All Editorials
The Monitor's ViewMore light on the NSASome government actions must be clandestine. But US citizens are being told so little about government spying on them that they lack the information they need to have an informed opinion about it.
OpinionFor regional stability, help Syria's internally displacedMore than 5.75 million聽Syrians have been displaced in the two-year civil war. Some have fled to neighbor countries as refugees, but 4.25 million remain in Syria. Increased aid for these internally displaced is essential to managing the refugee crisis and maintaining regional stability.- 4 factors to consider in US options for North Korea North Korea has captured global attention with its provocative behavior in recent months. What will Kim Jong-un do next? Here are four factors to consider when thinking through US options on North Korea.
The Monitor's ViewThe US economy's hidden STEM jobsPeople with PhDs aren鈥檛 the only contributors to a high-tech economy. Lots of good jobs will exist for those with less than a bachelor's degree.
OpinionSolution to NSA overreach 鈥� put people in charge of their own dataMassive US surveillance of phone records and Internet data disclosed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden should prompt a public debate on the balance between privacy and the use of personal data.聽A 'new deal on data' should put people in charge of their own communication.聽
OpinionBest way for Obama to help Syria is with aid and diplomacy 鈥� not weaponsGiving military aid to Syria's rebels 鈥� however just their cause 鈥� will only prolong the civil war and increase the risk of sectarian conflagration in the region.聽A better way to help the Syrian people is to pursue diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and provide more humanitarian aid.
The Monitor's ViewGetting the fix out of sportsSports in India, Europe, and the US all suffer from match-fixing. The corrupting influence is sports betting, a vice that shouldn't be further encouraged.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Gun-rights advocates have it wrong; Obama's 'red line' blurred on chemical weapons in SyriaLetters to the Editor for the June 10, 2013 weekly print magazine:The interpretation of the Second Amendment by gun-rights advocates as disallowing any regulation of guns fails to understand human rights. By supporting gun ownership as an unrestricted right, they allow gun violence and public mayhem to exist.Lost in the heartfelt hand-wringing and deliberation over the conflict in Syria is the fact that with every passing day more innocents die on America's watch.
OpinionOn Iran's nuclear program, Obama should take a cue from JFK and 'go first'Fifty years ago, John F. Kennedy announced the US would stop nuclear tests in space. The move was meant to build trust for negotiations with the Soviets, and it worked. President Obama should follow the JFK example by, for instance, waiving some sanctions on Iran.
OpinionWhy Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling won't be like Roe v. WadeSome saw Justice Ginsburg's recent questioning of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision on abortion as a sign of how it might rule on gay marriage. But unlike with Roe, if the court rules in favor of same-sex marriage, it would be in line with the democratic process and public opinion.
The Monitor's ViewObama helps nip pot legalization in Latin America. How about in US?President Obama helped prevent a move toward pot legalization by some Latin American leaders. But will he be as bold against Colorado, Washington state?
Global ViewpointPresident Obama must understand the nationalism of China's President XiChina's President Xi Jinping is both a nationalist and a reformer. President Obama must understand the motivations for Mr. Xi鈥檚 nationalism, so that as the two leaders meet at a summit in California today, the US-China relationship will benefit. And the world will applaud.- Global ViewpointPresident Obama must understand the nationalism of China's President XiChina's President Xi Jinping is both a nationalist and a reformer. President Obama must understand the motivations for Mr. Xi鈥檚 nationalism, so that as the two leaders meet at a summit in California today, the US-China relationship will benefit. And the world will applaud.
OpinionAt US-China summit, trust is the issuePresident Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping face a full agenda, from cybertheft to North Korea, when they meet at a desert estate in California today and tomorrow. But the fundamental issue is lack of trust, which needs building over a vast array of issues.
The Monitor's ViewSpying on DNA, Verizon, and free willNew technologies extend the reach of surveillance tools to not only DNA and Verizon calls but also emotions and brain waves. Will this lead to a denial of individuals having moral agency and autonomy of thought?- 4 ways Obama should work with US business to combat China鈥檚 cyberspying If the US wishes to stop this Chinese economic cyber-espionage, a true public-private partnership is needed. Here are four ways President Obama should work with US business to combat Chinese cyberspying.
OpinionWhy US must give military aid to Syria's rebelsThe war in Syria is at a turning point. Backed by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah militants, Bashar al-Assad has the upper hand. Ending the war requires backing him into a corner from which peace talks provide his only safe escape. US military aid for the rebels can help do that.
OpinionFlexibility in US food aid to Syria should be the rule 鈥� not the exceptionIn Syria, the US has been able to deliver food aid using a flexible approach to needs on the ground. Yet such flexibility is the exception in US aid. President Obama's聽proposed reforms would allow for more efficient practices, such as using local food supplies.
The Monitor's ViewWhy this China-US summit must succeedThe June 7-8 summit between Barack Obama and Xi Jinping could help define a grand narrative of cooperation that belies predictions of inevitable China-US conflict.
Five guidelines for US role in Syria The civil war in Syria has reached a stalemate. While strategic military steps like arming the opposition or establishing a no-fly zone present complications, the US can do other things to bring aid, support the opposition, undermine the Assad regime, and counter a rising Islamist influence. Here are five guidelines for the US in addressing the conflict in Syria:
