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The Monitor's ViewFuture of China economy will force political reformThe ouster of a prominent Communist Party member, Bo Xilai, hints at this year's power struggle to define political reforms needed to avoid big problems for the Chinese economy.
OpinionTo help Syria, apply a mix of 'soft' and 'hard' powerSanctions and isolation of the Assad regime are simply allowing massacres to continue in Syria. Yet the world resists an all-out military intervention in Syria. A third option is to apply a mix of 'hard' and 'soft' power to relieve the suffering there.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveYour native 'Soul-sense'A 海角大神 Science perspective.
OpinionObama help with Israeli preemptive strike on Iran would violate international, US lawFor all the talk in Washington of solidarity with Israel on Iran, jumping to Israel鈥檚 aid in a preemptive strike would clearly violate international and US law.聽Obama must tell Israel that only self-defense against an armed attack would trigger American participation.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Romantic 'hookups' aren't liberating; Strike on Iran is worst optionLetters to the Editor for the weekly print issue of March 12, 2012: Regarding Gen Y courtship patterns, one reader asks, 'What ever happened to true love?' Another reader explains why a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would bring more harm than good.
The Monitor's ViewAfter guilty verdict for warlord Lubanga, will Kony be captured in 2012?World interest in the 'Kony 2012' video that focuses on child soldiers of the Lords Resistance Army comes just as the International Criminal Court finds another African warlord guilty of conscripting children to kill.
OpinionSelf-immolations in Tibet must resonate in AmericaTibetans around the world are in mourning for the more than聽25 Tibetans who have immolated themselves over the past year in protest against China's oppression. These self-immolations are also desperate cries for support from the international community. Americans can help.
OpinionBarnard College flap: Competition among women shouldn't be over menColumbia University women are outraged that Obama will deliver the commencement address at Barnard College, the neighboring women's school. Some accuse Barnard women of wanting to bed and wed 'their' Columbia men.聽Why do women still define themselves in terms of men?- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveA soldier's deadly deed in Afghanistan, and a way to find peaceA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewFrom DARPA to Google, the search for sources of innovationRegina Dugan, the head of the Pentagon's research arm, is going to Google. What her move means in the global race for innovation.
Six reasons to keep America as No. 1 superpower Many around the world say American decline would preserve global stability through a better balance of power. They鈥檙e wrong, says Steve Yetiv, a political science professor at Old Dominion University. It鈥檚 not that other countries or international institutions can鈥檛 play vital roles. They do. But they can't yet do what Washington does around the world, Yetiv says. Here he gives six examples.
Global ViewpointConfab in Silicon Valley: How to move from 'dumb mob' to 'smart mob'In early March, leading thinkers in the private and public sectors gathered in the epicenter of California's Silicon Valley 鈥� Palo Alto 鈥撀� to take in a bird's eye view of how social media is affecting governance. Social media can empower people, but turning a 'dumb mob' into a 'smart mob' is another matter.- Global ViewpointConfab in Silicon Valley: How to move from 'dumb mob' to 'smart mob'In early March, leading thinkers in the private and public sectors gathered in the epicenter of California's Silicon Valley 鈥� Palo Alto 鈥撀� to take in a bird's eye view of how social media is affecting governance. Social media can empower people, but turning a 'dumb mob' into a 'smart mob' is another matter.
- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveWhat Lent can inspireA 海角大神 Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewLessons from the Afghanistan shootingThe Afghanistan shooting of 16 civilians by an American soldier shows the Pentagon must better screen, train, and track its people who fight in war zones.
Walter RodgersReagan and Clinton as American idols? Not so fast.The majority of Americans consider Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as 'outstanding' or 'above average' among the modern presidents. Pollsters and historians need an edict: Wait 50 years before judging the greatness of presidents and their legacies.- Walter RodgersReagan and Clinton as American idols? Not so fast.The majority of Americans consider Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as 'outstanding' or 'above average' among the modern presidents. Pollsters and historians need an edict: Wait 50 years before judging the greatness of presidents and their legacies.
Guns 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.- A 海角大神 Science PerspectiveGratitude and a song of hope from children in JapanA 海角大神 Science perspective: One year after the tsunami and earthquake struck Japan, some schoolchildren thank the world with a song.
The Monitor's ViewOne year after earthquake and tsunami, what Japan has rediscoveredFor the March 11 anniversary of its earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown, Japan can be thankful for reviving its spirit of mutual help, best seen among the tsunami survivors.