Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
@benjaminvandyne.bsky.social
Benjamin not Ben
Papa not Dad
Union Organizer
Hand-tool Woodworker
Theology PhD Dropout
He/him/él
Papa not Dad
Union Organizer
Hand-tool Woodworker
Theology PhD Dropout
He/him/él
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
No son, they are not "magically delicious." The workers made them delicious. This is a slogan meant to mystify the social conditions of labor
February 11, 2026 at 1:46 AM
No son, they are not "magically delicious." The workers made them delicious. This is a slogan meant to mystify the social conditions of labor
I have policy thoughts and organizing thoughts and political thoughts but the instinctive thought whenever I see these things as that if you did this to my children I would not rest until you were dead.
Please take the time to read what the children detained in Dilley wrote me in their own words: www.propublica.org/article/ice-... 10/
“I Have Been Here Too Long”: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility
Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end...
www.propublica.org
February 9, 2026 at 1:39 PM
I have policy thoughts and organizing thoughts and political thoughts but the instinctive thought whenever I see these things as that if you did this to my children I would not rest until you were dead.
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
I’m watching a lot of petty, mean-spirited haters dunking on Kid Rock on every platform and seriously you all rock.
February 8, 2026 at 6:59 PM
I’m watching a lot of petty, mean-spirited haters dunking on Kid Rock on every platform and seriously you all rock.
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
I disagree with Congressman Gonzales that 5-year-old American citizen children are helped in any way by their kindergarten classmates being kisbnapped and disappeared by marked, armed thugs.
Gonzales on Liam Ramos and his family: "They're not gonna qualify for asylum. So what do you do with all the people that go through the process and do not qualify for asylum? You deport them. I understand that 5-year-old and it breaks my heart. I also think, what about that 5-year-old US citizen?"
February 8, 2026 at 5:05 PM
I disagree with Congressman Gonzales that 5-year-old American citizen children are helped in any way by their kindergarten classmates being kisbnapped and disappeared by marked, armed thugs.
Word on the streets is that on addition to a very rad mayor, NYers in district 3 could also have an awesome city council member? Sounded to good to be true so I checked out the volunteer kickoff for @lindseyboylan.bsky.social last night and can confirm: she's really real y'all.
February 7, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
"Natalia Bonanno’s family owns 200 apartment units"
In a city packed with mighty real estate titans, they are the small ones.
New York landlords say they are at their breaking point as Mayor Zohran Mamdani begins to implement even more aggressive tenant-friendly policies.
New York landlords say they are at their breaking point as Mayor Zohran Mamdani begins to implement even more aggressive tenant-friendly policies.
NYC’s small landlords say they won’t survive Mamdani plan to freeze rent
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has criticized landlords and vowed to freeze what tenants in rent-stabilized apartments pay monthly.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:22 PM
"Natalia Bonanno’s family owns 200 apartment units"
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
it's not just that Mamdani is charming af (he is), it's that he is normalizing the idea that children are full members of society that we all share a collective responsibility for
From @acyn.bsky.social (posted on X)
"Reporter: Do any of you have a favorite animal?
Child: My favorite one is a gold snake that can move. It has gold eyes, and it has a super-duper tail…
Reporter: Mr. Mamdani, the second question for you.
Mamdani: Yes. It’s also the golden snake."
"Reporter: Do any of you have a favorite animal?
Child: My favorite one is a gold snake that can move. It has gold eyes, and it has a super-duper tail…
Reporter: Mr. Mamdani, the second question for you.
Mamdani: Yes. It’s also the golden snake."
February 6, 2026 at 5:19 PM
it's not just that Mamdani is charming af (he is), it's that he is normalizing the idea that children are full members of society that we all share a collective responsibility for
The funny thing in this mostly not-funny episode is the word "most"
Senator Tim Scott, a Trump ally, says President Trump needs to delete his Truth Social post that shows the Obamas as apes.
“It’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” he wrote on X.
“It’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” he wrote on X.
February 6, 2026 at 3:51 PM
The funny thing in this mostly not-funny episode is the word "most"
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
I'm not sure how to explain to people like mcardle and douthat that raping people is bad no matter what age they are.
February 5, 2026 at 11:39 PM
I'm not sure how to explain to people like mcardle and douthat that raping people is bad no matter what age they are.
You may absolutely believe that you have been unfairly excluded from the confidential communication channels of an activist group. But if your goal is really to earn back trust— even if you think you shouldn’t have to— I’m just not sure if posting through it on a public platform is the way
February 5, 2026 at 10:06 PM
You may absolutely believe that you have been unfairly excluded from the confidential communication channels of an activist group. But if your goal is really to earn back trust— even if you think you shouldn’t have to— I’m just not sure if posting through it on a public platform is the way
If you are a union, don’t piss off your staff union. They’re often there because they’re really good at Union.
February 5, 2026 at 9:49 PM
If you are a union, don’t piss off your staff union. They’re often there because they’re really good at Union.
