Jeffrey Sachs FLAMES NYTimes over Iran War Propaganda

Professor Sachs argues that the continuous US pressure on Iran, including the abrogation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by the Trump administration, is not about preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Instead, it is a direct consequence of Israel's long-standing policy to 'topple the Iranian regime' and maintain its regional hegemony in the Middle East. He states that the US government, influenced by the 'Zionist lobby' and Christian Zionist fundamentalism, has acted as a 'pawn of Netanyahu,' prioritizing Israeli interests over American security and international law.

Iran had agreed to rigorous monitoring under the JCPOA, unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council, confirming its non-nuclear weapons policy. Trump ripped up this agreement. Ambassador Mike Huckabee's statements supporting Israeli takeover of the Middle East based on biblical prophecy exemplify this influence. Sachs links this pattern to past US interventions in Libya, Syria, and Iraq, all serving to 'clear the way' for Israeli dominance.

Sachs criticizes the New York Times and other mainstream media outlets for their 'propaganda and falsity' in reporting on Iran. He asserts that they present a 'delusional dream world' by framing potential US military strikes as normal and ignoring crucial diplomatic efforts and US economic warfare. Specifically, he points out the media's failure to cover Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif's speech proposing a path to regional peace and its omission of US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin's public statement about 'crushing the Iranian economy' to destabilize the country.

The New York Times reported on Trump considering strikes and larger attacks on Iran while failing to report on Zarif's 'very fine speech' in Doha outlining a two-state solution and mutual security. The media also failed to question or editorialize on Mnuchin's Davos interview where he described US policy as intentionally destroying the Iranian economy to incite protests.

Sachs commends the Supreme Court for its 'very clear, correct, bold opinion' in striking down tariffs authorized under AIPA that Trump had been using. He argues that Trump's 'reciprocal tariffs' were 'illegal' and 'ridiculous' because the authority to levy duties and taxes belongs exclusively to Congress, as stipulated in Article One, Section 8 of the Constitution. He highlights the historical context of the US founding in protest of executive taxation.

Trump's tariffs were deemed unconstitutional. Sachs notes that these tariffs were also economically 'stupid' and a 'complete failure,' leading to an increased goods deficit and a decrease of 83,000 manufacturing workers in 2025 (referring to the period when the tariffs were active). He demands the return of $140 billion illegally collected through these tariffs.