海角大神

Bauhaus minimalism

In the Feb. 11 issue of the Monitor Weekly, I was delighted to see the article 鈥淏auhaus then and now鈥� by Carol Strickland.

Today, when clutter and the accumulation of more stuff often seem to take over in our lives, it is heartening to realize 鈥� as did the Bauhaus architects and designers 鈥� that 鈥渓ess is more.鈥�

I so appreciate the Monitor Weekly! No other news publication covers events with a perspective of keeping readers informed of the difficulties of, as well as the countless solutions offered by nations and communities throughout the world.聽

And I loved having an article focused on architecture. Keep 鈥檈m coming, as they help readers continue to be aware of various cultures, technologies, and artistry.聽

Such articles are welcome, especially now when the 21st century is appreciative of women in architecture 鈥� which was not a reality 100 years ago in the days of Bauhaus.

Diane P. Dailey

Laguna Hills, California

British isolation and Brexit

The April 15 article 鈥淏attle of Britain鈥檚 history: How the myth of WWII shaped Brexit鈥� claims that Britain鈥檚 isolation during the first years of World War II is a myth. In the article, a British professor is quoted as saying that Britain 鈥渨as never really alone鈥� in the early years of WWII.

It is true that pilots from Poland and Canada fought alongside the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain. It鈥檚 also true that Indian soldiers joined British troops in confronting Hitler鈥檚 army in North Africa.

Yet if you lived in London, Bristol, or Liverpool in 1940, when the Nazi Luftwaffe was raining bombs on British cities, the fact that Indian troops were in Africa was of little comfort. During the first two years of WWII, Britain stood essentially alone as an island nation.聽

Alistair Budd

London

Welcome new direction

For a while I鈥檇 been feeling some frustration with the stories I was reading in the Monitor. It felt, to me, that the Monitor鈥檚 stories were tap-dancing around issues that needed to be addressed and that the Monitor was not as fearless and committed as it needed to be as a member of the free press.

But in recent months I have seen a wonderful shift in the way the Monitor reports on the issues we鈥檙e currently facing: global warming, immigration, as well as political manipulation, corruption, and divisiveness, among others. I appreciate the way in which the Monitor manages to present these issues; it does so in an honest way that gives its readers the opportunity to rethink, without telling them what to think. The Monitor has at last found its stride.聽

Karen Molenaar Terrell

Bow, Washington