Bret Stephens
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Articles by Bret Stephens
The Only Thing We Can All Agree On Is That the World Is on Fire
Carl Court/Getty Images Bret Stephens: Frank, we’ve each spent a portion of our careers living in Europe and covering politics there — I was at The Wall Street Journal in Brussels while you worked for The Times in Rome. The protests that have unfolded in the last few weeks in France, Belgium, Italy and elsewhere feel ominous to me — not just as a brief spasm of discontent but as an omen of a continent coming apart at the seams.
The One Thing We Can All Agree On Is That the World Is on Fire
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. The One Thing We Can All Agree On Is That the World Is on Fire Oct. 22, 2026, 5:04 a.m. ET Credit...Carl Court/Getty Images Bret Stephens: Frank, we’ve each spent a portion of our careers living in Europe and covering politics there — I was at The Wall Street Journal in Brussels while you worked for The Times in Rome.
Opinion: France Comes Unglued, Again
American liberals have often looked to France for a model of what they would like to see in the United States: universal healthcare; low-cost daycare; affordable universities; strong worker protections; sacrosanct social benefits; high taxes; large investments in green energy; a secular republic in a multicultural society; constrained defense budgets, modest economic growth but lots of joie de vivre. For a long time that model seemed almost plausible. Not anymore. kAm(92E 92D F?7@=565 :? uC2?46 :?
France Comes Unglued, Again Original
France Comes Unglued, Again Oct.
Western civilisation lessons for Team Trump
FOR at least the second time this year, Marco Rubio delivered a stirring speech championing the virtues of Western civilisation – “a civilisation,” he recently said, from the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, “that we must fight to defend today with the same passion as our forefathers did.” The same week, Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, announced that the Pentagon would livestream the execution of the Fort Hood killer.
Opinion: Western civilization lessons for Team Trump
For at least the second time this year, Marco Rubio delivered a stirring speech championing the virtues of Western civilization — “a civilization,” he said Wednesday from the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, “that we must fight to defend today with the same passion as our forefathers did.” The same week, Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, announced that the Pentagon would livestream the execution of the Fort Hood killer.
Opinion | A Blue Wave? A Blue Tsunami? Or Just a Blue Ripple?
Opinion | A Blue Wave? A Blue Tsunami? Or Just a Blue Ripple? - The New York Times
Western Civ Lessons for Team Trump
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Western Civ Lessons for Team Trump Oct.
Zohran Mamdani’s Moral Obscenity
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Zohran Mamdani’s Moral Obscenity Oct. 9, 2026, 2:07 p.m. ET Credit...Amir Levy/Getty Images Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor, set off a firestorm of criticism Wednesday morning with a social media post ostensibly intended to commemorate the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Israelis.
Zohran Mamdani’s Moral Obscenity
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Zohran Mamdani’s Moral Obscenity Credit...Amir Levy/Getty Images Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor, set off a firestorm of criticism Wednesday morning with a social media post ostensibly intended to commemorate the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of Israelis. It devoted a brief paragraph to condemning Hamas and commiserating with its victims.
Lo que necesitará Israel para superar los fantasmas del 7 de octubre
“Tres días antes de que me liberaran, los comandantes de Hamás vinieron a decirme: ‘Escucha, Avinatan, saluda a tu familia, luego empaca tus cosas y múdate a Europa o a EE. UU. Porque mientras Israel exista, volveremos a hacer el 7 de octubre una y otra vez’”.
There’s Another Cockpit Israelis Need to Rush
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. There’s Another Cockpit Israelis Need to Rush Oct. 6, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ET Credit...Ofir Berman for The New York Times “Three days before I got released, the Hamas commanders came to tell me, ‘Listen, Avinatan, say hi to your family, then pack your things and move to Europe or the U.S. Because as long as Israel exists, we will do Oct.
Opinion | The Dawn of A.I. Comes at the Dusk of American Sanity
Opinion | The Dawn of A.I. Comes at the Dusk of American Sanity - The New York Times
Opinion: Behold the literary world’s DEI checklist
Last week, the long lists for the National Book Awards were announced. Among the 20 authors in the fiction and nonfiction categories, nearly all are straight white males. Most are also on the political right, some even on the far right. Remarkably, mainstream media outlets haven’t reported this, perhaps because they don’t think it’s noteworthy. It’s as if we were living in 1956 rather than 2026. If you’re scratching your head at this “news,” well, it’s because I made it up.
Opinion | Trump the Destroyer
Credit...Daniel Ribar for The New York Times Frank Bruni: Bret, President Trump has set the bar for his own ridiculousness so high that he seldom does or says anything anymore that makes me laugh out loud or gasp in revulsion. But his announcement this week that his 250-foot-high triumphal arch would be a cupboard for drones and a pedestal for snipers? Wow. I need your take on it, because I think we may finally have the cuckoo project that perfectly captures our peacock president.
