All The Monitor's View
Hong Kong’s lessons in coping with ChinaA Feb. 8 riot and police crackdown in Hong Kong reveals the harsher hand of China but also a dilemma for the territory on how to deal with Beijing’s fear of dissent. The world must watch how Hong Kong decides.
Mercy for Myanmar's military?As she and her winning party prepare to run Parliament, Aung San Suu Kyi faces pressure from the military’s millions of victims for revenge. She wisely argues to allow the Army to reform.
Fixing both Flint and its water pipesThe water-pollution tragedy in Flint deserves quick solutions but the city’s citizens, led by a new mayor, are also rightly looking at rebuilding the trust necessary to improve democratic governance.
Lessons for Syria from ColombiaAs it nears a historic peace deal to end a long civil war, Colombia’s leaders say the key was giving the victims of the conflict a seat at the table. It created a tender mutuality and compassion that eased the peace process.
Winning peace for minorities in Muslim landsEnding terrorist attacks on religious minorities will require more than weapons. Since 9/11, more scholars are challenging Muslims and others to embrace ideas that prevent religious violence.
Iowa’s eye-opener on what America’s youth seekThree of the four winners in the Iowa caucuses are anti-establishment politicians who drew strongly on under-35 voters. Will America’s future be defined by the youth vote in this presidential contest?
US role in ending a Central American warGangs are so big in El Salvador that the region is in a virtual war that has spillover effects in the US. The solution lies in keeping young people out of the gangs.
Why US can’t ignore Colorado’s pot ‘experiment’Evidence keeps rolling in that the Rocky Mountain state’s marijuana legalization, in clear violation of federal drug laws, has negative spillovers. If federal officials won’t act, other states should take heed of legal weed.
The year of living more honestlyA global ranking of countries on corruption finds more are improving. Are people more demanding of honest governance? If so, they are taking different paths.
A calm lesson for the Zika scare from the Ebola crisisThe 2014-15 Ebola outbreak taught health workers some lessons that can be used to stem Zika. First lesson: Fear of an epidemic should not be allowed to create an epidemic of fear.
Another model of Christian-Muslim harmony?Talks to reunify the Mediterranean island of Cyprus are looking up, perhaps adding a new voice to others in the region that Muslim-Christian coexistence is possible. That’s a key tool against Islamic State.
Why even the Super Bowl needs a gambling shieldAs online gambling rises, UN and Olympic officials rush to prevent match-fixing by betting syndicates. Athletes who are clean deserve better protection from the corruption of gamblers.
The right campaign debate on how to fix ‘Wall Street’Presidential candidates rail against the financial industry, but the best reform may be happening with moves by big firms toward ‘patient capitalism.’
For a world in gloom, a new torchbearerAt a gathering of hand-wringing world leaders in Switzerland, Canada’s new prime minister was all palms up, offering advice on how openness and fearlessness can help solve global challenges.
Repelling terrorist attacks on youthA Taliban attack on a Pakistani university adds to the list of jihadi strikes on young Muslims. Youth in the Islamic world need more support, and can be enlisted to counter terrorist groups – rather than being recruited by them.
Nuclear deal hangs on Iran’s unfinished revolutionIran’s ability to abide by the nuclear deal, as well as its economic recovery, depends on a preelection debate over the secular authority of its reigning cleric, the supreme leader.
Taiwan’s new woman leader: Why it’s about finding the next ‘cool’ inventionThe island nation needs to tap key qualities of women and youth – creativity and collaboration – to bring innovation to its economy and reduce a dependency on China. Tsai Ing-wen’s victory is an attractive opportunity for that cultural change.
Seeing mega-cities in a fresh lightWith most of humanity now living in urban areas, architecture’s most important award, the Pritzker Prize, has gone to a Chilean whose housing designs reflect the view of the urban poor: that cities are islands of promise and opportunity, not problems to be fixed.
Powerball lottery jackpot: It's not a winning ticket for statesThe Powerball lottery jackpot hit a record high, only revealing how much states are addicted to gambling revenues while ignoring the effects of gambling on the poor.
A big rethink in how to aid people beset by crisisThe world’s first humanitarian-aid summit this May should look beyond raising more money for those most in need because of disaster or war, despite near-record levels. A new view of local actors in a crisis is needed.
