The Philadelphia Inquirer has time and again been unafraid of bashing the Trump administration. Heather Cox Richardson, the Bulwark, the Contrarian, Robert Reich, Paul Krugman are just a few of the brilliant Substack writers (and you of course Margaret) bringing us the news.
I appreciate you column because you aggregate the bias of the corporate media and point out which outlets are doing a good job.
Trump thinks he can avoid liability for regime change by doing regime removal — and insisting that the Iranians are responsible for what comes next.
Just watch! In five weeks, right after Easter, he’ll wash his hands of the war and walk away. Trump knows how to destroy, but not how to build. “Everything Trump Touches Dies.”
Tragically, media is focused on the score not the stakes (yet again.)
On a somewhat related note, unless it’s a direct quote, I hope journalists eschew the Trump Administration’s preferred term, “warfighter.”
It dehumanizes the people we ask to defend our country and constitution, presumes a constant state of war, undercuts the history and expertise of the service branches, and is a marketing tool to recruit impressionable young entertainment and gaming oriented minds.
I saw Reuters use it outside of a quote this morning. Ugh.
A startup called Noda provides the software to control the drones, known as an "orchestrator" that allows warfighters to control multiple autonomous systems, one of the sources familiar with the program said.
How about personnel, specialists, operators, even combatants, instead?
To answer your question about what media I'm turning to for information, The Bulwark has added some important voices over the past couple of years. General Mark Hertling has been an important voice on military matters and Cathy Young on international stories. With a number of reporters focused on different beats, they remain focused on a full range of topics, even as breaking news unfolds.
Paul Krugman has been invaluable for me in following the money and grift, Judd Legum the same, plus focusing on the oligarch class. Joyce Vance expands my understanding of court cases. There are others but more often they fall into commentary rather than news.
I still read the Times but not the way I used to. I drop in when there's a major story and otherwise can go days without going to their site.
David Sanger is the archetype of the Inside-the-Beltway denizens who Paul Krugman labels “Very Serious People” or “VSPs.” He doesn’t mean it in a good way. To acknowledge front and center the possibility that the Leader was seeking to distract from a domestic political scandal would be to show you are not a serious national security analyst.
I see two goals: Epstein diversion and sparing the lives of young oligarchs. I don’t know the names of all of the soldiers who have died under this administration but there’s a good chance their families aren’t billionaires.
In 2017, just six days into his first term, 47 authorized a raid on Yemen aimed at intelligence gathering. It resulted in the death of Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens, injuries to three other U.S. troops, the loss of a $75 million aircraft, and civilian casualties. After being told that 47 was heading from Washington to attend the transfer of his son’s remains, Bill Owens refused to meet with him. “ I told them I didn't want to make a scene about it, but my conscience wouldn't let me talk to him," Owens said in an interview with The Miami Herald (Google AI). 47’s response to the most recent fallen was “there will likely be more.” If he reinstates the draft, will his youngest son be included?
We have a volunteer army made up of young people paying the ultimate price. For what?
“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, spoken by Sherlock Holmes in stories like The Sign of Four and The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, Google AI). If you have links providing evidence for an alternative theory, kindly post them?
Have no idea where you're coming from. There are ten reasons for starting this war, none impossible, and one incredibly improbable reason, as pointed out.
What exactly has he done that has made any sense, in any venture in his life?? Everything has been centered to benefit himself. A man in command does not revise himself by the hour.....He doesn't understand a speck about politics...He is simply absorbed by everything that he hears...... the results = reversals, retractions, attempted clarifications...subsequently all denied eventually....The man is a monster without a clue about anyone or anything but himself....
This may all be true. But in the case of war, there are dozens of senior-level people that have to sign off. If you don't think both parties are behind this, you're naive. This is not Trump's war. It's America's war.
How blind are you Richard…,No one but trump and bebe are running this farce of a war….
Your writing is overshadowed by your arrogance and narrow mindedness.
You are blindsided by your delusional mind….Sad…
Trump is psychotic and there is no end to his evil...or selfishness. He is a monster...pure and simple....He cares not for life ..order..truth.. honesty...anything or anyone but himself...he is void of feelings, compassion or logic...or self awareness. He is a phucking MONSTER....
(as stated by his own mother AND as stated by Jeffrey Epstein) ...evil and derrangement combined....Top it off with dementia ...and here we are Phuck
I can not and will not tolerate your ego… Blocked because you are so blind ans steeped I this corruption…
There are no senior level people that have signed off…trump does not recognize and intelligence or experience other than his own ego and need for recognition…..You are as frightening as he is…
Thanks for your time…Get help and quit spreading your garbage 🗑️…..
