All The Monitor's View
Nurturing the impulse to save Syria's millionsRussia worked on its ally Syria to allow UN aid access to the besieged city of Homs. That humanitarian moment should now lead to a UN demand for access to all 9.3 million displaced.
An Obama role in Islam's divideWith his coming visit to Saudi Arabia and new talks opening with Iran, President Obama can set the stage for reconciling the two Muslim giants over their historic Islamic rivalry.
Washington's ability to trust, and be trustedAs distrust abounds between the GOP and Obama, and between Americans and government, leaders must relearn the ways that trust can be restored.
What 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.
Bad 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?
A 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?
China'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.
Amid 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.
Obama'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.
From 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.
Bridges 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.
Ukraine 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.
How 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.
Obama'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.
Born 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.
What'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.
This Martin Luther King Day, a new look at raceAn expert on the history of skin color in societies proposes retiring race as a topic for science research. Her idea echos awareness of the changing notion of race, which may help end racism.
Safety from economic shocksAlong with its upbeat forecast for the global economy, the World Bank also points to those nations finding new security from financial shocks by aligning policies with settled economic principles.
How US can help end Syria's war: accept refugeesSyria's neighbors have been far more generous than the US in temporarily resettling millions of refugees. If the US and Europe can now share this burden, it may influence the war's outcome.
Lessons in Gates memoir on civilian-military tiesThe tell-all book by former defense chief Robert Gates reveals how President Obama dealt with a military he distrusted. Other nations, such as Egypt, need such lessons in civilian rule.