Van Jones
@VanJones68 • 865,517 subscribers
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I'm tired of being told that, to be a progressive, I now must swear allegiance to crazy ideas. I'm a strong Democrat, with a winning bipartisan track record. I'm rooted in progressive ideals and policies: criminal justice reform, Green New Deal, Medicare for All, free education, clean air and water. These are ideas I have fought for my entire adult life. But some people in groups like the DSA are pushing an agenda FAR outside those ideals. Supporting Hamas is not progressive. "No police, no prisons, no borders" is not progressive. Celebrating the murder of Israeli civilians is not progressive. These ideas are REGRESSIVE. If there were no police or prisons, if anyone in your neighborhood could do whatever they wanted, while politicians cheered on terror groups — would that represent PROGRESS to you? No, that would be a step back. Those are REGRESSIVE ideas. On the other hand, if everybody could see a doctor when they got sick, get a good, free education and breathe clean air — would that represent progress? Yes. Those are PROGRESSIVE ideas. They are NOT the same thing. And the difference matters. Some defend the far left by claiming they only want Nordic-style social democracy. If that were true, I might applaud them. I want those policies, too! But what does universal healthcare have to do with Hamas? With abolishing all law enforcement? With erasing all borders? With treating every wealthy person as a villain? Ideas matter. And these are terrible ideas. Right now, extremists are trying to sneak backwards proposals into our party, hoping mainstream Democrats are too frustrated with MAGA and the Democratic Party establishment to notice. But we see you. Yes, we want our Democratic Party to be a big tent. But we don’t need "party poopers. So STOP pooping in the punch bowl — and telling us the turds are ice cubes. They aren't. And we are smart enough to know the difference. 💩
Van Jones415,638 次观看 • 7 小时前
Reasonable Democrats are going to have to get off their couches, roll up their sleeves and start organizing real voters on the ground. We can no longer rely only on TV ads, digital spend and endorsements. Just donating from afar and complaining about the DSA won’t cut it. The DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) can beat moderates in a growing number of blue strongholds. Why? Because the DSA has patiently built an army of on-the-ground organizers — who go to meetings, help each other, study together and THEN work to turn out voters on Election Day. That army grows every day — election or no election. Their investment in real people grows (and compounds) with each election cycle. The DSA has a bigger army, every time, win or lose. But at the end of any election, all moderate Dems have for their efforts is a bunch of ads that nobody will ever see again. That’s not going to work anymore. If you are a Democrat who believes in opportunity, dignity and democracy for all — but you don’t hate rich people, cops, free enterprise, the West, Israel and the United States of America — I’m talking to you!
Van Jones611,638 次观看 • 22 天前
Hasan Piker says the designated terrorist organization Hamas is 1,000 times better than Israel. His statement outraged many — who now just want to write him off. That's a mistake. He has a massive audience and is emerging as one of the major voices of his generation. Those of us who disagree owe him — and his audience — a real argument. Here's mine … And my position doesn’t come from ignorance about oppression. For a big chunk of my life, I was a grassroots activist — because of the pain of my own people. During those years, I was lucky enough to learn from elders who had been in the Black Panther Party, in SNCC, in the ANC. These were people who had to choose whether to pick up the gun — and how to use it if they did. They taught me this: even in armed struggle, there are principles. No women. No children. No rapes. No kidnapping. Mandela held that line. Amílcar Cabral held that line. You don't become what you're fighting. Hamas fails that test. They are not fighting for MORE freedom for Palestinians. They're fighting for less. They want theocracy, not democracy. And their means? They don’t use principled armed struggle (hitting military targets). They use terrorism (targeting civilians). The vast majority of Americans — including those who sympathize with the Palestinian cause — reject terror tactics. Reasonable people would agree on three principles: secure homelands for both peoples; no hatred for Jews or Muslims; and protection for all civilians. Hamas’ approach undermines all three. That's the conversation Piker's audience deserves. Not name-calling.