This isn't rational. It's the classic ad hominem fallacy. I even gave you a chance, and you still whiffed. Also thanks for mentioning my work. Heck, thanks for reading it
It’s not just on the US, the BBC news last night was 100% focused on the war and nothing else was covered. Even the local news afterwards was about tourists from the local area trapped in the Gulf, yet one of the biggest stories that should have been reported but wasn’t, was a speech by Macron in which he changed France’s nuclear strategy and also mentioned closer UK cooperation on nuclear weapons. But no one has asked yet what that means? Clearly an indication that Europeans are worried about the US nuclear umbrella under NATO.
I actually had a different reaction to the NYT Sunday front page. I was pleased to see the below the fold stories about Epstein and the threat of election interference from Trump. They made it to the front page! I appreciate your work. I also follow the radio show and podcast 'On the Media' which provides in depth stories about media. We all need to keep our alertness level high to protect ourselves from disinformation and propaganda. So thank you!
I am not certain about much going forward, but I would be willing to bet quite a large sum of money that Affinity Partners will be “pleased and gratified,” as I’m sure their PR firm will say in the press release, that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund will decide to renew its $2 billion investment in August 2026, generating even more than the already paid out $137 million in fees for Jared Kushner in the years to come.
I am also fairly certain that Putin and Xi were drinking champagne straight from the bottle on their Zoom calls together over the weekend. Their Manchurian Candidate has destroyed without a shot the U.S.-led system that has made us the wealthiest and most powerful country in the history of mankind while offering the world eight decades of relative and comparative peace, prosperity, and security.
I also believe that this may be the final nail in the coffin for the reflexive, unconditional, and unwavering support that Israel has enjoyed on a bipartisan basis in Washington for eight decades. Looking at most young people in the U.S. they see Gaza, rather than the Holocaust, as their enduring image of Israel. This war of choice against Iran at the behest of Israel, and Saudi Arabia and UAE to be fair, will jeopardize Israel’s support with the next generation of leaders and voters.
Watching the last year unfold it becomes reinforced to me anew each day that it is so much easier to break than build. The current Leader has shattered so much that it makes it impossible to see with complete foresight how all these new, tiny broken pieces will interact in surprising ways. It is safe to say that America First is America alone, and we are just beginning this solitary journey that will leave us poorer, less healthy, and far less secure. I would not be surprised at all, however, if one of the shattered pieces of our national government that no one is thinking about today ends up being far more catastrophic than the current tempest, as bad as it is.
Will the supposed Iranian threat of imminent and widespread terror attacks in the continental U.S. be the pretext for the so-called “nationalizing” of the 2026 and 2028 national elections with the Army, not the National Guard, in the streets of the 15 “totally corrupt” cities?
I fear that all our current angst about the Middle East and the destruction of the rules based system, as justified as it is, may be merely a footnote in the larger tragedy of the destruction of our experiment in self governance followed by decades of despotism.
NPR yesterday did a good piece on the Justice Department dropping its bogus lawsuits against law firms who had declined to bow down under threats from Trump. And Rachel Madow zeroed in on a little-known branch of the FBI that specializes in Iran counter-terrorism - much of that group was fired just ahead of the start of the war. Good journalism from both of them.
I think you are being a tad unfair to the NYT in this piece. On March 1 I saw two new pieces about Epstein in the app. One on why the investigation has taken/is taking so long and the second on his lesser known property out West where local authorities essentially dropped their investigations 7/years ago.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has time and again been unafraid of bashing the Trump administration. Heather Cox Richardson, the Bulwark, the Contrarian, Robert Reich, Paul Krugman are just a few of the brilliant Substack writers (and you of course Margaret) bringing us the news.
I appreciate you column because you aggregate the bias of the corporate media and point out which outlets are doing a good job.
Thanks, I appreciate the kind words, and I pay attention to many of the same.
Where would we be without Julie K Brown of the Miami Herald?
"The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous." - George Orwell
And the media continually fail to understand.
Trump thinks he can avoid liability for regime change by doing regime removal — and insisting that the Iranians are responsible for what comes next.
Just watch! In five weeks, right after Easter, he’ll wash his hands of the war and walk away. Trump knows how to destroy, but not how to build. “Everything Trump Touches Dies.”
Quite a record.
I have dubbed him the TOFU king. Trump Only Fucks Up.
