All The Monitor's View
In Hong Kong, a global contest over models of governanceThe leader of Hong Kong admits that allowing open choice for election candidates would give too much power to the city's large population of poor people. The protests are aimed at challenging such paternalistic governance, a model China promotes to the world.
Why Apple Pay may help rebuild trust in US financeApple's launch of its mobile payment system for stores could crack open a new market, but also show how to retain and expand customer respect for the finance industry.
Obama's first victory in Iraq warUS pressure on the new Shiite-led Iraqi government results in a Sunni lawmaker becoming defense minister. Such democratic unity will help Iraqi troops defeat the Islamic State.聽
Candy Crush in Atlantic City?New Jersey tries to lure young people hooked on digital video games of skill to wager on those games. Other states should ignore this desperate pursuit to tap games of merit as a way to revive an industry built on notions of chance.
As oil prices fall, which leaders rise?Oil-abundant nations that invest their wealth wisely for future generations may not mind the big drop in oil prices. Countries with corrupt, authoritarian rulers may be exposed by the drop in revenue.
One Muslim state's peaceful power transferWhile many Middle East countries splinter into war, Indonesia marks a democratic triumph Oct. 20. Its second popularly elected president, Joko Widodo, takes power.
Wanted: New ways to lift a sluggish global economyThis year鈥檚 Nobel Prize for economics hints at the need for fresh ideas to spur growth. The winner, Jean Tirole, brings a deeper look at what motivates people to invest in their future.
Prepare for post-Ebola recovery in AfricaThe World Bank and IMF lead the way in helping African nations hit by Ebola to plan for an inevitable rebound. Such planning may help dispel current perceptions of Ebola as yet another drag on Africa that has grown more resilient.
North Korea's moment of truth about its gulagIn a first, a North Korean official confesses that the regime runs 'reeducation' labor camps. The admission hints at change and a possible rejection of Marxist notions about truth being subject only to the power relations of economic and social conditions.
Ukraine's drive for clean governanceDespite an armed conflict, economic stagnation, and elections, Ukraine starts to erode endemic corruption, first by forcing officials to divulge personal assets. Honesty in governance may be a main defense against Russia.
A revolution in giving 鈥� and trustThe less-well-off in America are giving more of their income than the wealthy, perhaps because it is easier to give through digital networks. But ordinary folks may also be bonding through charity as trust in government and business declines.
A first responder to the fear of EbolaCompassion toward Ebola patients starts to kick in as more people, especially health-care workers, put fear and prejudice in their place. The crisis demands a humanitarian response as much as isolation of Ebola.
Why teens often lead protestsIn Hong Kong鈥檚 demonstrations, a 17-year-old leads others in the demand for full democracy from China. Like many student activists, he seeks proof of theories learned in class 鈥� and assurance of a better life ahead.
The Hong Kong 'umbrella revolution' pokes at China's conscienceThe Hong Kong protests are a plea for China to live up to a promised ideal of universal rights, and not 鈥榬ob the common man of his purpose.'
India's sunny 'saffron revolution'In his visit to the US, India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, makes an impression on his plans for the poor, especially in expanding solar power. His record so far suggests India could be a global solar champion.
Muslims who counter IS atrocities on womenThe Islamic State's brutality toward women deserves both criticism and counterexamples. When the new president of Afghanistan thanks his wife in public, Muslims notice.
In praise of Mexico's momentWith stunning political consensus, Mexico has passed 11 major reforms in 20 months, indicating a new civility, openness, and service to others.
Obama's war of democracy in Iraq, SyriaBefore starting war on Islamic State, President Obama pushed a freedom agenda on Iraq: It must have a sustainable democracy. But the war is also in Syria. Might he also be forced to push democracy there?
Defeating Islamic State 鈥� with an alternative visionPresident Obama knows war alone will not defeat the Islamic State group. In his UN speech, he asked Muslims to offer a different vision from the IS approach of imposing a self-defined cultural purity by force.
Obama's plan for climate-change 'resilience'At the UN climate summit, President Obama announced US plans to help other countries prepare for climate change. The US effort on global resilience may help fight the fatalism on efforts to curb carbon emissions.
