Source: Paul Krugman
by Paul Krugman

“Donald Trump and his minions are having a meltdown. On Saturday, Trump lashed out at the New York Times for an article saying the obvious — that many of his original war goals, whatever they may have been, remain unaccomplished. Just an hour later, he posted a threat to commit massive war crimes, saying that if Iran doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours — that is, today — he will order U.S. forces to begin bombing civilian power plants. Why the desperation? The answer is obvious. It’s turning out not just that regime change — if that was really the goal — is hard to engineer, but also that the world is a lot more dependent on the Strait of Hormuz than Trump and co. seem to have realized.” (03/23/26)

https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/when-hyperglobalization-meets-chaos

Source: The Daily Economy
by Jeffery L Degner

“A century ago, the federal government ran surpluses under lower tax rates. But that’s impossible with our out-of-control spending.” (03/23/26)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/silent-cals-loud-lesson-on-tax-cuts/

Source: CounterPunch
by Barbara G Ellis

“The portly man at the next table finished his breakfast, leaned in my direction, and asked: ‘What’s in the news that’s so interesting?’ ‘Iran,’ I said, adding that the U.S. seemed about to attack it. ‘Over in a day,’ he said, snapping fingers for emphasis. Having spent two years at Beirut’s Daily Star when Iraqis dragged the pro-West prime minister’s body through Bagdad’s streets to celebrate the monarchy’s overthrow, I know the Mideast’s ferocity against Western domination for exploitation. A war with Iran would never be over in a day — a month, or year anymore than it was in Vietnam. … when Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to outgoing oil ships, somehow Trump’s war planners once again seemed to overlook the ancient contempt by Westerners for foreign militants as factors in wars. They soon learned that aroused ‘inferiors’ made wars endless and monumentally expensive in lives and treasure for arrogant ‘superiors.’” (03/23/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/03/23/an-off-ramp-for-trump-to-reverse-the-iran-disaster/

Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Snider

“On March 1, a massive attack was launched on Iran in violation of UN Charter Article 2.3 that demands that member states ‘settle their international disputes by peaceful means’ and Article 2.4 that requires all members to ‘refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.’ This norm has no exemptions and cannot be modified, including, according to the International Court of Justice, in self-defense. The war on Iran was legitimized neither by Security Council authorization nor by an immediate need for self-defense. Iran responded, in part, by targeting neighboring countries that hosted U.S. bases. On March 11, the Security Council responded by condemning the latter, but not the former.” (03/23/26)

https://original.antiwar.com/ted_snider/2026/03/22/the-day-the-un-died

Source: Washington Monthly
by Keith Humphreys

“The most promising ways to make America’s streets safer unsettle ideologues on both sides. Maybe that’s why we aren’t pursuing them.” (03/23/26)

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/03/23/where-left-and-right-both-go-wrong-on-criminal-justice/