All The Monitor's View
The disappearing death penaltyThe use of capital punishment dropped again in 2016, a positive trend.
Will 2017 be the year to defeat sports doping?2016 revealed massive illegal drug use by Russian athletes. Could that scandal become a turning point?
Kabila has overstayed his welcomeThe longer the president of the Congo remains in power past the end of his constitutional term, the more resentment will build.
Looking beyond the holidaysThe world needs the song of Christmas year round
Germany after the market attack: ‘free, together, and open’Ordinary people in Germany and elsewhere are rejecting the temptation of hate and fear.
Finding alternatives to solitary confinementBoth the federal government and states are looking at ways to reduce the practice, which a UN agency has called a form of torture.
Syrian-Americans: model immigrants?A study of earlier immigrants from Syria finds them ‘doing very well’ and should ease concerns about recent refugees.
A Japan-Russia step toward reconciliationThe two countries agreed on a move toward resolving a territorial dispute by first focusing on a common goal : joint development. If it works, the agreement may be a model for similar disputes in Asia.
How Obama can respond to Russian hackingAs more details emerge about Russian hacking during the 2016 election, the US must be careful about resorting to retaliation. The world needs agreements that lessen the fear of cyberwarfare.
A lesson dawns in Philippine drug warPresident Duterte’s support of vigilante killings of anyone suspected of drugs has not only brought demands for due process of law but more attention to the best solution: more concern for the healing of addicts.
A new light on a dark problem: North KoreaAs North Korea becomes more dangerous, a fresh approach is needed to end this nuclear threat. Sanctions and threats have yet to work. Perhaps the US can reach the North Korean people with a message of hope.
Tweet less, talk moreReal conversations – in person – are still needed for understanding, especially for world leaders. Donald Trump’s tweets, such as those about China, are no substitute for meaningful dialogue.
How to let Christmas be ChristmasNow nearly a global event, Christmas has become contentious and commercial. Its meaning can be obscured if people feel pressure to give gifts. Yet in its popularity remains a hint of its purpose: an appreciation for a spiritual dawn.
When an apology need not be demandedWith Japan’s leader set to make a historic visit to Pearl Harbor, the US is not asking for an apology, just as Japan did not ask Obama for one in his visit to Hiroshima. Friends are like that.
The real battle in Aleppo and MosulIraq’s war on Islamic State in Mosul has one big difference from Syria’s war on Aleppo. It tries to protect civilians while Syria either attacks them or basic facilities. Iraq is on the side of history for humanitarian law.
Germany’s shift toward a burqa banGerman leader Angela Merkel, once opposed to a ban on face veils, now favors them in certain public places. As much of Europe moves toward such bans, it must debate them with both practicality and compassion.
Why the EU can’t let a crisis go to wasteThe shared values of the European Union will not only help it survive each new challenge, such as the current one in Italy, but reshape how it lives up to its promise of continentwide peace and prosperity.
Goodbye peak oil, hello peak demandInstead of running out of oil, the world may be able to leave some of it in the ground as transportation alternatives improve.
Seeking truth, 21st-century styleThe growing popularity of 'fake news' offers an opportunity for everyone to stop, take a deep breath, and weigh the veracity of what they read online.
A counternarrative for Boko Haram’s victimsAs Nigeria pushes back the violent jihadist group, the millions of victims of that war are in desperate need. Yet one need – resiliency – is being mirrored back to them by one woman’s images of hope.
