All Opinion
How a glacier could thaw dangerous India and Pakistan freezeFollowing a deadly avalanche in the disputed Siachen Glacier area, India and Pakistan have signaled openness to talks. A priority must be to demilitarize 'the world's highest battle ground' at Siachen, which incurs substantial economic and human costs for these two nuclear rivals.
An 'interview' with a K Street master of campaign clich茅sHe likes to keep a low profile, so I will refer to him only as the clich茅 master, a spin control and sound bite specialist. He's聽the sort of consultant the Mitt Romney and Barack Obama campaigns prize.聽In a recent 'interview,' I tried to get at the nature of his business.
The case for military intervention in SyriaFormer US ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker argues that the West should not wait for a single mass atrocity before it intervenes in Syria, as it did in Bosnia. What is the magic number of deaths that will prompt the international community to act? We've already passed 9,000.
The coming rise of Chinese brandsUS take heed: China聽has its sights set on something beyond manufacturing 鈥� building Chinese-owned global brands 鈥� where the true economic power lies. And though Chinese brands don't currently have a stellar international reputation, history shows they could soon.
Number of long-term unemployed older workers quintupled. The help hasn't.Older jobless workers have a higher rate of long-term unemployment than any other group. And employer policies end up discriminating against them. Yet workers age 50 and up comprise nearly a third of the US workforce. Policymakers must help this key demographic find good jobs.
Iran nuclear talks: To keep global support, US must seize diplomatic opportunitiesTalks between Iran and the P5+1 in Istanbul April 14 show that negotiations aimed at addressing Tehran's nuclear ambitions appear to be on track. Diplomatic momentum should quell loose talk about the 'military option.' The top priority now must be to halt Iran's uranium enrichment.
Beyond Kony 2012, child soldiers are used in most civil warsKony 2012 campaign calls for plastering posters everywhere tonight. But the use of child soldiers goes far beyond warlord Kony and his LRA. It is the norm in most civil wars. Governments, too, use children to fight. One way to stop it: Deny military aid to these governments.
This Earth Day, let's focus on peopleEnvironmentalists go on about the loss of endangered species and degraded coral reefs. But we barely mention people 鈥撀� nature's biggest beneficiaries. 锘縏his Earth Day, let鈥檚 put human well-being at the center of things, and make explicit the value of nature to our everyday lives.
Global ViewpointWorld's next technology leader will be US, not China 鈥� if America can shape upInnovation drives income growth and determines global military and diplomatic leadership. China lacks the kind of inclusive political institutions like those in the US that promote innovation. But inequality and money's influence on political power threaten American innovation.
The firing of Brooke Harris: a teachable moment about free speechLast month, Michigan teacher Brooke Harris was fired for allegedly helping students organize a 'hoodie' fundraiser for the family of Trayvon Martin. By all means, give Harris her job back. But let鈥檚 also support the free-speech rights of all of our teachers, not just the ones we agree with.
Tarek Mehanna: Punishing Muslims for free speech only helps Al QaedaTarek Mehanna鈥檚 political speech was controversial and offensive. But the prosecution did not show that he was willing to actually engage in violence.聽Terrorists win hearts and minds when the US government prosecutes Muslims in America with little regard for the Constitution.
Global ViewpointGordon Brown: 'Education without Borders' is a must for kids in conflict zonesFailure to protect the right to education for children in conflict zones fuels violence by drawing children to terrorist groups. In South Sudan, girls are more likely to die in childbirth than make it through primary school. The World Bank and IMF spring meeting must address this.
Why Obama can't control gas pricesMany of us fail to understand a near-maxim of gas prices: No one can really control them and certainly not an American president. And we should know why that is the case since the price of gasoline impacts us all and the global economy.
Bashar al-Assad may be beating Annan plan in Syria for now, but he won't for longPutting UN monitors on the ground in Syria as part of Kofi Annan鈥檚 wider peace plan is a constructive step forward. But for now, Bashar al-Assad continues to set most of the terms.聽With more creative international action he will not be able to do so in the medium to long term.
Russia protests are overblown by West. Putin is here to stay.Mesmerized by Moscow protests, Western observers predict President-elect Vladimir Putin鈥檚 demise. But the politically active middle class is small and limited. US policy must be based on a realistic analysis of Putin鈥檚 support, not unfounded assessments that he's on his last legs.
Tax day: How to remind Americans that paying taxes is a conservative valueTo help create a political climate in which Americans can talk sensibly about taxes, let's start with kids: It鈥檚 time to make The Tax Talk with our kids just as much a part of our culture as The Sex Talk or The Drugs Talk.
Bigger scandal in Latin America than US secret service: US drug hungerThe secret service prostitution scandal overshadows renewed calls at the Summit of the Americas for the US to stanch its drug consumption. A viral 'Drug Violence 2012' video (think 'Kony 2012') would help young Americans聽connect US drug use to violence in Central and South America.
Gregg Williams audio and Saints bounty program test my football faithFootball for me has always been a kind of faith. But now the audio of former New Orleans Saints defensive coach Gregg Williams instructing his team to injure players is testing that faith.聽As a lifelong NFL fan, I need to know that I鈥檓 not financing cruel blood sport.
North Korea rocket launch: Why Kim failed the testNorth Korea's failed rocket launch symbolizes the inefficacy of Pyongyang's economic and political system and the crash of brief hopes that the new Kim regime might lead to rapprochement with South Korea and the United States.
Iran talks: Why time is ripe for compromisePositive signals from Iran and the United States are encouraging as talks on Tehran's nuclear program get underway, writes a political expert from Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
