All Commentary
Dinner is not just for diningSitting down, breaking bread, and wielding utensils properly are not just pleasant ways to end the day. Families grow closer, kids get smarter, and food tastes better.
The Monitor's ViewObama and Romney must link economy, immigrationLast week, Obama and Romney gave dueling speeches on the economy. This week, it was immigration. The two topics are very much related. The candidates should focus on that.
OpinionHow to maintain drop in US driving deathsDriving deaths in the US are down dramatically among teens and adults. This coincided with the Great Recession. People drove less and also drank less at bars and restaurants. While we don't want to prolong joblessness, we can do something about alcohol and driving.
- A Christian Science PerspectiveTime to get a life?
A Christian Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewAfter Supreme Court ruling, FCC must give clear indecency standardsA Supreme Court ruling on FCC indecency rules for broadcast TV calls for less vague standards but seems to back the public interest in safeguarding children from vulgarities and nudity on public airwaves. Now the FCC must provide clarity for such rules.
OpinionSupreme Court: After health care ruling, court must rule against affirmative actionAnother blockbuster case will follow the Supreme Court ruling on the health care law known as Obamacare. Next term the court will hear Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. The court should tell universities they must stop judging applicants by the color of their skin and national origin.
- A Christian Science PerspectivePrayer on the road
A Christian Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewArab Spring's second revolutionTunisia, home to the Arab world's first successful uprising against a dictator, erupted this week with a battle between radical Islamists and the moderate Islamic party that dominates government. A second revolution, one within Islam that can reconcile it with democracy, will again help the Middle East.
OpinionMilitary soft 'coup' in Egypt has precedentThere is a debate whether Sunday's decree by Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces was actually a military coup. Precedent in Turkey and Algeria shows that whether generals put tanks on the street or issue a memo, officers’ interests are safeguarded, but society as whole pays.
OpinionRio+20 earth summit should look to reduce black carbon through carbon tradingDelegates at the Rio+20 earth summit must look beyond CO2 to black carbon. Reducing black carbon (soot) is easier than reducing other kinds of greenhouse gas emissions. And a market-based international system to reduce carbon emissions is already in place.
4 ways US and Iran can make nuclear talks work The Moscow talks on Iran’s nuclear program ended in stalemate June 19, as both cynics and optimists anticipated. While low-level experts will meet in July, the next set of sanctions against Iran are scheduled to kick in within weeks, arguably restarting the whole negotiating process. The next time around, the parties should consider broadening their approach in these four ways.- A Christian Science PerspectiveGod promotes
A Christian Science perspective: Low performance on standardized tests sometimes means a child must repeat a grade. How can children and parents deal with the disappointment that results, especially if they feel the tests are unfair?
The Monitor's ViewG20 summit can help Greece by looking at host MexicoMexico's own recovery from a currency crisis has enabled it to play host to this year's G20 summit. What lessons can eurozone countries draw from that?
OpinionAung San Suu Kyi signals change in Burma, but investors should proceed with cautionChanges in Myanmar (Burma) are hopeful. Aung San Suu Kyi, once the country's most famous prisoner, is visiting Britain for the first time in 24 years. But foreign investors operating in Myanmar will still face challenges upholding international standards for human rights.
- A Christian Science PerspectiveOf honeybees and world food supply
A Christian Science perspective.
The Monitor's ViewEgypt elections: How to reverse the military power grabJust after the Egypt elections for president ended, the military announced sweeping powers for itself. This hubris of superiority runs against the historic tide of democracy – which includes civilian control of the military.
OpinionIn Greece – and elsewhere in Europe – the moderate center holdsGreeks voted to continue reform, austerity, and staying in the euro zone. It was a vote based largely on fear of the alternative. But at least it produced a workable result that Greece's creditors should now support by adjusting the timeline for debt repayment.
Global ViewpointA win-win road map for nuclear negotiations with Iran in MoscowIf the P5+1 insists on its hard line with Tehran, the Moscow negotiations will be doomed. The US and its allies must recognize that both sides have their own constraints as well as winning cards to play. If there is political will on both sides, the road map for a diplomatic solution is clear.
- Global ViewpointA win-win road map for nuclear negotiations with Iran in Moscow
If the P5+1 insists on its hard line with Tehran, the Moscow negotiations will be doomed. The US and its allies must recognize that both sides have their own constraints as well as winning cards to play. If there is political will on both sides, the road map for a diplomatic solution is clear.
OpinionAt G20 summit, West must partner with rising democracies in new global orderAt the G20 summit in Los Cabos, the agenda will be full of tricky issues. The US and European delegations must look at the bigger picture, one in which the West will need to partner with the rising powers that are today’s global swing states: Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Turkey.
