Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani

I Want Iran to Be Free More Than Anything. I Also Don’t Trust Trump. The president can talk about how he cares about the freedom of Iranians all he wants, but his actions make that hard to believe.

Very informative and moving piece here from @adriennemahsa.bsky.social for the @newrepublic.com. Read! newrepublic.com/article/2071... via @newrepublic.com

i will never stop thinking about the intersection of epstein and the shitty media men list

Glad I’m not alone!!!

It is valid to be wary of U.S. intervention anywhere—certainly, the United States does not have a glittering track record, and Trump is only adding to the lowlights of American foreign policy—but to write off what is happening as a U.S. (or Israeli) masterplan does a disservice to the people of Iran, who have been doing everything they can for decades to fight their oppressors. They are not pawns in some geopolitical game. And perhaps an uncomfortable truth for some is that they need our help. In 2009, when millions of Iranians took to the streets to protest a stolen election, they called on then-President Obama for his help. “Ya ba oona, ya ba ma,” they chanted in the streets, a pun on Obama’s name that translated to: “You’re either with them, or you’re with us.” Their calls went unheeded. Whatever happens this time around, all I know is this: The Iranian people deserve to be free, and they will be soon; whether the American left wants to play a meaningful role in their liberation or continue to defame them is their choice to make. But Iranians have long memories.

I wrote for @newrepublic.com about how I'm sick to death of how the left is talking about the protests in Iran as people are being killed in the streets:
newrepublic.com/article/2052...

It is valid to be wary of U.S. intervention anywhere—certainly, the United States does not have a glittering track record, and Trump is only adding to the lowlights of American foreign policy—but to write off what is happening as a U.S. (or Israeli) masterplan does a disservice to the people of Iran, who have been doing everything they can for decades to fight their oppressors. They are not pawns in some geopolitical game. And perhaps an uncomfortable truth for some is that they need our help. In 2009, when millions of Iranians took to the streets to protest a stolen election, they called on then-President Obama for his help. “Ya ba oona, ya ba ma,” they chanted in the streets, a pun on Obama’s name that translated to: “You’re either with them, or you’re with us.” Their calls went unheeded. Whatever happens this time around, all I know is this: The Iranian people deserve to be free, and they will be soon; whether the American left wants to play a meaningful role in their liberation or continue to defame them is their choice to make. But Iranians have long memories.

I wrote for@newrepublic about how I'm sick to death of how the left is talking about the protests in Iran as people are being killed in the streets:
newrepublic.com/article/2052...

The Left Is Losing the Plot on Iran As the Iranian people mount a furious protest against the nation’s hostile regime, some voices defame their bold resistance as serving the ends of imperialism.

This is a smart and brave piece by @adriennemahsa.bsky.social. Read!!! newrepublic.com/article/2052... via @newrepublic.com

I was not, but thank you for the h/t anyway! (And for reading @newrepublic.com!)

Karoline Leavitt Is Fascism’s Lead Mouthpiece The nihilistic White House press secretary lies with abandon in defense of the Trump administration’s attempt to create a whiter America.

@adriennemahsa.bsky.social writes:

“𝘈 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘪𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 […]

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩…”

The Washington Post Fired Me — But My Voice Will Not Be Silenced. I spoke out against hatred and violence in America — and it cost me my job.

Some personal news:

I've been fired from the Washington Post in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Thread incoming.

substack.com/@karenattiah...

I'm speaking with some really smart folks for a
@newrepublic panel later today on Trump's Immigration Report Card.

Join us as at 4 pm ET as we discuss Trump's first six months, his attack on immigrants, and what this means for American democracy.
www.eventbrite.com/e/immigratio...

The Trump administration has carried out the most destructive rewrite of immigration policy in modern U.S. history.

Join us and @newrepublic.com on July 23 as we discuss how the administration is using mass deportation to attack democracy.

Register here: ow.ly/StaR50WqaEf

The Iranian Voices Missing From the “Regime Change” Debate Pro-war voices who insist the Iranian people would welcome a war that would spell the end of the Islamic Republic are deliberately ignoring the desires of actual Iranians.

I wrote about all the Iranian civil rights activists people are ignoring when they talk about bringing regime change to Iran through bombs:
newrepublic.com/article/1970... @newrepublic.com

Kaveh Akbar is a must-read on Iran, Israel, and the growing drumbeat to war:
www.thenation.com/article/acti...

The Trump Administration Is Spending $2 Million to Figure Out Whether DEI Causes Plane Crashes The president may be disappointed by the findings.

Trump spent $2 million on a celebrity lawyer to investigate whether DEI is causing plane crashes—and naturally they found nothing
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Trump Issues Sweeping Travel Ban Full of Contradictions There doesn’t seem to be a lot of logic behind why some countries were added to the list.

I wrote about the contradictions in Trump's newest travel ban — and questions about why some countries were added to the list but others weren't
newrepublic.com/post/196161/... @newrepublic.com

Mahmoud Khalil permitted to hold newborn son for the first time despite objections from government Detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was allowed to hold his one-month-old son for the first time after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to keep the father and infant separated by a plexiglass divider.

Detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was allowed to hold his one-month-old son for the first time after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to keep the father and infant separated by a plexiglass divider.

Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students

Trump just revoked the ability for international students to enroll at Harvard. That includes students studying there NOW.

27% of Harvard students are international students. This will hurt so many people—and destroy Harvard.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...

2018 technically! But yes everyone will have collective amnesia for sure