All From the Editors
CommentaryThe making of AmericansThe "melting pot" has been glorified, vilified, and dismissed as obsolete. But both census data and the stories of millions of individual immigrants indicate that the not-always-easy process of assimilation is alive and well.
CommentaryIt's the 'Bicycle Spring'Long shunted to the side of the road -- and sometimes denied the road entirely -- the humble, fragile, friendly bicycle is merging into mainstream traffic in unprecedented numbers around the globe. And it's not always a smooth ride.聽
CommentaryFeeling for freedom's limitsFree speech and freedom of religion are widely recognized as inalienable human rights. But there are other freedoms as well -- from want and fear, for instance. Determining the extent and limits of these freedoms is a never-ending job in a democracy.
CommentaryPublic schools, private beliefsSeparation of church and state is enshrined in the US Constitution. But here's what's sometimes overlooked: While the state must not back any particular faith -- or even faith itself -- it also must not restrict expressions of faith. That distinction is crucial to how public schools treat religion.
CommentaryThe greening of the WestLong the province of mountain men and rugged individualists, the Intermountain West is drawing a new generation of entrepreneurs, knowledge workers, and venture capitalists keen on experiencing the region's natural wonders while staying connected to the global economy.
CommentaryAre MOOCs making education a monoculture?The rise of Massive Open Online Courses is presenting higher education with a powerful challenge. Access to great teachers will help millions. But will MOOCs cause a massive college shakeout as well?
CommentaryVacation: nothing betterThe newest trend in time off doesn't involve tweeting from Tahiti, competing in a triathlon, or climbing Mount Everest. The newest trend is unhooking, powering down, and reconnecting -- with family, friends, your own backyard, and even that little inner voice.+
CommentarySouth Korea's amazing riseAlmost out of nowhere -- after a devastating war, the near ruin of the 1990s Asian financial crisis, and the constant threats of annihilation from its nemesis to the north -- South Korea has moved into the first ranks of innovative, economically confident nations.
CommentaryPJs or pinstripes? The tradeoffs of tele-workYahoo's Marissa Mayer and other CEOs have called a time-out on telecommuting. It's clear that just as some workers thrive on their own and some need to be in an office, some types work are better done in isolation and others in collaboration. It's also clear that telecommuting is only going to increase in the years to come.
CommentaryTo invest or not to invest? The eternal questionInvesting is an individual decision. How you view the stock market depends on where you are in your earnings cycle and what your past experience has been. The only thing the market may be telling everyone聽right now is that the bad old days of the last decade appear to be over.- CommentaryProgress report: How the Monitor is doingThe start of a new fiscal year finds 海角大神 reaching more readers than ever, in its strongest financial position in more than half a century, and continuing to pursue meaningful news around the world.
CommentaryAfter the Marathon bombings: a new resolveThe globalization of ideas via the Internet, air travel, and migration is profoundly affecting the world. In once-isolated communities, exposure to the new and different can prompt a reaction of anger, fear, even terrorism. But the tide of freedom and human dignity is immensely more powerful -- and ultimately unstoppable.
CommentaryWhy we're hard-wired for best practicesWhether on Capitol Hill or in isolated desert communities, people tune into each other to find out what works. The adoption of "best practices" seems to be embedded in human nature.
CommentaryWhat does amnesty accomplish?The last big immigration amnesty in the United States took place in 1986. As the US considers immigration reform, the Monitor examines the costs and benefits of that decision -- and catches up with some of the almost 3 million people it affected.
CommentaryA balance worth tippingConflict-prevention programs in schools aim to shift the view of students, to encourage them that there is something to live for, that life isn鈥檛 unfair, and that school is worth their time and attention.
CommentaryTrees, meet forestNavigating an unfamiliar city is a breeze with turn-by-turn directions on Google Maps or other such applications. But are we losing the big-picture view of where we are going?
CommentaryThe hottest global trend is localBright lights and big cities are impressive. But from home-grown food to neighborhood bike paths, community cleanups to small-time bookstores, local is where life happens.
CommentaryAfter Newtown: a time for solaceDec. 14, 2012, will long be remembered in Newtown, Conn., and well beyond. Tears will long be shed. Prayers and comfort will long be needed.
CommentaryChinese communism: cause or club?It has long since walked away from its founding principles, but the Chinese Communist Party still has a hammerlock on power in the world's most populous nation. How long will the Chinese people tolerate a ruling clique that can't be voted out of office?
CommentaryFinding the true focusIn an age of all-too-easy digital manipulation, there are good reasons to suspect the veracity of a visual image. But there's another kind of photographic truth-telling needed: focusing beyond dramatic scenes of conflict and suffering and fairly showing the people of the world without stereotypes.