Van Jones1,713,245 次观看 • 2 个月前
Trump betrayed a decent, honorable man who had a 99.2 percent record of supporting him in the U.S. Senate. He destroyed the career of U.S. Senator Cornyn to elevate a dishonest, impeached and corrupt crook named Ken Paxton. (Google him. This guy is terrible.) When the President of the United States happily backs a bad man and throws a good man overboard, it sends a horrible message to the next generation. This president continues to do moral and ethical damage to the nation that will be hard to undo. Not surprised. But still disappointed in where GOP voters are.
Van Jones619,318 次观看 • 1 个月前
When you woke up this morning, your internet worked. You scrolled, you searched, you shared. But 90 million Iranians woke up — again — to total darkness. Their government has now imposed the longest nationwide internet blackout ever recorded in any country. Almost 40 consecutive days. That should alarm every one of us. Iran’s information blackout is a weapon against its own people. When governments can flip a switch and immediately disappear 90 million people from the internet, the rest of us lose our eyes and ears too.
Van Jones1,235,969 次观看 • 3 个月前
Something strange is happening in the information war. Young Americans defending regimes like the Islamic Republic of Iran that jail protesters, strip women of rights and execute people for being gay. Self-described patriots on the right suddenly echoing narratives that benefit a country like Russia — which is openly hostile to the United States. How does that happen? Not through tanks or missiles. Post by post, people get pulled into camps that don’t actually serve their own country or their own values. They become pieces on a chessboard in a GRAY WAR — a conflict fought with information instead of bullets. And most people don’t even realize they’re part of it. The battlefield isn’t overseas anymore — it’s in your feed.
Van Jones1,337,401 次观看 • 4 个月前
Graham Platner puts Democrats at an important crossroads. Are we going to hold the moral standard that Republicans abandoned? Or is the greater good to be found in doing whatever it takes to retake the U.S. Senate— even with a flawed candidate? I believe in redemption. But redemption requires accountability and honesty. I hope Platner does better on those two counts, going forward. Regardless, the people of Maine have a tough decision.
Van Jones322,477 次观看 • 1 个月前
The Democratic Socialists of America are winning elections — and sending waves of joy and terror through the Democratic Party. A little historical context might be useful. Before you celebrate or panic, there’s a lot to learn here. The Party’s past tells a story that’s getting lost in all the noise. It's both more hopeful, and more cautionary, than either side probably wants to admit. First, in some ways, there are elements of history repeating itself in the aftermath of an unpopular war. The Vietnam War gave Democrats Bill and Hillary Clinton. The Iraq War gave Democrats Barack Obama. The Gaza War is giving Democrats a new wave of candidates. Second, the physics of politics made it inevitable that some kind of “far left” reaction was coming in reaction to the “far right” movement of Donald Trump and MAGA. This kind of development also has a history. For example: Occupy Wall Street was the left’s reaction to the financial crisis — but also to the right-wing Tea Party. Third, different global conflicts tend to put in harm’s way different ethnic groups domestically. - After the Vietnam War and during the 1980s trade tensions with Japan, Asian Americans were under suspicion and threat. - After 9/11, American Muslims were in acute danger. (And Islamophobia continues to be a serious problem— from Trump’s Muslim ban through the recent murderous attacks on Palestinian Americans.) - Today, statistically speaking, it’s the American Jews who are on the hot seat. Bias crimes against them have skyrocketed at a rate that surpasses that of all other groups — by a lot. This sad, dangerous pattern of an ethnic group being scapegoated and targeted during a global conflict is all-too-familiar. And as always: it must be vigorously denounced and opposed. One important thing to note: even if you reject their ideology, there is room to admire the energy and idealism of the young people who are challenging the Democratic Party. At least they are participating in the system, not burning things down. That said, there are elements and ideas in the DSA movement that are repulsive, outrageous and dangerous. In my next video, I will spell them out. Let me know what you think about this video in the comments below.
