All Commentary
Walter RodgersSigns of hope in Pakistan 鈥� America's prickly allyIt's difficult to make sense of Pakistan's pulsating political chaos, corruption, and instability. Yet pessimistic views of Pakistan, while endemic in the West, differ considerably from the perspective of Pakistani analysts who cautiously point to half a dozen hopeful developments.
OpinionHow student-built solar homes can help solve US housing and energy crisisFew of the homes created by university teams in the Solar Decathlon are ever lived in 鈥� despite their extraordinary expense and tax on the environment.聽Instead of building temporary show houses, schools should build energy-efficient homes for local people who need them.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveOhio shooting: Affirm LifeA 海角大神 Science perspective: The tragic shootings at Chardon High School in Ohio are a call to prayer to embrace the students, their families, and the community.
The Monitor's ViewWhy America can 'make stuff' again 鈥� just not the old stuffObama and GOP candidates like Romney and Santorum compete in Rust Belt states like Michigan by promising a return to the heyday of manufacturing. They must instead focus on America's unique receptivity to new ideas for business.
Five steps to bring back American manufacturing jobs Many proclaim that American manufacturing is gone, never to return. The numbers certainly are frightening. Yet other signs point to a possible resurgence. Manufacturing executive Carol Ptak argues that significant numbers of good manufacturing jobs can and will return if America takes the following five steps.
OpinionWhy credit unions and small businesses are beating out big banksCommunity-based capitalism offers an exciting new model for American prosperity and a way out of the current economic morass. Constructive Capitalism is shareable, local, and sustainable. Examples of its impact abound.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectivePlanting peaceA 海角大神 Science perspective.
- Readers RespondReaders Write: Islamists still dangerous; Irish history matters; US needs a CEO prezLetters to the editor for the February 27 weekly print issue: One reader worries that despite post-Arab Spring聽political involvement, Islamists still have the potential for religious tyranny and terror. Another reader defends a common subject of Irish films 鈥� The Troubles 鈥� as still relevant. A third reader takes issue with a column arguing that the US doesn't need a CEO president.
The Monitor's View'Friends of Syria': Which good cause will bring unity for action?At both the UN and at a "Friends of Syria" meeting in Tunisia, a consensus is steadily forming over which universal value can justify strong action on Syria.
OpinionMelissa Harris-Perry show at MSNBC breaks more than gender, race barrierMelissa Harris-Perry is the first African American woman to solo-host a news and politics show on a major television outlet, MSNBC. But she also breaks a pundit barrier. As a professor at Tulane University, she raises academia to a new level where it can enrich public discourse.
OpinionThis primary season, peel off political labelsIt's primary season, so America is into political labels. Which is the real conservative, Romney or Santorum? Is Obama a European socialist? The more important question may be, 'What are you?' Surprisingly, the answer is probably 'all of the above.'
OpinionNations must learn from past mistakes in helping SomaliaThis week Britain led another international attempt to help Somalia, a dysfunctional state plagued by piracy and terrorism. Nations must learn from the past that trying to build up a central government in Somalia won't work. It's the regions and sub-clans that need bolstering.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveSpiritual listening amid the political frayA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewGod save the queen 鈥� and society 鈥� at lunchIn America and Britain, ideas to integrate a diverse society are being touted and tested. One idea is a 'big lunch' of neighbors for Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee. But can government enhance social cohesion?
OpinionYemen loses a dictator, but not his shadowYemen elected a new president this week, but one of the conditions for the vote was complete amnesty for the ousted longtime dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Whether that amnesty will eventually be overturned has implications for Yemen, and other dictators in the region.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveAnswered prayerA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewYemen election hints at Arab Spring's deeper meaningA popular vote Tuesday in Yemen appears to mark the fall of the fourth dictator in the Arab Spring. But in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and now Yemen, the post-dictator problems show why each Arab must embrace democratic ideals.
OpinionJohn Glenn and Earth orbit anniversary: America needs manned flight in spaceThis week's 50-year anniversary of astronaut John Glenn and his Earth orbit should remind America that it needs manned flight in space. Some say the space race is over. But America is in a new space race for jobs, skills, and knowledge for the future.
OpinionWhitney Houston 'crack ho' slur on LA radio: Look who's talkingBlack people everywhere, who have never even heard of the 'The John & Ken Show' in LA, are in an uproar about the two white radio hosts who called Whitney Houston a 'crack ho' on air and made other offensive comments. Far worse is the everyday use of the 'ho' word by blacks.
Oval Office or Starship: What a leader needsA professional manager may or may not make a good US president. Piloting a superpower through a four-year term is so complex and unpredictable that no one can be fully prepared for the job.
