Dear John,

If you’ve watched CBS News’ 60 Minutes recently, you’ve likely been exposed to some of the worst pro-war propaganda out there. Not only are they airing segments supportive of U.S. wars on both China and Venezuela, but they also just gave another platform to the fascist U.S. president who is leading both charges.

Recent segments on China have parroted the hysteria of U.S. politicians, making evidenceless claims about China’s growing aggression and “infiltration” of the U.S., which is absurd considering that the U.S. has militarized the first island chain off China’s coast and declared its intent for war merely to protect U.S. hegemony. At the same time, 60 Minutes has been pushing stories critical of the Venezuelan government, clearly manufacturing support for U.S.-backed regime change. 

During his 60 Minutes interview, Trump said he “doubts” the U.S. will go to war with Venezuela, but he also said in the same breath that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's “days are numbered.” Well, U.S.-backed regime change is war. And you know what else is war? Bombing fishing vessels in international waters, which the Trump administration has been doing for weeks now under the absurd claim that they’re killing drug smugglers. What happened to following any semblance of international law? It seems the U.S. empire has grown tired of its moral facade and is embracing its true role as bloodthirsty, greedy hegemon.

CODEPINK has already been campaigning against CBS for months on account of its deep ties to the military-industrial complex and pro-war interests. The network is now under the influence of figures like David Ellison, the new CEO of Paramount, whose father, Larry Ellison, billionaire founder of Oracle, which provides significant data services to the Department of War. Oracle is also the company tapped by Trump to oversee TikTok operations in the U.S., which will allow it to control the algorithm and provide the U.S. government access to its massive pool of user data. At the same time, CBS has brought on notorious Zionist and genocide supporter Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief. 

None of this is a coincidence. 60 Minutes is widely considered a leading example of television journalism, specifically known for its investigative reporting. It has the potential to influence millions of Americans. That’s why billionaires are extending U.S. government and corporate control over the program—so they can promote U.S. war propaganda, parrot official talking points to justify aggression against China, Venezuela, and continue to line their pockets from all the money they make off war. The danger of this cannot be overstated. 

👉 Send a Letter to the Producers of 60 Minutes Demanding They Stop Acting as Cheerleaders for U.S. Wars!

I know it’s exhausting to keep track of all the U.S.-funded wars, genocides, bombings, and interventions, especially when things are going to shit domestically as well. But it’s important to remember that, though these are all different battles, the struggle is the same. We are all partners in a global resistance movement against the same enemy: U.S. imperialism. 

War on Venezuela has nothing to do with drugs, just as war on China has nothing to do with protecting democracy and human rights. These are just stories meant to justify U.S. aggression. The only things that really drive U.S. wars are greed and thirst for power. Consider the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which was justified by made-up weapons of mass destruction, but ultimately was about carving up Iraq’s oil fields for U.S. corporations. Did you know Venezuela sits atop the largest oil reserves in the world, which it sells predominantly to China? It’s true. And people still think U.S. politicians are worried about drugs (sidenote: if they were actually worried about the health and safety of the American public, they’d give us affordable healthcare). 

You also may have seen recent news stories claiming that China is “weaponizing trade.” The truth couldn’t be more ironic if it tried. This story is spun from China recently implementing export controls on rare earth minerals, which the U.S. uses to build advanced weapons systems…that it then sells to Israel and Ukraine, and would undoubtedly use against China and Venezuela as well. China isn’t “weaponizing trade.” It’s just exercising its sovereignty over its own resources and hindering the U.S. war effort. Are we supposed to consider that a bad thing?

Listen, you don’t need to like the governments of China or Venezuela. But you do have to understand that their partnership, and the growing partnerships across the Global South, are part of the resistance against U.S. imperialism. That is why the U.S. is targeting them — not for any moral or legal reason. As we’ve so clearly seen from two years of U.S.-funded genocide in Gaza, neither morality nor legality guides U.S. policy.

We have to remain vigilant, especially as U.S. media outlets continue to be bought up and used as weapons to justify aggression and promote the interests of U.S. imperialism at home and abroad. This is where the influence lies, and that’s why they’re working so hard to take over the media, to take over TikTok, and to control all the sources of information that shape public opinion.

👉 Tell 60 Minutes Leadership: Don’t Be a Tool for U.S. Imperialism and War!

Peace and solidarity, 

Megan, Michelle, and the CODEPINK Team

➕ Interested in China-Venezuela solidarity? Read our article Different Battle, Same Struggle: The US Push for War on China, Venezuela, & the International Left.

This week, we confronted Barri Weiss at an open debate in Chicago. You can watch the video here. 

Contact [email protected] to learn more.