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The Opinions

One President’s Whim. A World in Crisis.

3/7/202638 min

Early last Saturday, President Trump announced that the United States had begun a major military operation against Iran. What followed has been a week of confusion, mixed messaging and rising casualties in a widening conflict that is causing calamity in the Gulf region. On this week’s round table, the Opinion national politics writer Michelle Cottle and the columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French discuss the dangers of another “forever war,” the challenge of defining success and viable exit strategies.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

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Clips

Showing 10 of 11
A War Sprung On Us
Contempt For Accountability
War As Masculinity Theater
From Best Case To Cascades
Set Up For Failure
‘Avoid World War III?’
Airstrikes And Girls’ Schools
Intolerable In Our System
Hitting Hard, Then What?
Democrats’ Simple Playbook

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Speaker 00:00

    We gave Times employees a preview of Crossplay from New York Times Games, and here's what they had to say.

  2. Michelle Cottle· Host0:05

    I can finally play with other people.

  3. Jamelle Bouie· Panelist0:08

    I'm pretty competitive. It's fun to beat friends and coworkers.

  4. Michelle Cottle· Host0:12

    I have a J for ten points.

  5. David French· Panelist0:14

    I'm guessing Tenga is not a word. Let's see. Tenga is a word. Oh.

  6. Michelle Cottle· Host0:19

    As an English as a second language speaker, I like to learn new words.

  7. Speaker 00:23

    New York Times Game subscribers get full access to Crossplay, our first two-player word game. Subscribe now for a special offer on all of our games. [upbeat music] This is The Opinions, a show that brings you a mix of voices from New York Times Opinion. You've heard the news. Here's what to make of it.

  8. Michelle Cottle· Host0:43

    [upbeat music] I'm Michelle Cottle. I cover national politics for New York Times Opinion. This week I am back with the usual suspects, columnists Jamelle Bouie and David French. Guys, welcome, welcome.

  9. Jamelle Bouie· Panelist1:02

    Hello, hello.

  10. David French· Panelist1:02

    Michelle, Jamelle, great to see y'all.

  11. Michelle Cottle· Host1:05

    So this week we are at the start of a conflict with Iran that is rapidly spreading across the Gulf region. This is a war with no clear rationale, apparently no long-term plan, and a rising death toll. So we're gonna dive into the chaos and what anyone can do to make sense of it, and then we're gonna take a quick dip back into the pool of the Texas

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