Thacher Report

Thanks for your patience while I cut down a huge essay into four parts as I wrap my head around a recent debate at the 92nd St Y, “Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews?” In earlier essays I took apart the Democratic argument, as presented by Rahm Emanuel, that Trump is bad for the Jews. I just don’t buy it, not when my options are the keffiyeh cosplayers, Queers for Palestine and when pathologically...

The Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens sponsored the debate, “Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews,” under the aegis of his journal, Sapir (sapphire, for the Jewish color blue and biblical references). A good friend is their managing editor, it’s an excellent publication which you can receive in print for free. It was a stimulating night, intellectually lite but interesting...

Last week I went to a debate “Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews” with Bret Stephens, Rahm Emmanuel and Jason Greenblatt (Trump exec and 1.0 admin staffer) at the 92nd Street Y, a Jewish cultural organization on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In a follow up essay I’ll get into why Rahm Emanuel’s perspective about Trump being bad for the Jews is obsolete, yet popular, in shrinking blue bubbles. B...

Zachary Thacher discusses the pervasive issue of misinformation in contemporary media, particularly focusing on the legacy media's role in shaping narratives around COVID-19, crime, and political values. He critiques the lack of objective reporting and highlights the challenges posed by multiculturalism and political Islam. Thacher calls for a reevaluation of media consumption and political alignm...

Growing up in a halcyon, late 20th Century Massachusetts milieu meant the Boston Globe and the New York Times were read each morning at the kitchen table. NPR’s local affiliate, WBUR, played on the radio throughout the day and on every drive. At night, my parents watched the WGBH PBS News Hour in rotation with NBC, CBS and ABC. What happened to it?

Is capital “D” Diversity a policy goal that needs defending? Should we rally to protect the past decades of initiatives that emerged from the center and far left and, until recently, have became mainstream? To answer, I think we first have to ask: what do DEI proponents mean by Diversity?

To make America an unqualified success that delivers on these values, we need a competitive political system where the best performing policies and practices rise to the top. We don't have that now. And it's not because an external force interfered with or thwarted the Democrats. Their wounds are self inflicted. I don’t see them capable of change or mounting a credible alternative to the Republica...

Palestine isn't working, it's time for something new

Are Palestinians capable of running a liberal, democratic government. Who believes in this?

In this episode of the Thacher Report, Zachary reflects critiques the current political landscape. He discusses the stagnation of the left since 1973, the significance of historical events, and the evolution of social movements. Thacher emphasizes the pressing challenges facing society, including public safety, infrastructure, and education, while advocating for a new political movement he refers...

What is the left in 2025? 

In this thought-provoking episode of The Thatcher Report, we dive into a critical analysis of the current political landscape, focusing on the perceived implosion of the Democratic Party. The episode examines the complexities of Jewish identity in the context of Israel's central role post-1948 and critiques the ongoing discourse around the two-state solution. Through a historical lens, parallels a...

In this episode, our host returns after a hiatus with personal news about becoming a father. Following this, he explores significant shifts within the Democratic and Labour parties. Using a personal narrative interwoven with political analysis, he discusses his disappointment with the Democratic Party's trajectory and its focus on identity politics over broader economic concerns. Drawing parallels...

Time for changes!

A short story about loss and redemption, via a watch and a subway grate

My latest misadventure with home ownership.

Zachary's latest podcast from the Thacher Report, including a little freewheeling chat up front. 

Is this the end of the Covid journey? I don't know, but it's the end of life on the road. 

As I wind down my crazy -- for me -- Covid adventure from fleeing Manhattan to living on a friend's farm to living in rural Vermont, I'm now back in NYC and finally settling down. I found a house to buy. I'm a first time buyer and a lot of people are in the way of a sale. So I ask myself, do I need a broker?  Read the post here: https://medium.com/thacher-report/how-to-buy-a-house-in-brooklyn-2a78...

Dating while Running from Covid - Summer 2020

You rest on blankets under a dark sky strained with starlight. Dinner is finished. The children sleep. Your tent is set up and arranged just the way you like it. Your pack animals have been fed and hobbled. You’re with the adults, you can see their faces by the light of fire.

To imagine Vermont in summertime, picture Montana’s Big Sky, listen to Janis Joplin, think of laidback yet conscientious Northern California, add in dairy farms, embrace the progressive politics of, well, Vermont and down a pint of New England style IPA.

A small town of gender-neutral farmers bike to work, dispense non-profit equal-access healthcare and help build each other’s houses. Is this a story dramatic enough for saving the world? Are we rugged enough like Republicans and communal enough like Democrats? 

Kids pedaled bikes along dusty streets smeared with the buttercup glow of sunsets. There was no traffic. There were no stoplights. It was Jane Jacobs with a sun tan. 

Imagine running as hard and fast as you can. Doesn’t matter where you go, just away. Legs compels you forward. Your lungs burst in flame. Fear transforms to trajectory and then — finger snap! The road vanishes.