All The Monitor's View
When families flee will the US open its arms?Refugees, a tiny portion of the immigrants who legally enter the US, are in special need of help. Why is the US accepting fewer of them?
Is 2018 the year to defeat 'fake news'?France and Germany are trying restrictive new laws to stamp out fake news and hate speech online. But helping students – and adults – sharpen their own reasoning ability may be a better solution.
When cold winds blow Americans give shelterThe Arctic cold spell that has gripped much of the United States has found many people taking extra care to help homeless people find food and shelter. That effort is needed year round.
Iran boils againA new round of protests reaffirms that Iran’s oppressive theocracy is ill-suited to serve the hopes of its people for a better life.
States make headway on opioid abuseIn New England overdose deaths appear to be dropping. And nationwide new state laws and programs are beginning to make a difference.
Want good news at year’s end? Crime is down – againBad news can shock and stick in thought, but progress needs to be reported too. The steady drop in violent crime is one example.
Poland’s anti-democratic driftAs Warsaw cracks down on its independent judiciary the European Union has taken a strong measure to object. The US could provide its own nudge.
Two moves to purify sportsThe ban on Russia for Olympics doping and the conviction of FIFA officials for corruption in World Cup soccer have been needed steps toward reforming two of the world’s biggest sporting events.
An orbiting message of peaceNations have spent more than 17 years working peacefully together on the International Space Station to advance human knowledge.
The wider meaning of #MeTooA movement that has highlighted sexual harassment is beginning to resonate in areas such as equal rights and equal pay.
The real story in Puerto RicoPeople there are doing much to help themselves and each other. Those who live at a distance can join with them through prayers and donations.
A New Deal for South AfricaThe election of a new leader by the African National Congress could signal a watershed moment in the effort to wipe out corruption and cronyism, and improve the lives of poor South Africans.
When corporations come clean on climate effectsShareholders are becoming a powerful force prodding companies to explain what they are doing about climate change and how it will affect them, for better or worse.
When ‘culture clash’ gets in the wayA quarter century after the notion of a ‘clash of civilizations’ became a popular view of the world, the exceptions point a different way.
Hope for US-North Korea talks?Hints and events are lining up for possible negotiations and a lessening of fear of war in Northeast Asia.
People once at odds don’t try to even the scoreCountries from Iraq to Colombia are now seeking reconciliation after war or dictatorship. One country, Rwanda, shows what can be done.
An Arctic pact shows what’s possibleDozens of countries eager to fish in the warming Arctic have wisely decided to hold off for 16 years. This caution – and cooperation – provide a precedent for further agreements on the far north.
Grass-roots view of Trump’s security strategyIn coming days, the White House will issue a strategy on dealing with foreign threats. But most Americans are already on the front lines of such work. They need thoughtful help from presidents.
Taiwan lets go a symbol of ancient daysA new law calls for removing landmarks honoring a former dictator, Chiang Kai-shek, whose Confucian-style rule on the island nation finds renewed favor within China’s ruling party.
If not the US, then who as Mideast mediator?President Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem is seen as ending the US role as mediator between Israelis and Palestinians. Now may be the time for another power to be a third-party facilitator that can bring fresh thinking to both sides.
