All The Monitor's View
- Why the world better manages water crises like Harvey
As floods hit Texas, world water experts met at a global conference. One theme: How water crises drive cooperation more than conflict.
- Trust and politics
Politicians are trying to address voter concerns about corruption in every which way. But the best answer might be to look inward.
- The promise of a new school year
A new school year is full of possibility. In some cases, that can mean overcoming pernicious stereotypes about students' limitations.
- Afghanistan's deeper challenge
President Trump is taking aim at the terrorist threat to Afghanistan. But the threat of corruption is in many ways more corrosive and will take just as much courage to root out. Yet there are positive glimmers.
- Safe protests and uncomfortable conversations
Last weekend's protests in Boston showed the growing tendency to invalidate those on the other side instead of engaging in tough – but needed – conversations.
- Teachable monuments?
America's debate over Confederate statues comes down to a question of context: What do those statues mean? In the past, some have been used for reconciliation and understanding.
- A common thread in curbing racist expression
After the violence in Charlottesville, Va., Americans are seeking ways to curb public expressions of racism, from statues to tweets. One idea lies at the heart of these efforts.
- What post-ISIS Iraq can do for peace
Reports that Iraq wants to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia is another sign of how many Iraqis have learned from battling Islamic State that Sunni-Shiite rivalry must end.
- Solar eclipses as lessons in lifting shadows of hate
Like the darkness of an eclipse, the dark mood of hate in the United States, stirred by right-wing protests, must be seen as fleeting.
- Why the US demands China innovate, not steal
A US probe of China’s infringement on American patents comes with an expectation that China has the ingenuity to invent its way to greater prosperity. The biggest barrier: a fear of failure by its researchers.
- After Charlottesville, a calling out of claims on racial superiority
The strong reaction of many Americans to the Virginia tragedy helps show the false claims of white supremacists about skin color.
- A grass-roots model to counter words that incite
As the US and North Korea engage in a war of words, a new effort in Kenya shows how to train local peacemakers to guard against rhetoric that might incite acts of violence.
- The lesson of the Google firing for innovation
In an era of slow productivity, companies need greater diversity of thought to innovate. Workers who stereotype people and their qualities by sex only put limits on diversity of thinking.
- How North Korea wars with itself
The US must see through the rising nuclear threats and help North Koreans realize their regime is living a lie of self-sufficiency. No country is an island in an age of cooperation in markets, defense, and international norms.
- Kenya’s learning curve in democracy
Reforms since the tribal-fueled violence of the 2007 election should help Kenya set an example for a continent in need of fair and peaceful elections.
- Bearing up: How the US deters Russia
To counter Moscow’s aggression, whether in elections or in Ukraine, requires the same mix of deterrence, restraint, and patience that won the cold war.
- The UN’s listening tour in Libya
To piece this country back together and end its role in terrorism and migration to Europe, the United Nations has sent an envoy to listen to Libyans who want to reconcile. For many nations split apart – or forming – listening is a primary path to a peaceful outcome.
- Troubled Venezuela’s path to peace
As the Maduro regime loses legitimacy, the democratic opposition lays claim to it, even trying to form a parallel government. This contest can end if leaders understand the sources of legitimacy.
- A skillful decision on daily fantasy sports
As this gaming industry grows, more states ask if it is worth probing how much players rely on skill versus chance. A Massachusetts panel has given good advice.
- An Arab model for curbing domestic violence
A new law in Tunisia sets a regional standard by granting better protection for abused women. It reflects a steady shift in the Middle East toward gender equality.