Source: The American Conservative
by George D O’Neill Jr.

“Donald Trump rode into office — twice now — on a wave of promises to upend the Washington consensus, to drain the swamp of its self-serving mandarins and to keep America out of endless wars. His base cheered when he skewered the neoconservative architects of Iraq and Afghanistan, wars that bled our Treasury, and most importantly, many of our sons for little more than bragging rights in Beltway and Tel Aviv salons. Yet here we are, in the early days of his second term, with whispers growing louder from the usual suspects: advisors and hangers-on nudging him toward a strike on Iran, peddling the old lie that it’ll be quick, clean, and simple. History, that stern teacher we keep ignoring, tells us otherwise.” (04/02/25)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/war-with-iran-is-a-path-to-destruction/

Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Dan Grazier

“‘We are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding,’ President Trump said during his March 6 joint address to Congress. The president did not break new ground with the announcement. Virtually every year, Navy and industry leaders complain that the United States does not invest enough in the nation’s shipbuilding facilities. Yet according to the Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers have appropriated more shipbuilding funds than the president requested for at least 17 of the past 20 years. Even with the extra funds, the Navy’s major shipbuilding programs have consistently fallen behind schedule and over budget.” (04/02/25)

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/us-navy/

Source: Common Dreams
by Jeffrey D Sachs

“U.S. President Donald Trump is trashing the world trade system over a basic economic fallacy. He wrongly claims that America’s trade deficit is caused by the rest of the world ripping off the U.S., repeatedly stating things such as, ‘Over the decades, they ripped us off like no country has never been ripped off in history…’ Trump aims to close the trade deficit by imposing tariffs, thereby impeding imports and restoring trade balance (or inducing other countries to end their rip-offs of America). Yet Trump’s tariffs will not close the trade deficit but will instead impoverish Americans and harm the rest of the world. A country’s trade deficit (or more precisely, its current account deficit) does not indicate unfair trade practices by the surplus countries. It indicates something completely different.” (04/02/25)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-tariffs

Source: Law & Liberty
by Law & Liberty Editors

“Should a university strive to be an open society? Many will feel an immediate impulse to answer in the affirmative. Universities should be places of exploration and discovery. They should foster lively intellectual exchange. They should create a space in which people feel emboldened to pursue the truth to surprising or unexpected places, potentially moving against the grain of the surrounding culture. These goods can only be realized in an environment where scholars and students enjoy some measure of freedom. That sounds like an open society. On further reflection, complications arise. … Four faculty members offered their views on whether, and in what ways, the university should be a free society.” (04/02/25)

https://lawliberty.org/the-open-campus/

Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker

“With Donald Trump seemingly determined to push the US economy on a path towards autarky, our major trading partners will need to make alternative arrangements. This is especially the case with Canada, since its economy is so closely tied to the US economy.At this point, Mark Carney, the country’s new Prime Minister, knows there is little possibility of dealing with Trump rationally. … Trump’s erratic craziness makes the prospect of a real and lasting deal very dim. Carney has to look to secure stronger trade deals with more stable partners. Europe and Latin America are clearly part of the that story, but China needs to be too, as the world’s largest economy. There are opportunities for major gains from trade with China, especially in the auto sector, which had been thoroughly intertwined with the United States and Mexico.” (04/02/25)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/04/02/the-fruits-of-trump-tariffs-closer-ties-between-canada-and-china/