All From the Editors
- CommentaryHow the Monitor is doingThree years ago, the Monitor embarked on a bold strategy of Web-first journalism. We are making steady progress toward our goal of becoming self-sustaining.
- CommentaryWhat makes The Monitor tick?A new book by Keith Collins examines more than a century of Monitor journalism and asks whether it is living up to its purpose.
CommentaryThe 'long war' for energy securitySince the oil shocks of the 1970s, the US has been seeking energy independence. Now natural gas is seen as a possible solution. But at best it will probably only give Americans a breather while they look beyond hydrocarbons.
CommentaryThe tax man taketh -- and sometimes givethFrom outside, the workings of a big bureaucracy like the IRS seem mysterious and arbitrary. From the inside, it all makes perfect sense. Actually, you could say that about most workplaces.
CommentaryGuns and freedom: the American paradoxFrom the shot heard round the world to the old West to the spread of modern-day "concealed carry" rights, firearms are embedded in American culture.
CommentaryCan debate get heated with no loss of cool?It is possible for people to debate one another on the issues that matter, and be 'playfully polite.'
CommentaryOval Office or Starship: What a leader needsA professional manager may or may not make a good US president. Piloting a superpower through a four-year term is so complex and unpredictable that no one can be fully prepared for the job.
CommentaryIs Iran rational enough for MAD?From the 1940s until 1990, the threat of 'mutual assured destruction' terrorized the superpowers into avoiding nuclear war. Would MAD work if Iran gets the Bomb?
CommentaryMillennial generation: What's love got to do with it?Each generation approaches courtship and marriage differently. But even Generation Y, which is reticent about going to the altar, is looking for the same thing: a deep and fulfilling relationship.
CommentaryReinvention: The rewards of trying againFirst-time wonders deserve our awe and applause. But almost every good thing in life -- from careers to ideas, products to poetry -- is more reinvention than invention.
CommentaryGreen energy isn't always good energyWind, solar, hydro, and geothermal seem mostly benign -- in part because they are still a small part of the energy equation. But when green gets big, it can be controversial.
CommentaryWhy play's the thingWhile discipline and practice are crucial in life, we need play time to let creativity bloom, to imagine the impossible, to ask the 'what if' questions.
CommentaryBeyond education: How do you build geniuses?Developing nations like India are trying to take a great leap forward in education to match their coming leap in population. Can they produce enough good thinkers to produce enough new jobs?
CommentaryAt the dawn of 2012: future imperfectPredictions are tough, said Yogi Berra, especially about the future. So when you finish reading all the forecasts for the new year, step back and remember: The world's not going to end.