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Benn, whose 50-year career in parliament as a member of Britain's Labour Party broke all records for longevity, was later revered for his campaign against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, amongst his expansive career fighting for peace and justice in the UK and around the world.
Speaking to Democracy Now! in a 2009 interview, Benn stated, "You've got to judge a country by whether its needs are met and not just by whether some people make a profit."
He continued, "I've never met Mr. Dow Jones, and I'm sure he works very, very hard with his averages -- we get them every hour -- but I don't think the happiness of a nation is decided by the share values in Wall Street."
"Ask the powerful five questions," Benn once famously posed:
What power have you got?
Where did you get it from?
In whose interests do you exercise it?
To whom are you accountable?
How can we get rid of you?
Only democracy gives us that right. That is why no-one with power likes democracy and that is why every generation must struggle to win it and keep it; including you and me, here and now.
Watch a portion of the 2009 interview with Democracy Now!:
______________________
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.

Benn, whose 50-year career in parliament as a member of Britain's Labour Party broke all records for longevity, was later revered for his campaign against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, amongst his expansive career fighting for peace and justice in the UK and around the world.
Speaking to Democracy Now! in a 2009 interview, Benn stated, "You've got to judge a country by whether its needs are met and not just by whether some people make a profit."
He continued, "I've never met Mr. Dow Jones, and I'm sure he works very, very hard with his averages -- we get them every hour -- but I don't think the happiness of a nation is decided by the share values in Wall Street."
"Ask the powerful five questions," Benn once famously posed:
What power have you got?
Where did you get it from?
In whose interests do you exercise it?
To whom are you accountable?
How can we get rid of you?
Only democracy gives us that right. That is why no-one with power likes democracy and that is why every generation must struggle to win it and keep it; including you and me, here and now.
Watch a portion of the 2009 interview with Democracy Now!:
______________________
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.

Benn, whose 50-year career in parliament as a member of Britain's Labour Party broke all records for longevity, was later revered for his campaign against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, amongst his expansive career fighting for peace and justice in the UK and around the world.
Speaking to Democracy Now! in a 2009 interview, Benn stated, "You've got to judge a country by whether its needs are met and not just by whether some people make a profit."
He continued, "I've never met Mr. Dow Jones, and I'm sure he works very, very hard with his averages -- we get them every hour -- but I don't think the happiness of a nation is decided by the share values in Wall Street."
"Ask the powerful five questions," Benn once famously posed:
What power have you got?
Where did you get it from?
In whose interests do you exercise it?
To whom are you accountable?
How can we get rid of you?
Only democracy gives us that right. That is why no-one with power likes democracy and that is why every generation must struggle to win it and keep it; including you and me, here and now.
Watch a portion of the 2009 interview with Democracy Now!:
______________________