sale.”
Very interesting reporting by @matthewccook5.bsky.social inthesetimes.com/article/debu...
"The sports gambling industry is pouring more than a million dollars into local Illinois races in a gambit to evade regulations and higher taxes." Important reporting by @matthewccook5.bsky.social
"A death count on par with the Oklahoma City bombing is relegated to the back page."
Christian zionism is a toxic ideology that deserves way more scrutiny and criticism, especially because it has numerous adherents and leaders in the Trump administration.
There's a strange campaign to discredit Miguel Alvelo-Rivera, who I've interviewed several times about his organizing to protect day laborers from ICE. It's worth taking a look at his rebuttals. FWIW, I haven't come across his opponent, Jaime Andrade, in my reporting on anti-ICE organizing.
One of the things we argue here is that the priority should be demanding "no war." Not "hold a vote" or "follow procedure." It's stop killing children at school, stop bombing apartments, stop a violent, rapidly expanding war of domination. Ridiculous this needs to be said but discourse is so rotten.
"The only way to read this half-hearted response from the Democratic Party leadership is de facto support." essential writing from @sarahlazare.bsky.social and @ahjohnson.bsky.social www.thenation.com/article/poli...
I don't care if Congress authorizes War on Iran. NO WAR ON IRAN. I want people to fucking reclaim their morality.
The stakes could not be higher. The US-Israeli war on Iran is catastrophic—and rapidly expanding across the region. Yet Democratic leaders are failing to muster a clear, anti-war response. Instead it's sleepy, feigned opposition after the deed is done. By me and @ahjohnson.bsky.social
"We in the U.S. need to reckon with the fact that so much of our state wealth, capacity, and technology goes toward burying children in rubble." Important piece by @neginowl.bsky.social
David Burritt US Steel
David Burritt is the CEO of US Steel and a Director at Lockheed. US Steel is now a subsidiary of Nippon Steel. Both are companies with atrocious environmental records. He made $14.7 million in 2024 from US Steel.
John Aquilino is a retired Admiral and a Director. He was the head of the Indo-Pacific Command, where he helped to drive an arms race in the region via needless provocations of China and North Korea. Aquilino has also joined private equity firm Red Cell Partners.
John Donovan AT&T head shot
John Donovan is also a Director at Lockheed. A former AT&T CEO, Donovan continued to shut down union call centers and make the customer service experience worse.
Joseph Dunford head shot
Continuing the long tradition of a constant revolving door between the top brass and the military-industrial complex, Joseph Dunford is also a Director. Dunford was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs from 2015 to 2019, when the Pentagon armed and coordinated with Saudi Arabia in its war on Yemen
patricia yarrington head shot
Patricia Yarrington is a Director at Lockheed. She is a former Chief Financial Officer at Chevron, which among other things destroyed the Ecuadorian rainforest and then disbarred the lawyer that held them accountable.
Thomas J Falk head shot
Thomas J. Falk is Lockheed's Lead Independent Director, effectively the person charged with supervising Taiclet on behalf of the rest of the Board. He's a former Chairman of Kimberly-Clark, a company that clearcutted huge swaths of the previously pristine Kenogami Forest in Ontario.
James Taiclet head shot
James Taiclet, Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO. He's been on the Board since 2018. He just announced a massive munitions expansion on the 1/29 earnings call. Taiclet made $23.7 million in 2024.
Lockheed Martin Board Roll Call. The stock has been up over 45 percent in the last six months as Trump has prepped for this stupid fucking war. They're making a killing on killing.
The bombing of Iran, the starving of Cuba, the waging of genocide in Palestine. It's time to let go of the idea the role of the US is to enforce a rules-based order, and instead recognize the incredible harm our country unleashes around the world, and take meaningful action to reduce it.
