海角大神

A reader writes: 鈥淚t is very difficult for me to understand why all of the energy in Congress is being spent on impeachment when there are so many issues in our country to deal with.鈥� Our Washington bureau chief, Congress reporter, and senior Washington writer met to discuss that and other issues related to the inquiry.

At the heart of Lebanon鈥檚 strife is a classic confrontation between an idealistic protest movement angered by corruption and an entrenched political elite with much to lose and many levers to pull.

Off-year elections often receive scrutiny for what they suggest about the upcoming cycle. In Kentucky, the incumbent鈥檚 focus on impeachment has drawn attention 鈥� but may be offset by local concerns.

In July, as some Parisians sought relief from the heat in fountains, government efforts like checking in with older citizens helped France escape the heat wave鈥檚 dire threats. It鈥檚 an example for other nations to follow.

In puppetry, you may be able to see the strings attached, but its skilled artistry can still animate wonder in an era when technological special effects seldom seem special anymore.

One of the world鈥檚 most unequal countries, South Africa, did not feel so unequal on Saturday. Its national rugby team, the Springboks, won the World Cup with its first black captain and a team that is the most racially representative ever seen. A self-doubting nation was suddenly elevated to gratitude for a quarter century of progress since the end of white-rule apartheid.

The sheer athleticism of the team鈥檚 victory was itself praiseworthy. So is the fact that the South African squad was chosen on merit, not skin color, after a long history of rugby being only for the white minority. This created a rare moment of unity. 鈥淎fter generations of division, we have become a people with a great sense of national pride,鈥� said President Cyril Ramaphosa, who watched the game in Japan.

He added that South Africans often fail to appreciate how far they have come toward the goal of creating a society of inclusion and opportunity. Gratitude is an essential force multiplier for any nation, especially in moments of inspiring triumphs likes the Springboks鈥� victory.

For South Africa, a seed of hope for interracial progress was planted in 1995, a year after the country鈥檚 first free election and a time when only one member of the Springboks was black. That year President Nelson Mandela made a symbolic gesture of reconciliation by handing the men鈥檚 international rugby trophy to captain Francois Pienaar after the team won the World Cup. The event was made famous in the film 鈥淚nvictus.鈥�

The hope back then has turned into reality for the current captain, Siya Kolisi. According to his coach, Rassie Erasmus,鈥淭here was a time when Siya didn鈥檛 have food to eat.鈥澛� But under a post-apartheid democracy, he was able to rise from extreme poverty聽to fulfill a dream in sports. And beyond the integrated team he plays on, he is also married to a white woman.

Mr. Kolisi is the change South Africa seeks. Yet in the Springboks鈥� victory, he pointed to a lesson for himself, his teammates, and all South Africans: 鈥淲e can achieve anything if we work together as one.鈥�

South Africa still struggles to make room for individual excellence and nonracial teamwork to become the 鈥渞ainbow nation鈥� it wants to be. 鈥淭here is much more that we need to do to make this a country where the black child and the white child can attain the heights they always dream of,鈥� said President Ramaphosa.

Yet the country has not only broken a color line for black advancement but also achieved a mental breakthrough. The Springboks鈥� success, according to their captain, was rooted in a team desire to inspire even the poorest South African to 鈥渃ome and see us play.鈥� Like Mr. Kolisi himself, the lowest in South Africa was lifted up high in Saturday鈥檚 sweet victory.