All The Monitor's View
India blackout flips a switchA two-day blackout for half of India was caused in large part by a massive theft of electricity. Many countries have yet to break the link between wholesale corruption and the stealing of power. Such widespread dishonesty can slow a country's growth.
Create jobs 鈥� or create more graduates for existing jobs?On the presidential campaign trail, Obama and Romney debate job creation when the easier path is tooling up graduates of higher education for jobs that already exist. But a political divide deters even that solution.
When half of India loses electricity, time for lessons on going localIndia's electricity grid went out for 600 million people Tuesday. The historic blackout shows how nations must reconsider big, complex infrastructure like centralized electric utilities.
An opening for gun control after Colorado shooting and charges on James HolmesEven as Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes faces 24 murder charges, a conservative Supreme Court justice speaks out on gun control and legal limits on gun rights.
False choice between Affordable Care Act and religious libertyA federal judge temporarily rules that the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") infringes on the religious freedom of a company's owners who oppose paying for the birth control of their workers. Such suits would disappear if Congress simply provided universal health care in noncoercive ways.
One event to watch in 2012 Summer Olympics in London: online gamblingA global explosion of Internet gaming on sports has organizers of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London worried 鈥� to the point of tracking any unusual betting patterns on the Games. US states eager for online betting should heed these concerns.
Moral mantle for action in Syria slips from UN to ObamaThe Obama administration has all but given up on the UN acting on Syria. It's beefing up aid to rebels taking other steps. But China and Russia can still save the UN's moral leadership by backing tougher sanctions on Assad.
Will the 2012 campaign be a record for lies 鈥� and charges of lying?The Romney and Obama campaigns have lately traded charges of lying 鈥� and lying about lying. Big money will add to the high number of false campaign ads. Is there a rub-off on Americans who might see lying as justified?
NCAA sanctions on Penn State football: Why only penalties?Coming just after the removal of the Joe Paterno statue, the NCAA sanctions on Penn State will help the university make a cultural shift away from placing football first. But the NCAA itself also needs to reward schools already doing this.
How to react to Colorado shooting (hint: no dark knight rises)The Colorado shooting during a screening of the Batman movie 'The Dark Knight Rises' will evoke calls for ways to prevent more mass killings. But such tragedies only point to Americans having to learn how best to react personally.
America's big drought: Time to rethink water conservationMuch of the Lower 48 is in a bad drought, the worst since 1956. Yet each drought also brings new ideas for adapting to nature's vagaries. What ideas are worth considering now?
Syria on the brink of liberty?So many nations 鈥� notably Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia 鈥� claim interests in Syria. It's easy to forget what still drives the civil war there: the seed of freedom planted even before the Arab Spring.
As bank scandals add up, a need for a culture of integrity in banksThe HSBC scandal comes soon after reckless or deceitful behavior at Barclays and JPMorgan. The pattern lies in a bank culture that doesn't emphasize character enough. A survey of the industry shows why.
Out of disasters in Russia and China, a bloom of compassionRussian volunteers rushed to the city of Krymsk after its July 7 flood, just as Chinese gave generously after a 2008 earthquake. Heartfelt, organized charity isn't easy for authoritarian regimes to tolerate.
Barclays Libor scandal: Is truth an easy casualty in the digital age?Barclays bank was caught manipulating global interest rates, known as Libor, in an act of deception over the bank's financial soundness. Preventing such dishonesty needs more than regulation.
Essence of Penn State report on Sandusky scandal: Protect children's innocenceThe Penn State report is more than a plan to reform a college football program or a university that failed to prevent sexual abuse of minors by Jerry Sandusky. Any institution dealing with kids will find the report useful in protecting children as innocent beings.
Gunboat diplomacy on a rebound?Russia deploys warships off Syria. China sends threatening vessels to its neighbors over island disputes. The world can't afford a return to 19th-century naval intimidation.
Feeling poor? Wealthy? Here's a reason why.More studies probe gaps between people, especially in income. This trend only reinforces a self-image based on stereotypes and relative comparisons. Isn't identity anchored first in the absolutes of life?
In Libya elections, lessons for Arab SpringThe Libya elections were a step forward for a bedraggled Arab Spring. They revive the region's cry for democracy and may set a model in how to accommodate Islam with individual rights.
'Stand your ground' loses groundAs defendant George Zimmerman tries to raise a $1 million bond in the case of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a new study suggests that 鈥榮tand your ground鈥� laws aren鈥檛 a deterrent to crime and increase homicides.