All Editorials
The Monitor's View'Sequester' standoff need not be win-loseAmericans, not just politicians, are torn by so many choices in the budget standoff, now called the 'sequester.' One way for President Obama and Congress to avoid the consequences of sequestration is to adopt the concept of 'settling,' as put forth by one political theorist.
Opinion'Lincoln,' Texas, and the Oscars: Why getting history right mattersMost filmgoers will see the 'Lincoln' film, nominated for 12 Academy Awards, as biographical. Public opinion is shaped by portrayals like this, so its factual errors can't be discounted. I鈥檝e seen first-hand the problems with a popular historical narrative that doesn鈥檛 get the story right.
Opinion'Zero Dark Thirty' has the facts wrong 鈥� and that's a problem, not just for the OscarsThe movie 'Zero Dark Thirty' is a gripping drama and credible contender in this year鈥檚 Oscar competition 鈥� nominated for five Academy Awards. But because it advertises itself as factually grounded,聽I have to point out: On each of its three major points, the film gets the story wrong.
The Monitor's ViewCharitable tax deduction: What price for love?In weighing tax reform, Congress has its eye on the charitable tax deduction 鈥� as a 'loophole.' It needs to first look at the changing ways that Americans give and then act to safeguard charity in all its forms.
OpinionStricter gun laws alone won't stop America's urban violenceGetting guns off the streets or out of the hands of criminals won鈥檛 by itself address the problem of gun violence in poor urban communities. America needs to address the underlying circumstances that lead people like my inmate students to gun violence in the first place.
The Monitor's ViewIn Timbuktu, Al Qaeda showed 'seeds of its decay'A secret letter written by Al Qaeda's leader in north Africa during his 10-month rule of Timbuktu reveals the internal contradictions of jihadists that will end their appeal.
OpinionHow President Obama can forge a nuclear deal with IranAhead of crucial 'P5+1' talks on Iran's nuclear program in Kazakhstan Feb. 26, President Obama needs to show willingness to meet Iranian concessions with some of his own. But Congress is in no mood to ease sanctions. Obama, however, can go around Congress.
OpinionUS leadership needed to prevent nuclear testing by North KoreaNorth Korea鈥檚 nuclear weapons test explosion underscores the need for stronger US leadership to prevent the testing, spread, and use of the world鈥檚 most dangerous weapons. US ratification of the聽Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty would set a clear international standard.
The Monitor's ViewWanted: global rules on cyberwarfareA report on cyberattacks and computer hacking originating with China's military highlights the need for international norms in cyberwarfare. Other new types of weapons led to new rules of war. Why not in cyberspace, too?
5 factors for peace in Afghanistan Given that Afghanistan has been in a state of war for nearly 35 years, only a broad-based reconciliation can resolve the fighting. Peace talks are a vital part of that process. Here are five factors necessary to achieving a sustainable peace in Afghanistan.
OpinionA civics lesson for 20-somethingsMany young people drop out of civic life because we set them up to fail. In the Obama era, we talk about social change in such grandiose terms that anything after is bound to feel insignificant in comparison. I've learned that civic engagement, above all else, requires resilience.
The Monitor's ViewInstead of blaming media violence for kids who kill, demand more nonviolent video gamesA new study shows how children display more empathy if given pro-social media to watch or play. Parents can be encouraged to demand video games and other media that teach social skills.
Global ViewpointThe US-China relationship is vital to global stability. Good thing it isn't doomed.President Obama and China's incoming president Xi Jinping should meet to revalidate and re-energize the US-China relationship. Whether this relationship is vital and robust, or weak and full of suspicion, will affect the whole world.- Global ViewpointThe US-China relationship is vital to global stability. Good thing it isn't doomed.President Obama and China's incoming president Xi Jinping should meet to revalidate and re-energize the US-China relationship. Whether this relationship is vital and robust, or weak and full of suspicion, will affect the whole world.
- Readers RespondReaders Write: The great Second Amendment debateLetters to the Editor for the February 18, 2013 weekly print issue:聽To speak of gun ownership as a privilege that can be given up ignores history and the philosophical basis of the right to self-protection. Findley's op-ed was a voice of reason in the hyperbolic discussion on gun control.
What a gun can do to youThere are as many reasons that people own guns as there are gun owners. Some people feel safer with them. Some feel more empowered. Others feel conflicted because of the way guns change the way they think and live.
OpinionNATO, US must shore up LibyaToday, as Libyans mark the second anniversary of the revolution that ousted Muammar Qaddafi, security conditions are bad and getting worse. Libya needs help training its security forces. Ideally, this would be a NATO mission. It could also be a US mission if NATO lacks the will.
The Monitor's ViewPlucking a big bone in free-trade talks: foodPresident Obama's ambitious goal for free-trade pacts with Europe and Asia depends on solving emotional disputes over food and agriculture. Leaders need to deal with people's deep concerns about what they eat, farming culture, and culinary identity.
OpinionView from Iran: World needs rules on cyberattacksThe US believes that cyberattacks from another country can constitute an 'act of war.' This begs the question of whether the US can unilaterally engage in an unprovoked act against Iran that, according to its own standards, is unacceptable. The world needs global rules on cyberattacks, regardless of where we live and how we think, say Iran's UN diplomats.
OpinionNorth Korea, China do their usual danceNorth Korea and China have done it again 鈥� call it the Pyongyang-Beijing two-step. Though Beijing registered 'firm opposition' to North Korea's nuclear weapons test, it is unlikely to聽exercise its unique leverage on North Korea to encourage change.聽