The Literary World’s D.E.I. Checklist
The Literary World’s D.E.I. Checklist Sept. 22, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ET Credit...Tamara Porras for The New York Times Last week, the longlists for the National Book Awards were announced. Among the 20 authors in the fiction and nonfiction categories, nearly all are straight white males. Most are also on the political right, some even on the far right. Remarkably, mainstream media outlets haven’t reported this, perhaps because they don’t think it’s noteworthy.
Opinion: The Literary World’s DEI Checklist
Last week, the long lists for the National Book Awards were announced. Among the 20 authors in the fiction and nonfiction categories, nearly all are straight white males. Most are also on the political right, some even on the far right. Remarkably, mainstream media outlets haven’t reported this, perhaps because they don’t think it’s noteworthy. It’s as if we were living in 1956 rather than 2026. If you’re scratching your head at this “news,” well, it’s because I made it up.
Has AI become death, destroyer of worlds?
Creators who anguish over the consequences of their creations are nothing new. Alfred Nobel and dynamite, J. Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb, even Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web: Regrets, they had more than a few. Now it’s the turn of the parents and nursemaids of the artificial intelligence revolution.
Is the Supreme Court Just Misunderstood?
Is the Supreme Court Just Misunderstood? Sept. 17, 2026, 5:05 a.m. ET Credit...Daniel Ribar for The New York Times Bret Stephens: Hi, Frank. This week the Supreme Court blocked the administration’s plan to get the Postal Service to screen mail-in ballots. Last week, the court blocked a plan by Missouri Republicans to redraw the congressional districts in their favor. Earlier this year, it reasserted the constitutional right to birthright citizenship over President Trump’s ludicrous objections.
Opinion: Has AI become death, destroyer of worlds?
Creators who anguish over the consequences of their creations are nothing new. Alfred Nobel and dynamite, J. Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb, even Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web: Regrets, they had more than a few. Now it’s the turn of the parents and nursemaids of the artificial intelligence revolution.
Opinion: Has AI Become Death, Destroyer of Worlds?
Creators who anguish over the consequences of their creations are nothing new. Alfred Nobel and dynamite, J. Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb, even Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web: Regrets, they had more than a few. Now it’s the turn of the parents and nursemaids of the artificial intelligence revolution.
Has A.I. Become Death, Destroyer of Worlds?
Has A.I. Become Death, Destroyer of Worlds? Sept. 15, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET Credit...Tamara Porras for The New York Times Creators who anguish over the consequences of their creations are nothing new. Alfred Nobel and dynamite, J. Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb, even Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web: Regrets, they had more than a few. Now it’s the turn of the parents and nursemaids of the artificial intelligence revolution.
The Anxiety of (Waning) Jewish Influence
A law school student at Harvard once asked me how I dealt with the power that comes with being an opinion columnist at the New York Times. I had to stifle a laugh. Contrary to what she seemed to think, products do not move, or troops deploy, or guilty verdicts get handed down, on account of anything I say or write. Indeed, with the qualified exceptions of my children, my finances, and my dog, I wield power over nothing and nobody. What I have, at best, isn’t power but influence.
Stephens: 25 years after 9/11, life has proved stronger than death
Three days before 9/11, I hosted an out-of-town friend who wanted to take in the view of New York from above. I suggested a drink at Windows on the World, in the north tower of the World Trade Center. We arrived a minute too late to catch the last elevator to the 107th floor. “Next time,” I remember telling her. Of course there wouldn’t be one. Many years of living in a city creates a kind of archaeology of private memory.
La vida que renació de las cenizas de la Zona Cero
Tres días antes del 11-S, recibí en mi casa a un amigo que venía de fuera y que quería disfrutar de las vistas de Nueva York desde lo alto. Le sugerí tomar algo en Windows on the World, en la torre norte del World Trade Center. Llegamos un minuto tarde para coger el último ascensor que subía al piso 107. “La próxima vez”, recuerdo haberle dicho. Por supuesto que no habría ninguna. Vivir muchos años en una ciudad crea una especie de arqueología de la memoria privada.
It’s My Party and I’ll Lie if I Want To
It’s My Party and I’ll Lie if I Want To Sept. 10, 2026, 5:05 a.m. ET Credit...Damon Winter/The New York Times Frank Bruni: We’re now past Labor Day and into the final, furious eight weeks until the midterm elections. President Trump is only slightly more popular than cyclospora … Bret Stephens: A.K.A. Ozempic in a hurry.