Van Jones43,638 次观看 • 6 天前
Yesterday the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran and killed their Supreme Leader. Now the news cycle is moving onto “NOW WHAT??” For those of you who are unfamiliar - meet Reza Pahlavi. When millions took to the streets protesting the regime, they chanted his name. Important history: Reza Pahlavi is the son of the former Shah of Iran. He has lived in exile for 47 years while his people suffered. Here’s the key: He does NOT want to return as a king. He does NOT want a throne. He wants to return as a healer for Iran. A transitional figure to usher in Democracy for the Iranian people. I believe Reza Pahlavia has an honest shot at leading Iran and changing the Middle East — and possibly the world. Reza Pahlavi: Will This Man Lead Iran? -
Van Jones950,363 次观看 • 4 个月前
Historically, unpopular wars have always roiled the Democratic Party — and shaken up the party leadership. The Vietnam War gave the Democratic Party an anti-war nominee named George McGovern— and pulled into politics two anti-war activists named Bill and Hillary Clinton. Opponents of the Iraq War elevated Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008. And the same pattern is playing out right now with Gaza War and other conflicts in the Middle East; that carnage has opened the door for socialist candidates to win in New York and Colorado. Younger voters in particular are watching their phones, drawing a moral line and voting for the candidates who agree with them. Understanding that history doesn't tell you how to feel about the DSA or its candidates. It does show us that aspects of their rise are not unprecedented.
Van Jones24,433 次观看 • 4 天前
The day before he was horrifically murdered, Charlie Kirk sent me a direct message on X. Unfortunately, before I could even respond, Charlie Kirk was killed — seemingly assassinated for the words he'd spoken. I've taken issue with many of those words — sometimes strongly — but never his right to speak them. Never his right to express those views and then go home to his family. That is a sacred American value. Kirk’s murder gives us all reason to come back to the table for dialogue. There is a rising tide of political violence that has already swept away his life and many others’ lives, from both the Left and the Right. Violence like this should compel people in both parties to turn down the heat, seek common ground and look for off-ramps from the vitriol — as Kirk was doing with me, the day before he died. We can choose to go the way of more violence, more outrage and more censorship — if we want to. But if we choose censorship and civil war, we cannot blame that choice on Charlie Kirk! From his last 24 hours, I have the proof that he wanted to go a very different way.
Van Jones1,867,259 次观看 • 10 个月前
It's been more than 45 days since Iran's internet went dark. And the Iranian regime is burning through MILLIONS per day to keep 92 million people offline. Why spend so much to silence your own country? Because when you control the internet, you control the story. When a government won't let its OWN PEOPLE speak, question the narrative the outside world is hearing.
Van Jones510,381 次观看 • 3 个月前
83% of Americans support voter ID, including 71% of Democrats and 76% of black voters. BUT the federal policy Trump and the GOP are pushing goes FAR beyond Voter ID. It demands DOCUMENTARY PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP. That means your driver's license isn't good enough. Your REAL ID isn't good enough. You need a BIRTH CERTIFICATE or PASSPORT — which 21 million Americans don't have handy. That's not voter ID. That's a wholly different policy regime that requires adequate time and resources to implement properly — or millions of lawful voters will be unfairly barred from the ballot booth.
Van Jones588,179 次观看 • 4 个月前
Buyer's remorse is real. Independents gave Republicans a shot. Latinos gave Republicans a shot. Black men gave Republicans a shot. They all tried it — and now they’re coming home. Tonight's elections prove that people are tired of the status quo. At the end of the day, people’s basic rights are not being respected. And their basic needs aren’t being met. People don’t want more talk & more spin. They are focused on groceries, rent, safety, dignity — the stuff that ACTUALLY matters. Tonight's elections in Virginia, New Jersey and NYC’s prove it: people are tired of the status quo. Thats why Mamdani won. And that’s why you are seeing this blue blowout.
