‘Wars and Rumors of Wars,’ &c.

On Iran, Ukraine, congressional responsibility, Boston accents, and more

Aircraft on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, February 27, 2026 (Wikimedia Commons)

I find the Iran war confusing—maybe I like things too clear-cut. First, is there still a war on? President Trump and his team are reluctant to call it a war. They say “conflict” or “skirmish” or “little excursion.” But it is a war, correct?

If it’s still on, are we winning? Is Iran? If it’s over—who won? I hope the answer is, “We did.” I’m not sure.

The above sounds flippant, I realize—but I mean it in earnest. Perhaps you are in the same boat.

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In Ukraine, Putin’s forces bombed a village called “Komyshuvakha.” The death toll is now up to 53. To learn about this massacre, go here. This is something that ought to horrify the world. But the world, much of it, is numb. I hear no criticism from the U.S. administration. Not from Marco Rubio, not from anybody.

Our country needs to do no less than recover its soul. And we might start by not calling Putin a “humanitarian.”

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In Ukraine’s Poltava region, the Russians destroyed a center for children with disabilities. Day after day, we see a kind of comic-book evil. But this is “real life.” The center was called “Kolibri,” meaning “hummingbird.”

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It is good, you will agree, to know some names and faces—names and faces of the murdered. Otherwise, it’s all too abstract. Anton Gerashchenko chose to highlight Kateryna Bozhko, here. Killed on November 3, she was 14. “She had all her life ahead of her until Russia destroyed it,” says Gerashchenko.

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Virtually every morning, here in the Eastern Time Zone, I wake up to news that Russia has murdered innocent civilians; and that Ukraine has bombed oil refineries or other such infrastructure in Russia. In this war, there is a complete imbalance.

In the Oval Office last week, a reporter confronted President Trump with all the killing that Putin is doing—bombing people in their apartments, on buses, in their schools, etc. Does Trump bring this up with Putin?

“I always bring it up,” said Trump, “and I also bring it up the other way, because, the other way, they kill too, you know—a lot of people are being killed.”

Trump actually said “both sides.” “I bring it up on both sides. You know, Russia’s losing civilians also.”

This is madness. It is also a flagrant example of “moral equivalence”—a false moral equivalence, which Republicans and conservatives decried for years. Under Trump, they went silent.

***

In a column the day after the midterm elections, I wrote,

I have two main hopes for the new Democratic majorities—the majorities in the House and the Senate: that they curb the corruption and lawlessness of the executive; and that they help the Ukrainians, somehow (in accordance with our national interest).

No to a partnership with Putin. No.

Here is a post from Senator Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.):

To Blumenthal, Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, responded, “Yes! Godspeed.” I add my amen.

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On social media, I wondered whether the new Congress could restore our “radios”: our world broadcasting services. Radio Free Asia, RFE/RL, Voice of America, etc. “These are jewels in the American crown,” I said. They have meant a lot to millions of people around the world, and they have advanced our national interest.

One of my critics wrote,

If you gathered up all the people in the country who give a fig about RFE/RL and Radio Free Asia you might (*might*) be able to reach the maximum legal capacity of the men’s room at the Middle Ridge Service Plaza on the Ohio Turnpike.

As far as national priorities go, the algae in the Reflecting Pool takes precedence.

But here’s the thing: The radios mean a lot to me. And to others. Majorities are indifferent to all sorts of things that are important. Isn’t that axiomatic?

(Let me sneak in a quick language note: “algae” is plural, not singular. My critic should have written, “… the algae in the Reflecting Pool take precedence.”)

***

In all likelihood, the new Congress will launch investigations of the executive branch. Already, Republicans are crying “Witch hunt!” (or “hunts”). Indeed, congressional investigations can be witch hunts. They ought to be conducted with sobriety.

And they are very important. Checks and balances are important. Accountability is important. Our Framers knew this—consult the Constitution, consult The Federalist Papers.

Congress must not shrink from doing its job (and Congress has been microscopic in recent years). Otherwise, our system crumples.

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In my column on Sunday, I led with an item about Boston accents. After an audition process, Logan Airport chose Chris Donisi, a pipe fitter from East Arlington, to be its official “voice,” welcoming travelers.

A friend of mine writes,

Chris Donisi’s accent is good, but I think it’s not sharp enough. The best Boston accent for Logan Airport would have been my mother’s. Unfortunately, she’s not available, having passed away years ago.

The second-best is the male vocalist in the Jamies who does the opening and closing solos in “Summertime.” Since the song was recorded in 1958, he may not be available either.

Marvelous. (The Jamies’ “Summertime,” incidentally, is not to be confused with Gershwin’s lullaby in Porgy and Bess.)

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Here, I learned that Tim Parlatore is a special adviser to Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense. He should really be Hegseth’s spokesman—for “parlatore” means “speaker.”

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Would you like a column on the shorter side today? I’ll “get out,” as John McLaughlin used to say (hosting The McLaughlin Group). (“Let’s get out”—of a particular subject, and move on to another one). Maybe I can end with a dose of music? Here’s a review of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Louis Langrée, in Carnegie Hall. The program: all-Berlioz.

Thank you and I’ll see you.