All Editorials
The Monitor's ViewWhat to watch at the Sochi OlympicsThe Sochi Winter Olympics will be about more than skiing, skating, and sledding. Every Olympics can promote peace by putting a spotlight on the host country. Russia has already found the Games can stir change for the better, despite what Putin expects.
The Monitor's ViewBad apples or a bad barrel? Pentagon seeks higher officer integrityAmid new and massive scandals, the US armed services try again to review ethics training for officers. But is that enough?
The Monitor's ViewA taste of Danish integrityNew surveys rank Denmark as tops in honest government and low corruption, making it a model for others. What can be gleaned from this relative lack of rottenness among the Danes?
Iran: Kerry, Obama rhetoric threatens to derail diplomacyAn Iranian diplomat argues that the repeated threats of war against Iran in the official US vernacular are聽harmful to delicate, ongoing nuclear negotiations and undermine the rule of international law.
The Monitor's ViewChina's moment for greatnessThe latest dissident to be jailed, Xu Zhiyong, has released words of insight on how to transform a system now built on a big lie. His courtroom statement speaks of citizenship from the ground up and one based on love.
The Monitor's ViewAmid Arab gloom, a model for inevitable progressAs the Arab Spring fades, Tunisia blooms again with a rights-packed constitution and a peaceful transfer of power by an Islamist government. The country's startling consensus brings hope that all people are worthy of progress toward civil ideals.
The Monitor's ViewObama's trade agenda needs backingAs President Obama negotiates with Europe and Asia on free-trade pacts, he still needs help from Congress to close the deals. America's openness remains its strength. Lawmakers must give him negotiating tools.
The Monitor's ViewFrom Congress, a nudge for self-relianceAs President Obama again seeks bipartisan solutions from Congress after his State of the Union speech, he can note one reform nearing passage: Support for states to nudge food stamp recipients into job training and jobs.
5 key regions that require more US attentionThe following regions and issues are among those critical to both short- and long-term US interests. They should draw greater US attention and diplomatic efforts.
OpinionKerry鈥檚 focus on Israeli-Palestinian peace comes at great expenseWhile forging a peace deal that ensures the聽security of Israel and the dignity of the Palestinians is a worthy goal, it's a long shot. Secretary of State John Kerry's time would be better spent pursuing vital US interests in Africa, Asia, and the broader Middle East region.
The Monitor's ViewBridges for Asia's island disputesAs China asserts stronger claims over its coastal seas, the US and others need to be more proactive in engaging Beijing. A joint research trip in the South China Sea hints at one way.
The Monitor's ViewUkraine protests: a test for the idea of progress as inevitableAs protests escalate in Ukraine, they must be seen as a plea to save the West's idea of civic rights as irreversible when once obtained. The West cannot let the regime's violence against peaceful demonstrators go unpunished.
The Monitor's ViewHow to piece Syria back togetherIf direct talks between the Syrian regime and a main opposition group proceed, the goal should be to create a transitional power with legitimacy to hold elections. For now, a vacuum of legitimacy requires foreign pressure for an agreement.
How grass-roots peace can take hold in South SudanBringing peace to conflict-torn South Sudan will require more than negotiated cease-fires and UN aid. Key community leaders 鈥� especially women activists and church pastors 鈥� must work for local unity.- How grass-roots peace can take hold in South SudanBringing peace to conflict-torn South Sudan will require more than negotiated cease-fires and UN aid. Key community leaders 鈥� especially women activists and church pastors 鈥� must work for local unity.
The Monitor's ViewObama's 'forward' push on pot legalizationPresident Obama's reasons for allowing states to try marijuana legalization are not fitting for a law enforcer and a parent who knows pot's harmful effects.
OpinionOn Roe v. Wade anniversary: The past 鈥� and future 鈥� of US abortion politicsThe front lines of the abortion battle have shifted from the sidewalks in front of abortion clinics to state legislatures and the nation鈥檚 courts.聽The increasing professionalization of the antiabortion movement makes it clear that we are approaching a crossroads in the politics of abortion.
OpinionHow to put US voters back in charge of their democracyThe Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United unleashed an era of unprecedented pay-to-play politics. Thankfully,聽steps can be taken to curb the outsize influence of big donors and super PACs and restore voters' trust in their political institutions.
The Monitor's ViewBorn to rule? The pitfalls of political dynastiesWhen Barbara Bush complains about dominant political families, she should know. The world must move beyond rule by bloodlines and a belief in inherited traits.
The Monitor's ViewWhat's at stake in the key NSA reformObama kicked the biggest NSA reform question to Congress: Who should store private data collected by the spy agency? Lawmakers must test how much Americans now want to give up individual sovereignty for security.