The Life That Rose From the Ashes of Ground Zero
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. The Life That Rose From the Ashes of Ground Zero Credit...Adam Gray/Getty Images Three days before 9/11, I hosted an out-of-town friend who wanted to take in the view of New York from above. I suggested a drink at Windows on the World, in the north tower of the World Trade Center. We arrived a minute too late to catch the last elevator to the 107th floor.
Opinion: 25 Years After 9/11, Life Has Proved Stronger Than Death
Three days before 9/11, I hosted an out-of-town friend who wanted to take in the view of New York from above. I suggested a drink at Windows on the World, in the north tower of the World Trade Center. We arrived a minute too late to catch the last elevator to the 107th floor. “Next time,” I remember telling her. Of course there wouldn’t be one. kAm|2?J J62CD @7 =:G:?8 :? 2 4:EJ 4C62E6D 2 <:?5 @7 2C4926@=@8J @7 AC:G2E6 >6>@CJ] p DEC66E 4@C?6C[ 2 32C[ 2?
Exit, Trump. Enter, What?
Bret Stephens: Not to put too fine a point on it, Frank, but the state of the world is terrifying. The bond markets are going crazy because we’re piling on debt like profligate Bourbons. The wars in Ukraine and Iran seem to have no end in sight. There are serious fears in Western capitals that Russia might invade a NATO member state. And Canadians hate us — for real this time, not to mention for good cause. Solve all of our problems for us, Frank.
Did the Met Just Cancel the Wrong Fashionista? Sept. 1, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET Credit...Photo illustration by The New York Times; source photograph by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images In principle, and as often as possible in practice, it’s best to separate judgments about an artist from judgments about the art. Roald Dahl was an unabashed Jew hater. But my childhood (and millions of others) would have been poorer without Willy Wonka and Matilda Wormwood.
¿Ha comenzado ya la Tercera Guerra Mundial?
Poco después de la invasión rusa a gran escala de Ucrania en 2022, escribí una columna titulada “Así empieza la Tercera Guerra Mundial”. Más de cuatro años después, me pregunto cuánto acerté. Mi argumento se basaba en los orígenes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, que no comenzó simplemente con la invasión alemana de Polonia el 1 de septiembre de 1939.
The Conversation: The pompous proof of an America in decline
(The Conversation) Frank Bruni: Canada, a previously close ally of ours with less than one-eighth of our population and less than one-tenth of our gross domestic product, just made clear that it won't be bullied by us and has contempt for what we've become. Iran makes a daily mockery of our unhinged overlord's immature predictions of a lickety-split war and premature declarations of an easy-peasy victory.
Even Machiavelli Wouldn’t Like Trump’s America
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Even Machiavelli Wouldn’t Like Trump’s America Aug. 27, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ET Credit...Victor J. Blue for The New York Times Frank Bruni: Canada, a previously close ally of ours with less than one-eighth of our population and less than one-tenth of our gross domestic product, just made clear that it won’t be bullied by us and has contempt for what we’ve become.
¿Comenzó ya la Tercera Guerra Mundial?
Poco después de la invasión a gran escala de Ucrania por parte de Rusia en 2022, escribí una columna titulada "Así comienza la Tercera Guerra Mundial". Más de cuatro años después, me pregunto cuánto acerté. Mi argumento se basaba en los orígenes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, que no comenzó simplemente con la invasión alemana de Polonia el 1 de septiembre de 1939.
Opinion: Has World War III already started?
Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, I wrote a column under the headline “This Is How World War III Begins.” More than four years on, I wonder how much I got right. My argument was based on the origins of World War II, which did not simply start with Germany’s invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. Instead, the war was an accumulation of regional wars and crises, beginning with Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931, which gradually gathered into a single global conflict.
Has World War III already started?
Shortly after Russia’s full-scale attack of Ukraine in 2022, I wrote a column under the headline “This Is How World War III Begins.” More than four years on, I wonder how much I got right. My argument was based on the origins of World War II, which did not simply start with Germany’s attack of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. Instead, the war was an accumulation of regional wars and crises, beginning with Japan’s attack of Manchuria in 1931, which gradually gathered into a single global conflict.
Has World War III Already Started?
07:04 Has World War III Already Started? nytimes.com/…/25/opinion/has-world-war-iii-alread… Aug. 25, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET By Bret Stephens Opinion Columnist Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, I wrote a column under the headline “This Is How World War III Begins.” More than four years on, I wonder how much I got right. My argument was based on the origins of World War II, which did not simply start with Germany’s invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939.
Has World War III Already Started?
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Has World War III Already Started? Aug. 25, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET Credit...Thomas Peter/Reuters Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, I wrote a column under the headline “This Is How World War III Begins.” More than four years on, I wonder how much I got right.
Yes, Woke 1.0 Was Crazy. Now Where’s the Accountability?
