All The Monitor's View
The budding Saudi revolutionA powerful crown prince has upended the old pillars of governance with major arrests and the sidelining of religious clerics. But will he anchor new pillars in democratic ideas?
Why mass shootings at a church are differentThe motives of such killers matter less than how the faithful respond. After the Texas church massacre, locals turned to qualities of thought that deny a place for hate.
Social media shine a light on themselvesRussia meddling in US politics has forced social media giants to better parse the truth and civility on their platforms. A divided citizenry should follow their example.
A lesson for states that expand gamblingPennsylvania follows many other states in a major expansion of gambling. Yet the US must heed warnings from other countries, especially Britain.
New York’s response to a truck terroristThe attack on a city bike path was meant to instill fear. Instead, the city rallied with calm and aplomb to thwart ISIS’s aim of defeating people through fear.
What Ukraine can teach the US about Russian meddlingAs details emerge in the indictments by the special consul probe, Americans can learn how to respond by looking at Ukraine’s long experience with Moscow’s interference.
Tanks in Barcelona’s streets? Not on EU’s watch.Despite some violence and threats of confrontation, Spain’s crisis over Catalan independence bid is tempered by Europe’s postwar principles of rule of law and democratic ideals.
What drives K-12 school reform?Reformers like the Gates Foundation admit their ideas and approaches often fail. That humility has now led to better listening to local stakeholders, whose love of children really drives education.
Trump’s urgency to end the opioid crisisPresident Trump is the second president to try to stem the rising death toll from drug overdoses. The common theme: Addiction can be cured, especially with more public support.
Why #MeToo spread around the worldThe allegations of harassment made against a Hollywood mogul have sparked a global social media campaign denouncing sexual assault. Now the task is to turn this campaign toward peace and healing.
After a historic default, Argentina is a far cry from its pastIn a world awash in red ink, Argentina’s reforms since 2015 show how attitudes can shift toward excessive debt.
Defeating Islamic State by exampleThe liberation of ISIS’s de facto capital, Raqqa, must now lead to the city’s reconstruction and ensuring it becomes a model of democratic ideals.
Amazon’s big competition could deliver for many citiesOnly one location will be chosen as the online giant’s second headquarters. But all the contestants can use the process to think about how they will thrive in the future.
Kneeling and shady dealing in sportsThe NFL and NCAA face controversies, one over whether to engage with social issues, the other about a threat to the very idea of amateurism in sports. But both have the potential to result in progress for society.
'People power' for rule of law in the PhilippinesThe president’s use of extrajudicial killings of drug users has sparked popular resistance among those who prefer rule of law and presumption of innocence.
One big reason ISIS lost the capital of its caliphateIslamic State’s defeat in Raqqa was aided by the silent defiance of the city’s Muslims, who held fast to the liberty of conscience in religious belief.
The battle of Kirkuk as a lesson on ‘self determination’When Iraqi forces swept into the Kurdish-held city Oct. 16, they revealed the internal divisions among Kurds, and the challenges for many secession movements.
The big hope behind the Iranian nuclear pactAs Trump punts a decision about the deal to Congress, Americans can look to trends among Iranians that might support the 2015 pact.
After a steelmaker’s deception, steps to restore trustA maker of vital metal products worldwide, Kobe Steel comes clean on making shoddy materials. Its corrective moves may help reverse a global decline in trust of companies.
Latin America’s anti-graft earthquakeMexico’s recent earthquake not only revealed corrupt building practices but stirred new campaigns for accountability. It is yet another example of a regional awareness that corruption need not be the norm.
