All Commentary
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Opinion: Are US drones ethical?
Whether drones should be used in the US is the wrong question. Americans should be asking: Is it ethical to use drones anywhere? Is it fair to search for security for ourselves at the expense of perpetual insecurity for others?
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Opinion: Think you know the Reagan and Bush era? Think again.
Political events in the era of Presidents Reagan and Bush senior have great relevance to today, from budget cuts ('sequestration') to President Obama's agenda. But this history is often remembered incorrectly, or not at all – to the detriment of America's political discourse.
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A balance worth tipping
Conflict-prevention programs in schools aim to shift the view of students, to encourage them that there is something to live for, that life isn’t unfair, and that school is worth their time and attention.
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Trees, meet forest
Navigating an unfamiliar city is a breeze with turn-by-turn directions on Google Maps or other such applications. But are we losing the big-picture view of where we are going?
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Readers Write: The tyranny of America's pro-gun majority; Do guns make us safer?
Letters to the Editor for the April 1, 2013 weekly print issue: Those who want more gun regulation may be in the minority, and those who are anti-regulation in majority, but each must accommodate the other. If more guns means more safety, why does America – with the highest gun ownership rate in the world – have the second highest rate of gun deaths among industrialized nations?
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The Monitor's View: In Atlanta test-cheating scandal, a case for 'good apples'
Indictments of 35 Atlanta educators in a test-cheating scandal may be shocking. But preventing such scandals requires a refocus on tapping the conscience of public servants to choose honesty.
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Opinion: India won't be 'the world's largest democracy' until it upholds human rights
Twenty-five years ago, India suspended part of its Constitution and launched a brutal campaign against Sikh separatists in its Punjab province. Today, India must provide reparations to the victims and vow to uphold human rights, especially in Kashmir and the northeast states.
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The Monitor's View: When helping the poor doesn't help
In a new study, the International Monetary Fund takes aim at energy subsidies, a common practice by countries to help the poor or benefit consumers and industry. The costs far outweigh any benefits, especially for the poor, finds the IMF.
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Opinion: Saudi Arabia vs. China: America can't play favorites with human rights
While the US has been quick to condemn human rights violations in China and rally behind persecuted activists there, President Obama has seemed hesitant to do the same with Saudi Arabia and its persecution of human rights activist Mohammad Fahad Al-Qahtani.
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Opinion: Why I love, but also hate, March Madness
I'm a crazed basketball fan, but as an educator, I hate myself for watching March Madness. College sports are a plague on American higher education. They add a big-ticket item to mounting costs, and they compromise academic quality. Here are the numbers to prove it.
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The Monitor's View: Why a BRICS 'world bank' may be welcome
The so-called BRICS 'club' of nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa – plan to start a development bank to rival the World Bank. This challenge to the Western-driven liberal order relies to a large part on that order.
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Opinion: Where Sheryl Sandberg gets it wrong
Facebook chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, offers sound career advice to women with her 'lean in' initiative. But must the answer to gender inequity always be to make women more like men? Sometimes women also need to push back and speak out – for the good of men, too.
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Opinion: Obama must support global Arms Trade Treaty
The unregulated global arms trade fuels wars and human rights abuses worldwide. The Obama administration must work with other countries at the UN to close the deal on a robust, effective Arms Trade Treaty to reduce the illicit flow of weapons to conflict zones.
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The Monitor's View: What we can do about income inequality
A new Brookings Institution study points to a 'permanent' inequality of income in the US, mainly because workers haven't adapted to rapid technological change. Reducing this underclass starts with workers themselves.
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Opinion: I'd rather have employees who don't just 'lean in,' but are 'all in'
In the 1990s while Sheryl Sandberg was learning how to 'lean in' to her career, I was learning to lean in at home as a single father. And the truth is that you can’t lean in equally hard at work and at home. Instead, we can be 'all in' – present in the moment, focused passionately on each task.
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Opinion: Beyond the sequester: The merits – and flaws – of Obama's preschool plan
Sequester cuts will stymie President Obama’s early childhood education agenda for the foreseeable future, but expanding preschool for low-income families is still an idea whose time has come. And there are several aspects of the president's preschool plan to applaud.
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The Monitor's View: In Cyprus rescue, EU steps on a basic freedom
In allowing Cyprus to impose capital controls, the EU violates one of its founding principles – the free flow of money (and goods) to help unite nations.
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Opinion: Texas legislators must do their jobs – and not allow concealed guns on campus
The Texas state legislature is currently in committee to decide the fate of SB 182 – a bill that would allow concealed handguns on college campuses. Legislators must heed the perspective of the people who are most affected by a bill – the majority of college students who oppose it.
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Opinion: A better way to prevent overfishing
Instead of risky shorter seasons, a shared catch-limit allows fishermen to work whenever they want. Today, more than half of all seafood caught in US waters is in 'catch-shares' management. That’s good for both fisheries and fishermen and their communities.
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Readers Write: How I fight gun and gang violence, as a former gang member
Letter to the Editor for the March 25, 2013 weekly print issue: As a mentor for youth involved in gangs, I agree that the combination of law enforcement and clergy mentorship is a great dynamic to implement in high-risk neighborhoods. I should know. I'm a former gang member myself.
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