Tragically, media is focused on the score not the stakes (yet again.)
On a somewhat related note, unless it’s a direct quote, I hope journalists eschew the Trump Administration’s preferred term, “warfighter.”
It dehumanizes the people we ask to defend our country and constitution, presumes a constant state of war, undercuts the history and expertise of the service branches, and is a marketing tool to recruit impressionable young entertainment and gaming oriented minds.
I saw Reuters use it outside of a quote this morning. Ugh.
Reuters: US debuts suicide drone in Iran after fast-tracked Pentagon procurement - https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-debuts-suicide-drone-iran-after-fast-tracked-pentagon-procurement-2026-03-03/?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=69a6c2c0972bc10001428d9a&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky
A startup called Noda provides the software to control the drones, known as an "orchestrator" that allows warfighters to control multiple autonomous systems, one of the sources familiar with the program said.
How about personnel, specialists, operators, even combatants, instead?
Great observation, thanks
To answer your question about what media I'm turning to for information, The Bulwark has added some important voices over the past couple of years. General Mark Hertling has been an important voice on military matters and Cathy Young on international stories. With a number of reporters focused on different beats, they remain focused on a full range of topics, even as breaking news unfolds.
Paul Krugman has been invaluable for me in following the money and grift, Judd Legum the same, plus focusing on the oligarch class. Joyce Vance expands my understanding of court cases. There are others but more often they fall into commentary rather than news.
I still read the Times but not the way I used to. I drop in when there's a major story and otherwise can go days without going to their site.
Thank you.
David Sanger is the archetype of the Inside-the-Beltway denizens who Paul Krugman labels “Very Serious People” or “VSPs.” He doesn’t mean it in a good way. To acknowledge front and center the possibility that the Leader was seeking to distract from a domestic political scandal would be to show you are not a serious national security analyst.
I see two goals: Epstein diversion and sparing the lives of young oligarchs. I don’t know the names of all of the soldiers who have died under this administration but there’s a good chance their families aren’t billionaires.
In 2017, just six days into his first term, 47 authorized a raid on Yemen aimed at intelligence gathering. It resulted in the death of Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens, injuries to three other U.S. troops, the loss of a $75 million aircraft, and civilian casualties. After being told that 47 was heading from Washington to attend the transfer of his son’s remains, Bill Owens refused to meet with him. “ I told them I didn't want to make a scene about it, but my conscience wouldn't let me talk to him," Owens said in an interview with The Miami Herald (Google AI). 47’s response to the most recent fallen was “there will likely be more.” If he reinstates the draft, will his youngest son be included?
We have a volunteer army made up of young people paying the ultimate price. For what?
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2026-03-01/three-soldiers-killed-in-iran-attack-20916333.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/01/trump-video-us-casualties-iran-00806533?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/27/517496770/father-of-navy-seal-killed-in-yemen-raid-has-harsh-words-for-trump
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/yemen-raid-planning-obama-administration-leave-off-trump-pick#:~:text=What%20came%20to%20the%20White,should%20run%20his%20own%20process.
If you think Trump started a major, possibly catastrophic war as an "Epstein diversion", you are proposing something that does not make sense.
“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, spoken by Sherlock Holmes in stories like The Sign of Four and The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, Google AI). If you have links providing evidence for an alternative theory, kindly post them?
Have no idea where you're coming from. There are ten reasons for starting this war, none impossible, and one incredibly improbable reason, as pointed out.
D'oh!
What exactly has he done that has made any sense, in any venture in his life?? Everything has been centered to benefit himself. A man in command does not revise himself by the hour.....He doesn't understand a speck about politics...He is simply absorbed by everything that he hears...... the results = reversals, retractions, attempted clarifications...subsequently all denied eventually....The man is a monster without a clue about anyone or anything but himself....
Just a thought 💭🤔.....
This may all be true. But in the case of war, there are dozens of senior-level people that have to sign off. If you don't think both parties are behind this, you're naive. This is not Trump's war. It's America's war.
How blind are you Richard…,No one but trump and bebe are running this farce of a war….
Your writing is overshadowed by your arrogance and narrow mindedness.
You are blindsided by your delusional mind….Sad…
Trump is psychotic and there is no end to his evil...or selfishness. He is a monster...pure and simple....He cares not for life ..order..truth.. honesty...anything or anyone but himself...he is void of feelings, compassion or logic...or self awareness. He is a phucking MONSTER....
