海角大神

The Democratic strategy in 2020 leans heavily on those outraged by President Trump鈥檚 views on racial and gender issues. That makes Virginia a litmus test for what the party thinks it can forgive 鈥� and what it can鈥檛.

By moving up its primary date, the Golden State could help shape the Democratic nomination process 鈥� and possibly elevate its own Sen. Kamala Harris. Or it could find itself marginalized once again.

This is the story of the thousands of women and their children, born of sexual violence, whose abduction did not capture headlines, and who all too often no one welcomes home. But maybe that can change.

A cursory look through art history may suggest that women have not played a significant role. New research shows otherwise, but doing justice to forgotten female artists requires more than identifying them.

The prevalence of misinformation on the internet is legitimately troubling, but could attempts to remedy the problem fall prey to all-too-human biases?

Societies long governed by a powerful hierarchy, such as a monarchy or military brass, often place a low value on individual citizens being self-governed and equal. In Thailand, which still has a mix of both types of rule, such a legacy got turned upside down on Friday.

Ubolratana Rajakanya, the oldest daughter of the late and much-revered king, announced she will run for prime minister in an election next month. And she will do so with a party popular with the poorest of the poor, the Thai Raksa Chart party.

Her surprise candidacy will be the first time a senior member of the highly respected royal family will participate in an election. At a deeper level, it sends a signal to many Thais about the people themselves being the font of a nation鈥檚 sovereignty, based on each individual鈥檚 sovereignty.

In announcing her candidacy on Instagram, Ubolratana illustrated the point: 鈥淚鈥檇 like to exercise my rights and freedoms as a citizen under the Constitution.鈥� Her newly adopted party also expressed hope that her leadership would bring reconciliation to a sharply divided country.

If she wins the March 24 contest, Thailand may finally move beyond rule by gun or rule by semidivine inheritance. It could more firmly plant itself as being ruled by ballot.

The Southeast Asian nation has had a dozen military coups since becoming a constitutional monarchy in 1932. After a brief period of relatively free democracy starting in the 1990s, the military has taken power twice, in 2006 and 2014. It set up a new Constitution to ensure it keeps power through the Senate. Having a prime minister that most Thais regard as a beloved princess 鈥� the first child of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej 鈥� would possibly be a severe challenge to the military. She will be running against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, head of the governing junta.

Ubolratana has a history of breaking from the monarchy. She relinquished her royal titles in 1972 and lived in California with an American husband until a divorce two decades ago. She has since revived her reputation in Thailand as a singer, actress, and activist. Her brother, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, dislikes her electoral bid.

For democracy to become deeply rooted in Thailand, people must be allowed to see themselves as equal participants in shaping their society rather than be compelled to look to royal authority or to generals who regard themselves as the source of social order. However the coming election shakes out, Ubolratana has taken a bold step in running as a mere citizen. For that she deserves a bow, although not of the royal kind.