Van Jones945,053 次观看 • 8 个月前
Break out the summer popcorn, folks 🍿!! Superman’s cousin Kara proves that COURAGE is the real superpower in that family— in any situation and under any color sun. ☀️ Gotta be honest; I’m a born and bred Marvel guy. But even someone like ME has to admit that DC’s franchise reboot is off to a fantastic start. Last summer’s SUPERMAN debut set the table perfectly. And SUPERGIRL follows up this summer with a fun, intergalactic romp that reveals more of the fascinating universe that DC’s heroes now inhabit. The hero is played by Milly Alcock, who is in almost every scene. She carries the entire movie with strength, humor, grit and authenticity. And there’s just enough “girl power” in here to make the point — minus any overt preachiness. The director just lets the main characters’ overall “bad-ass-ness” speak for itself. It works. An unexpected bonus! Some of the space aliens in the film call back to an early Star Wars sensibility— a real treat for people who remember the towering heights of that franchise. The movie lands the point that true heroism is a matter of the spirit, not the superpowers. And that’s a point worth remembering as we battle existential threats and dangers on THIS planet. Go see this film! PS — At the world premiere, I got to meet my comic world idol, the legendary Jim Lee!!
Van Jones66,305 次观看 • 18 天前
Almost everyone says they believe in “equality,” in principle. But in reality — true equality is quite rare. Some people have advantages that others don’t. Ironically, exponential technologies like A.I. could potentially level the playing field. After all — even acknowledging the legitimate concerns people have about the future of A.I. — consider this. No matter your skin color, your faith or your economic status — 99 percent of humanity is still “equally ignorant” about how these new tools work. These super powerful apps coming out every day? They are brand new to almost everyone, at the same time. That’s equality, right there! And from a standing start, people who were losing under the old order — just might find new ways to win. I am proud to be a part of Rapport and — two teams using tech for good. For more on Rapport, which uses A.I. to help people at work be MORE human with each other — visit
Van Jones583,714 次观看 • 8 个月前
ABOUT THE SPEECH: First of all: let’s all give Zohran Mamdani his due. He just did the impossible — beat Democratic royalty (the Cuomos), beat the money, beat the machine and then pushed past Trump himself to become the first Muslim mayor of America’s biggest city. That’s a huge accomplishment. With this upset win, he has already written his name in American history books. And he’s only 34 years old. The pride and energy you’re seeing from his supporters is hard earned and well-deserved. That said: I would be remiss if I didn’t flag something I noticed during last night’s victory speech. The Mamdani on stage last night seemed like a different Mamdani than the one who won people over on the campaign trail. While campaigning, Mamdani was calm, warm, inclusive — the kind of guy who built a big tent that might have a place for everyone. But last night, his tone was sharper. His voice was louder. His rhetoric was harsher. His famous smile and sense of humor were mostly absent. His many supporters loved it. But others just couldn’t relate. That was a missed opportunity. I greatly preferred Mamdani’s FIRST victory speech — the one he gave when he first upset Cuomo and burst onto the global stage this summer. It was brilliant, warm, sunny, inviting. If he goes back to that mode — the world could be his oyster. Fortunately, as he continues to make history, Mamdani will have many, many more speeches to give
Van Jones412,062 次观看 • 8 个月前
Trump should send an invoice to the DNC. He is doing more for the Democratic Party than Democrats could pay him to do. Republicans actually passed a housing bill. One good thing for the millions of young people who cannot buy a home. Housing is the single biggest issue for voters under 40. It had bipartisan support. And Trump just shelved it. He decided to hold it up for an extreme voter ID bill so burdensome that his own Republicans don’t want it. He traded something everybody wants for something nobody asked for. Democrats couldn't write a better script. Send us the invoice, Donald.
Van Jones41,420 次观看 • 23 天前
Some observers had hoped that Trump’s near-death experience might have softened him somehow. Maybe he would use this moment to bring us all together, they said. But since he selected as his VP someone like J.D. Vance — a hard-edged attack dog for a maximum MAGA agenda — I fear that everyone can kiss that fantasy goodbye. #JDVance #Vance #Trump #GOP #GOPConvention #RNC2024
Van Jones943,132 次观看 • 2 年前