All Editorials
OpinionThis Valentine's Day, a call to avoid the pitfalls of credit-score datingThere's a new dating trend of disclosing your credit score 鈥� and it can be a real deal-breaker for prospective couples. I'm glad credit-score dating didn't exist 18 years ago.聽Had I not teamed up with my wife, my credit score might have remained higher, but I would have ended up much poorer.
The Monitor's ViewA soft response to North Korea nuclear testThe North Korea nuclear test may well bring tougher sanctions. But the US can use the lure of liberty 鈥� visas 鈥� to undercut the Kim regime and challenge China's support of it.
OpinionDebate on gun control should ask whether Congress has power to regulatePresident Obama called for more gun control in his State of the Union address last night. The effectiveness of his proposals have been the subject of heated debate. But both sides are missing the larger question: Does Congress even have the right to regulate or ban guns?
OpinionWhy EU-US free trade agreement would benefit both sidesPresident Obama announced in his State of the Union speech that talks will start on a free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States. A pact would promote growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, writes the EU ambassador to the US.
OpinionState of the Union: US needs a statesman, but Obama played politics as usualPresident Obama devoted most of his State of the Union address to a laundry list of initiatives 鈥� and no answer for how to pay for them. Instead,聽he should foster bipartisan cooperation, working with Congress to build trust, bridge divides, and usher in needed reform.
The Monitor's ViewAre Obama's state-of-the-union ideas the antidote to economic fears?As President Obama travels after his State of the Union speech to rally support for his proposals, he must also deal with a rising mood of pessimism about the economy. Fear of the future must not be allowed to feed on itself.
OpinionImmigration reform: Congress, Obama, and public are not so far apartBoth the bipartisan Senate plan and President Obama's proposal on immigration reform 鈥� which he's expected to mention in his State of the Union address tonight 鈥� show how Republican and Democrats aren鈥檛 as far apart on policy as politics might have us believe.
OpinionGOP success strategy: Recruit more Hispanics (like Marco Rubio) and womenWithout saying a word, Sen. Marco Rubio will send a key message to Republicans in his response to President Obama's State of the Union address. The GOP must engage minority voters, especially Hispanics, as well as women. And it must actively recruit such candidates.
OpinionStop blaming video games for America's gun violenceStudies show that a child playing a violent video game does not necessarily increase the likelihood that he or she will engage in real violence.聽Americans need to stop blaming something other than our own behaviors and ideologies for societal violence, especially gun violence.
The Monitor's ViewFor Obama's second term, a call to arms controlFrom gun control to nuclear-weapons cuts to drone warfare, Obama's second term may be highlighted by a need to define new concepts of security for instruments of aggression.
OpinionIsraeli airstrike on Syria shows strategic strengthDespite pledges from Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah that use of force will be met with force, there has been no retaliation since Israel's airstrike inside Syria Jan. 30. Israel clearly retains the strategic high ground in the region, with full knowledge that its enemies are bogged down.
6 ways to make tax reform happen Here are six ideas that can guide Congress to a tax reform-deal that both parties should be able to live with 鈥� a deal that will raise necessary revenue and help pay down the debt.
What rulers overlookFrom the Pharaoh's day to the present, rulers have grabbed power and established their authority. But all dynasties crumble unless they understand that power is provisional -- and that even the powerless must have a say.- Readers RespondReaders Write: Flawed logic in 'giving up guns'; Killing is barbaric 鈥� with guns or notLetters to the Editor for the February 11, 2012 weekly print issue:聽I'd rather have a gun and never need to use it than desperately need to use one and not have it.聽Findley says that he is giving up his guns, but will continue to hunt using other weapons. Is he not just continuing the barbarity?
The Monitor's ViewObama's hidden nonplan to arm rebels in SyriaNews that Obama vetoed a plan by his senior security staff to arm Syrian rebels reveals the extent of his humanitarian impulse. But he must also protect the new UN doctrine of a 'responsibility to protect' by being more open about his Syrian strategy.
OpinionUS can slow climate change with new carbon-capture technologyNew innovations show that we can slow climate change. For instance, an artificial tree mimics the photosynthesis of real trees by chemically sucking CO2 out of the air. A push from Washington and other world capitals could help spur the market for such carbon-capture technology.
OpinionUS manufacturing is key to competitivenessUS global competitiveness is slipping. But there is some good news: US manufacturing is in the midst of a revival. Preparing a skilled workforce for the manufacturing sector should be one of the Obama administration鈥檚 top economic priorities. This can boost competitiveness.
The Monitor's ViewA rightful airing of Obama drone policyIn the latest concern over war tactics against terrorists, President Obama had to release his guidelines for the use of drones in targeted killings. To help ensure constancy and consistency in civic values during wartime, Congress must openly debate this policy.
OpinionDo we want drone-architect John Brennan as CIA chief?At John Brennan's Senate confirmation hearing, the candidate for CIA director should be asked about the killing of Americans, civilian victims of drone strikes, extraordinary renditions, and torture. Do those actions make us safer? Are they consistent with US laws and values?
OpinionMyanmar's urgent human rights need: citizenship for 'the Roma of Asia'Myanmar (Burma) has a long way to go on human rights. An issue that demands immediate attention is a crisis involving a sizable ethnic and religious group, the Rohingya 鈥� one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. This stateless people deserve citizenship and tolerance.