All The Monitor's View
Using Marx’s birthday to recall progress toward peaceOne reason for a decline in violence over time is the demise of theories that justify force. On the anniversary of his birth, Marx’s theories should be a warning about ignoble reasons for mass killing.
Europe puts its money where its values areA proposal to cut aid to European Union members that violate democratic norms, such as Poland and Hungary, could help ensure Europe remains a safe home for liberty.
Africa’s new giving handsAmong rich and poor alike, the continent reveals a bootstraps approach to success through generosity.
A first step in denuclearizing the Korean PeninsulaWhen they meet, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un should call a truce on name-calling, creating a civility that is necessary for trust in disarmament.
Humility first in battling corruptionOne of the world’s most powerful financial institutions, the International Monetary Fund, admits it has been weak in stopping corruption. The results of its introspection could lift the global economy.
A lesson from Nigeria to Trump?Africa’s most populous country, suffering a long battle with jihadi groups, has successfully negotiated with a branch of Islamic State to release abducted children. Is that a lesson in how to talk to terrorists?
Why Trump and Merkel must discuss migrationEach leader went too far on migration policy, forcing the US and Germany into a debate over national identity. Now they can listen to each other on next steps on how to deal with global migrants.
Macron’s embrace of Trump, not TrumpismThe display of affection between the French and American leaders runs counter to their deep differences over policies. Did Emmanuel Macron just set a model for American politics?
An Armenian rhapsodySpontaneous mass protests in the former Soviet state of Armenia have ended a deceitful power play by a longtime ruler to stay in office. In throwing off their fears, Armenians showed others in repressive countries how to ‘live in the truth.’
Why a wave of Asian summitryLeaders of India and China are meeting this weekend, as are those of the Koreas. Perhaps the region’s historic disputes over land are yielding to a need for common prosperity.
The art of parsing apologiesA wave of recent apologies by public figures requires a fine discernment to understand when someone does right for the original offense.
The new mercy for corrupt firms that fess upFor most white-collar crimes, such as corruption, more countries are following a US practice of legal leniency toward companies that confess and reform.
Moon shot for peace between the KoreasTwo historic summits in coming weeks reflect a bold vision by the South Korean leader to probe the North’s potential shift toward a peaceful peninsula.
India’s swing in favor of girlsPublic outcry over the rape of a girl hints at a growing confidence to confront old attitudes toward women and girls. The confidence may come from a dramatic success in reducing child marriages.
Trump’s attack on Syria: a bias for hope?The pessimism that prevails after Trump degraded Syria’s chemical weapons reflects a wider pessimism about progress in human rights. But does the evidence support such naysayers. And are they defeating their own cause?
War in Syria. Gloom over Iran. Can Iraq provide hope?An election in Iraq shows how the Middle East might rise above divides over religion to embrace a unifying identity.
Did Paul Ryan leave them rolling in the aisles?The rest of Paul Ryan’s tenure as House speaker should be used to take a measure of his efforts to bring civility to politics, including how he helped members learn to laugh together.
Hungary plants two kinds of seedsEven as a tilted election further erodes its democracy, Hungary also sees a rise in corruption. The latter trend will someday help restore full rights and liberties.
A creative solution to the US-China trade disputeAs the world’s two largest economies slap new tariffs on each other, they also are forced to look at their common interest in nurturing innovation. That may help drive both to a truce.
A chemical attack felt round the worldThe reaction to Syria’s latest use of chemical weapons shows humanity’s steady if uneven embrace of universal rights, such as the right to life for innocent civilians. Those rights, enshrined 70 years ago by the UN, need both protection and celebration.