It’s all but official. “Woke 1.0 was crazy,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said this month, quoting a far-left New York City Council member. Given Ocasio-Cortez’s own record — she previously insisted that some groups “have no choice but to riot,” called for defunding the police and “prison abolition” and used the demeaning term “menstruating person” to describe a woman — the crazy that she speaks of was also her own.
The Scales Can’t Fall From Our Eyes Fast Enough
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. The Scales Can’t Fall From Our Eyes Fast Enough Credit...Iacopo Pasqui/Connected Archives Bret Stephens: Hi, Frank.
Opinion: Yes, Woke 1.0 Was Crazy. Now Where’s the Accountability?
It’s all but official. “Woke 1.0 was crazy,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said this month, quoting a far-left New York City Council member. Given Ocasio-Cortez’s own record — she previously insisted that some groups “have no choice but to riot,” called for defunding the police and “prison abolition” and used the demeaning term “menstruating person” to describe a woman — the crazy that she speaks of was also her own. kAmv@@5 7@C p~r 7@C 24<?@H=658:?8 >:DE2<6D] }@H 42?
Yes, Woke 1.0 Was Crazy. Now Where’s the Accountability?
Yes, Woke 1.0 Was Crazy. Now Where’s the Accountability? Aug. 18, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET CreditCredit...Harris Allen For The New York Times “Woke 1.0 was crazy,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said this month, quoting a far-left New York City councilman.
Bret Stephens: I’m begging you: Never, ever write with AI
This column isn’t so much an argument as it is a plea: Don’t use artificial intelligence to help you write. Never let AI do your writing for you. Don’t use it for school papers, work briefs, letters to your in-laws, speeches at your company gathering or emails (however perfunctory) to your colleagues or friends. Don’t let it organize your notes. Don’t let it suggest an opening sentence, a segue or a closing paragraph.
Se los ruego: nunca escriban con IA
Esta columna no es tanto un argumento como una súplica: no usen la inteligencia artificial para ayudarles a escribir. Nunca dejen que la IA escriba por ustedes. No la usen para trabajos escolares, informes de trabajo, cartas a sus suegros, discursos en la reunión de su empresa, o correos electrónicos (por más rutinarios que sean) a sus colegas o amigos. No dejen que organice sus notas. No dejen que sugiera una oración inicial, una transición o un párrafo de cierre.
Opinion: I’m begging you: Never write with AI
This column isn’t so much an argument as it is a plea: Don’t use artificial intelligence to help you write. Never let AI do your writing for you. Don’t use it for school papers, work briefs, letters to your in-laws, speeches at your company gathering or emails (however perfunctory) to your colleagues or friends. Don’t let it organize your notes. Don’t let it suggest an opening sentence, a segue or a closing paragraph.
I’m Begging You: Never Write With AI
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... This column isn’t so much an argument as it is a plea: Don’t use artificial intelligence to help you write. Never let AI do your writing for you. Don’t use it for school papers, work briefs, letters to your in-laws, speeches at your company gathering or emails (however perfunctory) to your colleagues or friends. Don’t let it organize your notes. Don’t let it suggest an opening sentence, a segue or a closing paragraph.
Bros and Their Foes
Frank Bruni: I suppose it’s only the latest sign of a morally berserk age, but while two ostensibly serious Republican senators — John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — just abandoned their unconvincing auditions for a new “Profiles in Courage” and blessed Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general, Washington’s U.S. attorney, Jeanine Pirro, of all fruitcakes, earned her own chapter by truly tangling with President Trump over his self-serving claims of Reflecting Pool...
Doesn't Anybody Want to Win This Thing?
(The Conversation) Frank Bruni: I suppose it's only the latest sign of a morally berserk age, but while two ostensibly serious Republican senators -- John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina -- just abandoned their unconvincing auditions for a new "Profiles in Courage" and blessed Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general, Washington's U.S. attorney, Jeanine Pirro, of all fruitcakes, earned her own chapter by truly tangling with President Donald Trump over his self-serving...
Te lo ruego: nunca escribas con IA
La inteligencia artificial avanza en la generación de contenidos y plantea nuevos debates sobre el papel de la tecnología en las redacciones periodísticas (Imagen Ilustrativa Infobae) Esta columna no es tanto un argumento como una súplica: no utilices la inteligencia artificial para ayudarte a escribir. Nunca dejes que la IA escriba por ti.
I’m Begging You: Never Write With A.I.
Phones 6 hours ago iPhone 18 Pro will have three upgrades that have been rumored for years 9to5Mac - Ryan Christoffel • 6h iPhone 18 Pro is coming very soon, and expected to feature three upgrades that have been rumored for years. Here’s what’s coming. #1: Variable aperture camera It’s been more than two years since The Information published a report detailing a “variable aperture” camera system coming to iPhone.
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