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
read all about it!
Governor Kathy Hochul Is Undermining Striking New York Nurses
As a historic nurses’ strike enters its fourth week, New York governor Kathy Hochul has protected hospitals from the strike’s impact by making it easier to hire scabs and doing little to stop executiv...
jacobin.com
February 4, 2026 at 11:28 PM
read all about it!
This is the sort of thing you say when you know your employees are unionized and want to avoid a job action.
New: Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray and HR Chief Wayne Connell tell employees to stay home for a zoom webinar ahead of “significant actions across the company.” Widely expected layoffs are scheduled to begin today.
February 4, 2026 at 11:57 AM
This is the sort of thing you say when you know your employees are unionized and want to avoid a job action.
The nuanced and realistic conversations about operational security are not happening on Bluesky. Be for serious.
February 3, 2026 at 7:37 PM
The nuanced and realistic conversations about operational security are not happening on Bluesky. Be for serious.
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
“I explicitly said no to engaging in the sex crimes that I was offered by Epstien” is not the exoneration you think it is unless you, like, immediately went to the authorities and the press
February 1, 2026 at 5:15 PM
“I explicitly said no to engaging in the sex crimes that I was offered by Epstien” is not the exoneration you think it is unless you, like, immediately went to the authorities and the press
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
Excited about being interviewed by Isaac Chotiner tomorrow! Not looking him up
February 2, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Excited about being interviewed by Isaac Chotiner tomorrow! Not looking him up
“this part of the economy, and this part only, depends on surplus labor value.”
The main business model of Silicon Valley from Uber to AirBnB to Spotify is: skim profit off others' goods and labor. Often in ways that are exploitative of individuals or destructive of larger forces (as with Amazon and the retail that kept people heading out in public).
Mamdani Forces Delivery Apps to Pay Back $4.6 Million Cheated From Drivers
New York City's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has already scored a major win for deliveristas working for three delivery giants.
futurism.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:51 PM
“this part of the economy, and this part only, depends on surplus labor value.”
I’m not sure we should accept or repeat the term “administrative warrant.” That’s not a thing. It is a piece of paper saying “I am not getting a warrant from a judge because I really really really don’t want to.”
February 3, 2026 at 5:37 PM
I’m not sure we should accept or repeat the term “administrative warrant.” That’s not a thing. It is a piece of paper saying “I am not getting a warrant from a judge because I really really really don’t want to.”
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
Buried lede: he realizes that it is absolutely impossible to achieve mass deportation if that process is required, which it constitutionally is.
Mike Johnson speaks out against the use of judicial warrants in immigration cases:
"Imagine if we had to go through the process of getting a judicial warrant"
"Imagine if we had to go through the process of getting a judicial warrant"
February 3, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Buried lede: he realizes that it is absolutely impossible to achieve mass deportation if that process is required, which it constitutionally is.
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
Honored to earn the endorsement of the 504 Dems and to share their support for my campaign first because far too often, disability justice is treated as optional and as an afterthought.
1 in 4 adults in the U.S. has a disability, and our city must be built for all of us.
1 in 4 adults in the U.S. has a disability, and our city must be built for all of us.
February 3, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Honored to earn the endorsement of the 504 Dems and to share their support for my campaign first because far too often, disability justice is treated as optional and as an afterthought.
1 in 4 adults in the U.S. has a disability, and our city must be built for all of us.
1 in 4 adults in the U.S. has a disability, and our city must be built for all of us.
Excited about being interviewed by Isaac Chotiner tomorrow! Not looking him up
February 2, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Excited about being interviewed by Isaac Chotiner tomorrow! Not looking him up
I cried
February 2, 2026 at 2:14 AM
I cried
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
www.propublica.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:10 PM
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
[in an email to my bestie, Pol Pot]: I am exasperated at my children's choice in role models
Larry Summers complaining to Epstein that his kids admire Bernie Sanders too much
February 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM
[in an email to my bestie, Pol Pot]: I am exasperated at my children's choice in role models
Reposted by Benjamin Not Ben 🍉
So believe me I understand this is deeply frustrating and unfair, but a march that does everything right and still gets tear gassed is a successful march that is winning.
A lot of the strategy of protest is luring the authorities into engaging in obviously, transparently unjust uses of force.
A lot of the strategy of protest is luring the authorities into engaging in obviously, transparently unjust uses of force.
It's hard to overstate how ell-organized the portland march that got gassed was... organizers made the crowd promise to be peaceful, said the march would slow in front of the ICE building but not stop, that we would stick to one chant (ICE Out). They did absolutely everything right and got gassed.
February 1, 2026 at 6:31 AM
So believe me I understand this is deeply frustrating and unfair, but a march that does everything right and still gets tear gassed is a successful march that is winning.
A lot of the strategy of protest is luring the authorities into engaging in obviously, transparently unjust uses of force.
A lot of the strategy of protest is luring the authorities into engaging in obviously, transparently unjust uses of force.