Zachary explores the connections between the massive setbacks of the Iranian regime (and the impotent Gulf) and the formal end of the Democratic Party centrist movement as the party becomes wholly progressive. We don't have to say Centrist vs Progressive anymore. That's settled. Like we don't have to say MAGA Republicans anymore, the Never Trumper faction is gone. Same for Democrats. Sure, it may take a few more months to be truly well and over, but the trend is clear. Just say Democratic Party. The white settler colonialism/trans ideology/increased government intervention and taxes is the winner. DEI or die baby!

The dominant center left/liberal narrative is that Bibi Netanyahu is an evil leader, a kind of Trump of Israel, a racist murderer of Arabs and something of a royalist. While liberals wallow in their lack of popularity in America, which cements a Republican federal trifecta and I think a new era of Republican rule, they also project their impotent value system onto Israel. Netanyahu is the unfortunate avatar of their ire.

What if I told you that this odious prime minister, who certainly has many flaws, is also the greatest liberator of Arab Muslims, and perhaps soon, Persian Muslims, in world history? He's literally freed millions and millions of Arabs already -- in Lebanon they now live without Hezbollah, in Syria they now live without Assad, and hopefully, in Gaza without Hamas and Iran without the mullahs. It's pretty amazing.

Once again, Progressives use illiberal, anti-democracy tactics to undermine our country.

Thanks for your patience while I cut down a huge essay into four parts as I wrap my head around a recent debate at the 92nd St Y, “Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews?”

In earlier essays I took apart the Democratic argument, as presented by Rahm Emanuel, that Trump is bad for the Jews. I just don’t buy it, not when my options are the keffiyeh cosplayers, Queers for Palestine and when pathologically anti-Israel activists like Zohran Mamdani run for mayor of New York—all while telling me that they embrace terrorist violence in the name of social justice. Sorry guys, ethics don’t work that way. We’ll get to Martin Luther King jr later for his moral reminder.

The meta takeaway of the debate is far bigger than the topic at hand.

The Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens sponsored the debate, “Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews,” under the aegis of his journal, Sapir (sapphire, for the Jewish color blue and biblical references). A good friend is their managing editor, it’s an excellent publication which you can receive in print for free.

It was a stimulating night, intellectually lite but interesting to see the relative merits of Rahm Emanuel and Jason Greenblatt (former Trump exec and White House advisor), two super smart, super rich guys with direct ties to the most powerful men on the planet.

Last week I went to a debate “Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews” with Bret Stephens, Rahm Emmanuel and Jason Greenblatt (Trump exec and 1.0 admin staffer) at the 92nd Street Y, a Jewish cultural organization on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

In a follow up essay I’ll get into why Rahm Emanuel’s perspective about Trump being bad for the Jews is obsolete, yet popular, in shrinking blue bubbles. Before we get there, for this essay, I’ll show how “Y” movements help explain why there’s widespread left-wing support in North America and Europe for violent Islamism.

Zachary Thacher discusses the pervasive issue of misinformation in contemporary media, particularly focusing on the legacy media's role in shaping narratives around COVID-19, crime, and political values. He critiques the lack of objective reporting and highlights the challenges posed by multiculturalism and political Islam. Thacher calls for a reevaluation of media consumption and political alignment to foster a more informed citizenry. If it sounds like a robot wrote that summary, it's because a robot wrote that summary.

Growing up in a halcyon, late 20th Century Massachusetts milieu meant the Boston Globe and the New York Times were read each morning at the kitchen table. NPR’s local affiliate, WBUR, played on the radio throughout the day and on every drive. At night, my parents watched the WGBH PBS News Hour in rotation with NBC, CBS and ABC.

What happened to it?