All Editorials
The Monitor's ViewObama's cold calculation on global warmingHundreds of existing coal-burning plants could be shut down under expected EPA rules aimed at curbing climate change. But such action must be accompanied by Obama appealing directly to people in coal-dependent states who would be making the big sacrifices.
OpinionTell your kids family stories. It could determine their future.The number of words a baby hears before age 3 correlates with IQ and success in school.聽And kids who know their families鈥� stories are better adjusted than kids who don鈥檛. So the next time your kids ask for a story, don鈥檛 conjure up faraway kingdoms. Talk about their grandparents.
The Monitor's ViewTalking with the enemy: Obama, Taliban negotiate Afghanistan's futureWith the US and Taliban due to open talks, Obama's idea of negotiating an end to the Afghanistan war faces its big test. Fortunately, the Taliban will also be tested to face the new Afghan realities.
OpinionOcean's little fish are a big dealSmall 'forage fish' are a crucial source for larger animals in the ocean ecosystem. Without little fish, there can be no big fish. Pacific coast fishing leaders should thus adopt safeguards to prohibit fishing of saury until it can be shown that this would not adversely impact the ecosystem.
OpinionObama's Germany trip can't be business as usualPresident Obama's speech in Berlin today shows that America needs Germany to help with global issues. But聽German power has limits. Obama needs fresh ideas to help Europe and to fortify the transatlantic relationship, because the circumstances that created this bond no longer exist.
The Monitor's ViewBrazil protests in a global trendThe Brazil protests follow those in Turkey and India, all three developing countries with established democracies. While the sparks for the protests differ, the theme is the same: Fix democracy; don't replace it.
OpinionPut our kids first, Mr. Holder, and enforce federal law against marijuanaAnyone who is cultivating, selling, or distributing marijuana is violating the federal Controlled Substances Act, regardless of state law. Obama must enforce federal law and begin prosecutions to stop the proliferation of 'medical' and recreational marijuana that is harming our kids.
OpinionG8 leaders must convert words to action against sexual violence in war zonesSyria isn't the only important item on the agenda for the G8 summit in Northern Ireland this week. G8 countries are to be praised for addressing the sexual violence against women in conflict zones, but they must back up their words with funding and specific actions.
The Monitor's ViewIran election's surprise winnerThe unexpected victory of Hassan Rohani In Iran's presidential election confirms his hint that legitimacy lies with the people, not the turbaned cleric elite.
Global ViewpointNo 'Turkish spring': Protests in Turkey are sign of a healthy democracyProtests in Turkey aren鈥檛 a sign of the failure of democracy there but a sign that Turkish politics is now resilient enough to experience public discontent that strengthens participatory democracy. But聽if Recep Tayyip Erdogan聽remains insensitive to public opinion, it will cost him his job.- Global ViewpointNo 'Turkish spring': Protests in Turkey are sign of a healthy democracyProtests in Turkey aren鈥檛 a sign of the failure of democracy there but a sign that Turkish politics is now resilient enough to experience public discontent that strengthens participatory democracy. But聽if Recep Tayyip Erdogan聽remains insensitive to public opinion, it will cost him his job.
The Monitor's ViewFather's Day: a role for everyoneFather鈥檚 Day recognizes the importance of being a dad. Today 1 out of 3 children lives in a home with no father present on a regular basis.聽But anyone聽can lend a hand to kids without a dad in their lives.
OpinionFather's Day: Why a 'superhero' father wants to join the Mothers AssociationWhere are the fathers? In my neighborhood, the Mothers Association gets things done. Too many men want to avoid the thankless tasks that women have performed for hundreds of patriarchal years. They're also missing out on the beautiful intimate mundanity of nurturing a human being.
OpinionCould today's Iran election be a 1975 turning point?It鈥檚 difficult to predict how Iranians will react to this election. The peeling back of even the veneer of political choice and change may be the last straw for Iranians and eventually lead to another uprising, just as the shah鈥檚 1975 scrapping of political parties helped spur the 1979 revolution.
Global ViewpointWhy boycotting Iran鈥檚 presidential election is an act of integrityIn reality, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will decide Iran's presidential election. That is why actively boycotting this election would be an act to regain dignity as well as be a mass, nonviolent uprising that could end a regime that prolongs its existence by moving Iran from crisis to crisis.- Global ViewpointWhy boycotting Iran鈥檚 presidential election is an act of integrityIn reality, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will decide Iran's presidential election. That is why actively boycotting this election would be an act to regain dignity as well as be a mass, nonviolent uprising that could end a regime that prolongs its existence by moving Iran from crisis to crisis.
The Monitor's ViewFalling white birthrate: The new American 鈥榰s鈥�America's white majority is slipping away faster than ever, affecting issues from the immigration debate to the future of the economy.
OpinionMaking US humanitarian aid to Syria a political tool is ineffective 鈥� and dangerousCalls are growing to route US humanitarian aid to Syria through opposition groups, using aid as a political tool to earn the US credit with the population. This would be ineffective and dangerous. Instead more must be done to ensure the safety and access of aid groups working in Syria.
The Monitor's ViewMore light on the NSASome government actions must be clandestine. But US citizens are being told so little about government spying on them that they lack the information they need to have an informed opinion about it.
OpinionFor regional stability, help Syria's internally displacedMore than 5.75 million聽Syrians have been displaced in the two-year civil war. Some have fled to neighbor countries as refugees, but 4.25 million remain in Syria. Increased aid for these internally displaced is essential to managing the refugee crisis and maintaining regional stability.
