Opinion Today: A voice mail from Tom Friedman

A new way to hear from the columnist on Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 6, 2024 By Annie-Rose Strasser Executive Producer, Opinion Audio In his column this week, Thomas Friedman issued a searing indictment of Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Tom can't see how Israel's war in Gaza could end without consequences for both Israel's reputation and American politics. He lays out why he thinks Netanyahu is rooting for Donald Trump, and why peace in the region is so unlikely. He then expanded on these arguments in an episode of our show The Opinions (you can follow the show on Apple here and Spotify here). In it, he provides a suggestion for what to call the current conflict: the war of the worst. "I've never seen a war where the worst of the worst in the whole region are driving it." Reading Tom is one thing — but hearing him is altogether different; it feels like getting a voice mail from one of your smartest friends. His emotion, experience, and genuine investment in the topic come through. Only he can deliver the line "Netanyahu and I don't exchange Hanukkah cards" both as a jab, but also as a sincere reflection on Israel's leadership. Tom is a regular contributor to The Opinions, as are many of our Opinion columnists and colleagues. I really enjoyed, for example, David French's case for Kamala Harris as the best pro-life candidate — and the one he plans to vote for (Apple | Spotify). I'm still thinking about Carlos Lozada's more critical read on Harris's two memoirs, replete with excerpts from Harris voicing her own audiobook (Apple | Spotify). Editorial board member Farah Stockman took listeners on the ground in Ohio and shared the messaging that she thinks could win over rural votes (Apple | Spotify). And Opinion's mission of being a public square for ideas has led us to include outside contributors as well: Erin Brockovich voiced a piece on the risk — and need to regulate — forever chemicals (Apple | Spotify). The goal with all of Opinion's work is to add depth and dimension to how our audience thinks and talks about issues vital to their lives. This new format — episodes are 10 minutes or less, featuring one voice and one idea — harnesses Opinion's best writers to bring their ideas to life in another medium, audio, and let you hear the power and passion of their storytelling. Listen to Tom Friedman's episode on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Michelle Goldberg Tucker Carlson and the Heterodoxy-to-Holocaust Denial Pipeline Nazi sympathy is the natural endpoint of the politics of trolling. By Michelle Goldberg More From Opinion Guest Essay We Must Invest in Our Aging Nuclear Arsenal All three legs of America's nuclear triad need substantial modernization and billions of dollars to keep pace with our adversaries. 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