(as stated by his own mother AND as stated by Jeffrey Epstein) ...evil and derrangement combined....Top it off with dementia ...and here we are Phuck
I can not and will not tolerate your ego… Blocked because you are so blind ans steeped I this corruption…
There are no senior level people that have signed off…trump does not recognize and intelligence or experience other than his own ego and need for recognition…..You are as frightening as he is…
Thanks for your time…Get help and quit spreading your garbage 🗑️…..
That’s rich, coming from someone who wrote one.
I write fiction, but no matter what one writes, I don't see how that disqualifies one from making a real-world assessment.
Of course not. But the juvenility of your work helps to explain why your remark is so malinformed.
This isn't rational. It's the classic ad hominem fallacy. I even gave you a chance, and you still whiffed. Also thanks for mentioning my work. Heck, thanks for reading it
Great analysis. As usual.
How soon before we’re warned that doubts, misgivings about this madness means we don’t “support the troops?”
Honestly, I'm surprised that hasn't already happened. It certainly would be of a piece with Trump and his administration.
It’s not just on the US, the BBC news last night was 100% focused on the war and nothing else was covered. Even the local news afterwards was about tourists from the local area trapped in the Gulf, yet one of the biggest stories that should have been reported but wasn’t, was a speech by Macron in which he changed France’s nuclear strategy and also mentioned closer UK cooperation on nuclear weapons. But no one has asked yet what that means? Clearly an indication that Europeans are worried about the US nuclear umbrella under NATO.
I actually had a different reaction to the NYT Sunday front page. I was pleased to see the below the fold stories about Epstein and the threat of election interference from Trump. They made it to the front page! I appreciate your work. I also follow the radio show and podcast 'On the Media' which provides in depth stories about media. We all need to keep our alertness level high to protect ourselves from disinformation and propaganda. So thank you!
I am not certain about much going forward, but I would be willing to bet quite a large sum of money that Affinity Partners will be “pleased and gratified,” as I’m sure their PR firm will say in the press release, that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund will decide to renew its $2 billion investment in August 2026, generating even more than the already paid out $137 million in fees for Jared Kushner in the years to come.
I am also fairly certain that Putin and Xi were drinking champagne straight from the bottle on their Zoom calls together over the weekend. Their Manchurian Candidate has destroyed without a shot the U.S.-led system that has made us the wealthiest and most powerful country in the history of mankind while offering the world eight decades of relative and comparative peace, prosperity, and security.
I also believe that this may be the final nail in the coffin for the reflexive, unconditional, and unwavering support that Israel has enjoyed on a bipartisan basis in Washington for eight decades. Looking at most young people in the U.S. they see Gaza, rather than the Holocaust, as their enduring image of Israel. This war of choice against Iran at the behest of Israel, and Saudi Arabia and UAE to be fair, will jeopardize Israel’s support with the next generation of leaders and voters.
Watching the last year unfold it becomes reinforced to me anew each day that it is so much easier to break than build. The current Leader has shattered so much that it makes it impossible to see with complete foresight how all these new, tiny broken pieces will interact in surprising ways. It is safe to say that America First is America alone, and we are just beginning this solitary journey that will leave us poorer, less healthy, and far less secure. I would not be surprised at all, however, if one of the shattered pieces of our national government that no one is thinking about today ends up being far more catastrophic than the current tempest, as bad as it is.
Will the supposed Iranian threat of imminent and widespread terror attacks in the continental U.S. be the pretext for the so-called “nationalizing” of the 2026 and 2028 national elections with the Army, not the National Guard, in the streets of the 15 “totally corrupt” cities?
I fear that all our current angst about the Middle East and the destruction of the rules based system, as justified as it is, may be merely a footnote in the larger tragedy of the destruction of our experiment in self governance followed by decades of despotism.
The Trump regime doing exactly the same things that King George III did that inspired the colonists to rebel and start the USA.
Wagging the damn dog.
One of the substacks even showed a picture of dogs being wagged. Lots of wagging tails.
NPR yesterday did a good piece on the Justice Department dropping its bogus lawsuits against law firms who had declined to bow down under threats from Trump. And Rachel Madow zeroed in on a little-known branch of the FBI that specializes in Iran counter-terrorism - much of that group was fired just ahead of the start of the war. Good journalism from both of them.
I think you are being a tad unfair to the NYT in this piece. On March 1 I saw two new pieces about Epstein in the app. One on why the investigation has taken/is taking so long and the second on his lesser known property out West where local authorities essentially dropped their investigations 7/years ago.
That's the point, that and putting a period after "The American project just ended."