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Global ViewpointBo Xilai trial was a satire, but still helped to further rule of law in ChinaIn an interview, He Weifang, one of China鈥檚 most pre-eminent advocates of the rule of law and judicial independence, says聽the trial of former politburo member聽Bo Xilai was a satire 鈥� but it still helped to advance rule of law in China.- Global ViewpointBo Xilai trial was a satire, but still helped to further rule of law in ChinaIn an interview, He Weifang, one of China鈥檚 most pre-eminent advocates of the rule of law and judicial independence, says聽the trial of former politburo member聽Bo Xilai was a satire 鈥� but it still helped to advance rule of law in China.
- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveTwitter prayersA 海角大神 Science perspective: Sincere tweets for prayer are like little candles joined together to reject the darkness.
The Monitor's ViewObama and King's 'Dream' speechThe power of great oratory to bring about change has shifted since Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech. President Obama and recent US presidents have struggled to adjust to new demands for different styles of leadership.
OpinionHow Martin Luther King, Jr. changed my lifeFive years after Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech, I heard him speak at a church in Memphis. I had come with my gang to rob ladies' purses. But I left a new man.聽I was not the first to be transformed by King, and I should not be the last.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveParents' role in back to schoolA 海角大神 Science perspective.
OpinionDoes President Obama fulfill MLK's dream?For all the meaning that will be on display when President Obama commemorates a seminal moment in US history today, it will be a largely symbolic moment that does not bring the change that the March on Washington demanded. This may have to be enough.
The Monitor's ViewWhat Obama must tell Americans about a US strike on SyriaAirstrikes on Syria would be meant to defend international law protecting civilians from chemical weapons. Yet can President Obama say no civilians will be killed in US 'surgical' strikes?
OpinionHow US can use aid to nudge EgyptAmerican influence in Egypt is dwindling. But the US could still support democracy there by temporarily freezing military aid during the transitional period to be reinstated if the transition includes the Muslim Brotherhood and the new constitution protects minorities.
Global ViewpointUS strike on Syria would be illegal 'act of war'The Obama administration is right to be cautious about US intervention in Syria. For the US to launch a military strike without UN Security Council sanction would constitute an illegal 'act of war' against a sovereign state. (The Kosovo precedent cannot make an illegal act legal.)- Global ViewpointUS strike on Syria would be illegal 'act of war'The Obama administration is right to be cautious about US intervention in Syria. For the US to launch a military strike without UN Security Council sanction would constitute an illegal 'act of war' against a sovereign state. (The Kosovo precedent cannot make an illegal act legal.)
Global ViewpointAmerica is not the world's policeman 鈥� in Syria or IraqIn an interview, Hans Blix (chief UN arms inspector for Iraq from 2000-2003) says: If US military action in Syria is all about 'punishing' Bashar al-Assad to satisfy public and media opinion without even hearing the UN inspectors report, it will be a sad day for international legality.- Global ViewpointAmerica is not the world's policeman 鈥� in Syria or IraqIn an interview, Hans Blix (chief UN arms inspector for Iraq from 2000-2003) says: If US military action in Syria is all about 'punishing' Bashar al-Assad to satisfy public and media opinion without even hearing the UN inspectors report, it will be a sad day for international legality.
- A 海角大神 Science PerspectivePrayers for Egypt and SyriaA 海角大神 Science perspective: Why there's hope for peace in Egypt and Syria.
The Monitor's ViewIs the Yosemite fire a good fire?As California's Rim Fire bears down on Yosemite National Park and threatens power and water for San Francisco, the state must once again reassess the values that humans place on nature.
Five reasons the Arab Spring has not failed Given the fissures in Middle Eastern society, it is tempting to think that democracy is bound to fail there. Pessimists argue that the Arab Spring countries will revert to rule by 鈥渟trongmen.鈥� The Arab Spring may appear to have failed, but in five key respects the Arab world has changed irrevocably.
OpinionIn juvenile justice, kids need protection from false confessionsA third of false confessions come from youths under 18. Youths are more easily intimidated and less adept at understanding the ramifications of their statements than adults. They should not be treated as adults in the criminal justice system.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveThe timeless power of 'I Have a Dream'A 海角大神 Science perspective: 'Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.' - Martin Luther King Jr.
MLK's dream is the American dreamFifty years ago, black Americans -- and many whites as well -- descended on Washington, D.C., to insist on one simple thing: that the United States keep its word that "all men are created equal." Fifty years later, progress on equal rights has been realized in some ways, but it remains a dream in others.
The Monitor's ViewSyria jumps the red lineThe almost certain use of chemical weapons by Syria makes stronger international action nearly unavoidable.
