All The Monitor's View
Where women led in 2019In mass protests in five Muslim countries, many of the demonstrators were not only women but also the leaders. This social breakthrough in equality helps lay a path for full democracy.
Why NATO at 70 is as young as everThe alliance’s anniversary summit had lively disputes but ended with a unity around shared ideals that make NATO more than a guardian of territory.
Why tyrants really block the internetAs global norms against state violence rise, countries like Iran try harder to prevent videos of their police killing protesters. They are, in effect, ashamed of violating international standards.
The global lesson from London’s knife attackA terrorist released from prison and who had gone through rehab programs killed two advocates of such programs. The attack can focus global attention on better ways to reintegrate terrorists into society.
Rethinking farms and food in the AI ageAs robots and other inventions take over agriculture, society must rethink its relationship to those who nourish it.
Visit a prison, make the world safer?More governors and prosecutors are visiting inmates in prison as part of several initiatives to improve criminal justice. The experience helps create more empathy among those who incarcerate people.
Europe wins a big anti-corruption battleRomania’s reelection of an anti-graft president reflects the success of both the EU and Romanians to push for honest governance in one of the union’s most corrupt countries.
Ballots meet batons in Hong KongThe popularity of the pro-democracy protests will be tested in Sunday’s local district elections, which are about the only real democracy left in the Chinese territory.
In 2019, whistleblowers get their dueGlobal views on whistleblowers got a boost after one in the U.S. made allegations against President Trump. Even Ukraine just passed a law protecting whistleblowers.
Iraq's trailblazing protestersBy the thousands, young Iraqis have created a “ministate” in downtown Baghdad that resembles the government they want – one not based on dividing up power by faith.
A triumph of truth about China’s detention campsSecret documents from the Communist Party reveal strong party dissent over the repression of an innocent minority. Officials with a conscience are exposing the party’s fears and tactics.
Why impeachment watchers need a Thanksgiving breakA holiday of gratitude and rejoicing that Lincoln used to bind a broken nation can again heal a people who increasingly see themselves on the edge of civil war.
Saudi Arabia sells an opening to the worldSelling shares in its giant oil company, Aramco, could force a repressive monarchy to be held accountable, not just by investors but by restless, freedom-seeking Saudi youths.
It takes a village to stop mass shootersA new federal focus aims at supporting citizens and communities to keep guns away from troubled individuals. Short of banning guns, local efforts may be the best prevention.
Plucking the hate out of Hong Kong protestsMonths of demonstrations have spiraled down to sheer hatred between protesters and police. The only way up is to listen to those who have conquered such hate.
Latin America's civic awakeningProtesters in Chile and Bolivia have thrown off their reputation for low political participation with mass protests that are bringing basic democratic reform.
The uniting politics of second-chance justiceOklahoma’s mass commutation reflects a bipartisan spirit of forgiveness that could find a place in American politics.
The motives behind two postwar protestsIn Iraq and Colombia, demonstrators expected more of a “peace dividend” after the end to recent wars. They know peace is more than an absence of conflict.
The art of listening in Yemen's warA deal between two warring factions, a result of each side heeding the other’s interests, hints at a path toward peace in what is the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.
The epic struggle behind Iraq’s protestsDemonstrators are rejecting Iran’s influence and, along with it, cleric-based rule. The Middle East will be better off with their assertion of self-governance.
