All Editorials
The Monitor's ViewWill a blow on Syria be a blow for justice?As Congress votes whether to approve a strike on Syria, it must also decide the 'just' means of a US operation. A war should be conducted in proportion to its goals.
OpinionPro-life groups don't really protect the unbornPro-life groups funnel tremendous resources into a legal war against abortion in the US without providing adequate practical support for women to maintain pregnancies. Yet not being able to afford a child is one of the main reasons women have abortions.
Global ViewpointG20 should break UN deadlock, demand removal of chemical weapons in SyriaThe G20 nations can bypass deadlock in the UN Security Council over Syria by appealing to the General Assembly to call for and oversee the removal of all chemical weapons from Syria. Unlike military strikes by the US, this would pave the way for a ceasefire and peace settlement.- Global ViewpointG20 should break UN deadlock, demand removal of chemical weapons in SyriaThe G20 nations can bypass deadlock in the UN Security Council over Syria by appealing to the General Assembly to call for and oversee the removal of all chemical weapons from Syria. Unlike military strikes by the US, this would pave the way for a ceasefire and peace settlement.
The Monitor's ViewG20 summit's bright consensus on tax evasionSyria may be the corridor topic at the G20 summit, but the group's amazing consensus on battling tax avoidance will be its historic moment.
Seven tips for making your first year of college a success The first semester of college is just one new thing after another. It鈥檚 challenging, exciting, and sometimes a little scary. As a professor who鈥檚 taught hundreds of firstyear students, I'd like to offer seven tips to get your first year of college off to a good start.
OpinionAmerica 鈥� and Obama 鈥� must be ready to act alone in strike against Assad, SyriaPresident Obama's decision to seek congressional approval and global support for a strike against Syria is laudable. But聽the US 鈥� and Mr. Obama聽鈥� might have to go it alone. Chemical weapons are in a terrible class by themselves. The world must maintain its taboo against them.
Why we should listen to the worldLocal is crucial. Families, homes, and communities need our attention and care. But without a global perspective -- without making the effort to learn how other cultures are tackling problems ranging from education to health care, fighting terrorism to fostering innovation -- we miss valuable lessons developed in the laboratories of other nations.聽
The Monitor's ViewIn vote on Syria strike, Americans face moment of truth for 'values that define us'As Congress preps for a vote on a possible US punitive strike on the Syria regime, Obama frames the issue as one about 'values that define us.' That throws the question squarely on defining the American identity.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Consequences of climate change; US attitude adjustment on wildfiresLetters to the Editor for the September 2, 2013 weekly print edition:Wildfires, natural gas and fracking, and Arctic development are closely linked to climate disruption, but the articles on those issues failed to mention that key connection.Solutions to wildfires must address entitled-to-be-saved-from-myself attitudes in the US. If we continue like this, people will build on the lips of volcanoes and then demand to be saved.
OpinionBack to School Night? Let's talk about your child's weddingAt Back to School Night, I'm going to ask parents to use a different lens to view their children's education. Instead of looking ahead to college or a job, I'll ask them to look back from their child's wedding. What qualities should their children express then? How do we shape those now?
Seven reasons US intervention in Syria is a bad idea Following Bashar al-Assad's alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria, pro-interventionists say America has a moral obligation to get involved. While understandable, this view is wrong for seven key reasons, both moral and pragmatic.
The Monitor's ViewObama plan to rank colleges: Will it raise thinking skills?Congress appears lukewarm about President Obama's proposal to rank colleges and universities. One reason may be that it fails to measure what today's employers want: Graduates with higher-order thinking skills.
OpinionUS must take substantial military action in Syria nowThe United States has a moral and legal obligation to protect Syrian civilians from the murderous Assad regime and help end Syria's bloody civil war. Military action is supported by international law, historical precedent, and humanitarian mandates.
Global ViewpointBo Xilai trial was a satire, but still helped to further rule of law in ChinaIn an interview, He Weifang, one of China鈥檚 most pre-eminent advocates of the rule of law and judicial independence, says聽the trial of former politburo member聽Bo Xilai was a satire 鈥� but it still helped to advance rule of law in China.- Global ViewpointBo Xilai trial was a satire, but still helped to further rule of law in ChinaIn an interview, He Weifang, one of China鈥檚 most pre-eminent advocates of the rule of law and judicial independence, says聽the trial of former politburo member聽Bo Xilai was a satire 鈥� but it still helped to advance rule of law in China.
The Monitor's ViewObama and King's 'Dream' speechThe power of great oratory to bring about change has shifted since Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech. President Obama and recent US presidents have struggled to adjust to new demands for different styles of leadership.
OpinionHow Martin Luther King, Jr. changed my lifeFive years after Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech, I heard him speak at a church in Memphis. I had come with my gang to rob ladies' purses. But I left a new man.聽I was not the first to be transformed by King, and I should not be the last.
OpinionDoes President Obama fulfill MLK's dream?For all the meaning that will be on display when President Obama commemorates a seminal moment in US history today, it will be a largely symbolic moment that does not bring the change that the March on Washington demanded. This may have to be enough.
The Monitor's ViewWhat Obama must tell Americans about a US strike on SyriaAirstrikes on Syria would be meant to defend international law protecting civilians from chemical weapons. Yet can President Obama say no civilians will be killed in US 'surgical' strikes?