All Editorials
Can debate get heated with no loss of cool?It is possible for people to debate one another on the issues that matter, and be 'playfully polite.'
The Monitor's ViewWar talk on Iran forces the issue: Is Israel a formal US ally?Obama and Netanyahu can't agree on a threshold for attacking Iran if they also lack clarity on whether the US and Israel are formal allies. Will Israel abandon its strategy of defense self-reliance?
OpinionRussian elections: US and Europe must rethink the 'reset'Vladimir Putin, who seems set to return to the presidency after Russian elections Sunday, looks to be tossing aside the reset in relations with the US and Europe. Were the West to continue to embrace the Kremlin, it would alienate Russians, especially reformers.
John HughesGOP candidates need to debate legalizing marijuanaAs GOP candidates debate values, I have not heard them address legalizing marijuana. The words of a narcotics agent ring in my ears: 'I can鈥檛 say every pot smoker goes on to get hooked on the hard stuff. But I can say every addict I know on the hard stuff got started on pot.'- John HughesGOP candidates need to debate legalizing marijuanaAs GOP candidates debate values, I have not heard them address legalizing marijuana. The words of a narcotics agent ring in my ears: 'I can鈥檛 say every pot smoker goes on to get hooked on the hard stuff. But I can say every addict I know on the hard stuff got started on pot.'
The Monitor's ViewNorth Korea: When tests of trust turn global eventsA new pact between North Korea and the US will test the honesty of the regime's new leader, Kim Jong-un. Other countries, such as Iran and Greece, are also being tested because on their deceit.
OpinionRussian elections: Putin 4.0 at a crossroadsAfter Russian elections on Sunday, expect what amounts to a fourth term for Putin. But Putin 4.0 faces a tough choice. His KGB officer instincts call for tightening the grip. But Russia's future 鈥� and thousands of protesters 鈥� demand greater freedom and reforms.
Global ViewpointWTO chief Pascal Lamy: Competitiveness must drive European growthEurope is struggling to find its place in the new global economy because of 'domestic' issues, not external factors (like a rising China or trade disadvantages). On the contrary, the external climate favors European growth 鈥� if Europe can improve competitiveness and find its niche.- Global ViewpointWTO chief Pascal Lamy: Competitiveness must drive European growthEurope is struggling to find its place in the new global economy because of 'domestic' issues, not external factors (like a rising China or trade disadvantages). On the contrary, the external climate favors European growth 鈥� if Europe can improve competitiveness and find its niche.
Global ViewpointWTO chief Pascal Lamy: World must change the way it measures trade flowsIt is economic nonsense to continue to calculate bilateral trade balances 鈥� like those between the US and China 鈥� the way we do today. What we need to monitor is the effective added value in each country, not the overall value of goods and services imported and exported.- Global ViewpointWTO chief Pascal Lamy: World must change the way it measures trade flowsIt is economic nonsense to continue to calculate bilateral trade balances 鈥� like those between the US and China 鈥� the way we do today. What we need to monitor is the effective added value in each country, not the overall value of goods and services imported and exported.
The Monitor's ViewSyria protests must stick to nonviolenceSaudi Arabia may be arming Syrian protesters as more of them turn to violence against Assad's brutality. They must not lose the moral force of peaceful tactics used in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen.
OpinionThose defending US Constitution from sharia must have failed high school civicsThose like Newt Gingrich who try to exploit sharia聽hysteria to foster fear of Muslims in the US not only fail to understand聽sharia, they also fail to understand the ideals of religious freedom upon which America was built.
The Monitor's ViewObama apology to Afghans for Quran burning: All forgiven?Thousands of Afghan turned violent, some even killing American officers, despite the Obama apology for the 'inadvertent' Quran burning. Forgiveness doesn't come easily if an apology isn't seen as sincere.
Walter RodgersSigns of hope in Pakistan 鈥� America's prickly allyIt's difficult to make sense of Pakistan's pulsating political chaos, corruption, and instability. Yet pessimistic views of Pakistan, while endemic in the West, differ considerably from the perspective of Pakistani analysts who cautiously point to half a dozen hopeful developments.- Walter RodgersSigns of hope in Pakistan 鈥� America's prickly allyIt's difficult to make sense of Pakistan's pulsating political chaos, corruption, and instability. Yet pessimistic views of Pakistan, while endemic in the West, differ considerably from the perspective of Pakistani analysts who cautiously point to half a dozen hopeful developments.
OpinionHow student-built solar homes can help solve US housing and energy crisisFew of the homes created by university teams in the Solar Decathlon are ever lived in 鈥� despite their extraordinary expense and tax on the environment.聽Instead of building temporary show houses, schools should build energy-efficient homes for local people who need them.
The Monitor's ViewWhy America can 'make stuff' again 鈥� just not the old stuffObama and GOP candidates like Romney and Santorum compete in Rust Belt states like Michigan by promising a return to the heyday of manufacturing. They must instead focus on America's unique receptivity to new ideas for business.
Five steps to bring back American manufacturing jobs Many proclaim that American manufacturing is gone, never to return. The numbers certainly are frightening. Yet other signs point to a possible resurgence. Manufacturing executive Carol Ptak argues that significant numbers of good manufacturing jobs can and will return if America takes the following five steps.
OpinionWhy credit unions and small businesses are beating out big banksCommunity-based capitalism offers an exciting new model for American prosperity and a way out of the current economic morass. Constructive Capitalism is shareable, local, and sustainable. Examples of its impact abound.