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My long love affair with Monitor journalism

From correspondent, to editor, to columnist, I've seen radical changes in journalism and the world.
The Monitor's View
A lesson on leadership from Africa

The guilty verdict against Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, is more than a victory for justice. It is a lesson for Africans and other about no holding up 'great leaders' as saviors. Great ideas are better than great people.
Opinion
Diplomacy flowers with cherry blossoms

At the close of the 100th anniversary celebration of Tokyo's gift of cherry blossoms to Washington, it's worth remembering the story of diplomacy behind the trees. Like most diplomatic initiatives, this one had to overcome indifference, opposition, and many setbacks before it could flower.
Opinion
Candidates, lend me your ears

Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. pulled poetry from their hearts to heal and rouse the nation. As this National Poetry Month draws to a close, our politics could benefit from reconnecting with poetry as a source of insight.
Opinion
Why Voice of America is losing to voice of communist China – at home and abroad

With funding and program cuts, Washington is crippling the truth-telling Voice of America broadcasts in China. Meanwhile, Beijing is aggressively expanding its media campaign to spread untruths – broadcasting from American soil. America can't afford to let the VOA go silent.
Editor's Blog
What makes The Monitor tick?

A new book by Keith Collins examines more than a century of Monitor journalism and asks whether it is living up to its purpose.
Editor's Blog
The 'long war' for energy security

Since the oil shocks of the 1970s, the US has been seeking energy independence. Now natural gas is seen as a possible solution. But at best it will probably only give Americans a breather while they look beyond hydrocarbons.
The Monitor's View
A matter of discretion in immigration reform and Arizona law

Arguments made in Wednesday's Supreme Court hearing on the Arizona immigration law get to the heart of the national debate: How much discretion to give to police and prosecutors?
Most of China's Communist Party princelings aren't like Bo Xilai

The Bo Xilai saga of power, wealth, corruption, and murder has brought the issue of China’s princelings (offspring of Communist Party’s leaders) to the top of international discourse on China. But Bo's privileged rise is not the norm for the contemporary Communist Party.
Most of China's Communist Party princelings aren't like Bo Xilai

The Bo Xilai saga of power, wealth, corruption, and murder has brought the issue of China’s princelings (offspring of Communist Party’s leaders) to the top of international discourse on China. But Bo's privileged rise is not the norm for the contemporary Communist Party.
Editorial Board Blog
A GED safety net for high school dropouts

Programs like mine can help high school dropouts earn the equivalent of a high school diploma by passing the GED exam. As a GED teacher, I find success means helping these students clear hurdles outside of class, and giving them a safe, nonjudgmental place to learn in class.
Opinion
After 20 years of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, time for a rethink

Twenty years ago, the Ms. Foundation started Take Our Daughters to Work Day to demystify the workplace for girls. That mission is accomplished. What girls need now is encouragement to become leaders. It's time to take them to the C-suite, where the corporate chiefs work.
Opinion
Ann Romney flap highlights two clichés about women

The Ann Romney-Hillary Rosen flap over working moms points to two clichés about women that are worth exploring in the presidential campaign. One is that most moms have no choice but to work full time. The other is the pay gap between women and men. Both are not what they seem.
The Monitor's View
Innocence abroad for Wal-Mart, Apple, and all Americans

A federal probe of alleged bribery in Mexico by Wal-Mart, along with Apple's lax workplace standards in China, indicate a need for Americans to take their ethical standards with them when operating overseas.
Opinion
How a glacier could thaw dangerous India and Pakistan freeze

Following a deadly avalanche in the disputed Siachen Glacier area, India and Pakistan have signaled openness to talks. A priority must be to demilitarize 'the world's highest battle ground' at Siachen, which incurs substantial economic and human costs for these two nuclear rivals.
Opinion
An 'interview' with a K Street master of campaign clichés

He likes to keep a low profile, so I will refer to him only as the cliché master, a spin control and sound bite specialist. He's the sort of consultant the Mitt Romney and Barack Obama campaigns prize. In a recent 'interview,' I tried to get at the nature of his business.
The Monitor's View
US must focus on Afghanistan heroin trade

With so many Americans trying heroin each year, Congress and Obama must fund long-term efforts to curb poppy growing and the opium trade in Afghanistan, even after the US ends its combat role. This will also curb opium profits funding the Taliban.
Opinion
The case for military intervention in Syria

Former US ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker argues that the West should not wait for a single mass atrocity before it intervenes in Syria, as it did in Bosnia. What is the magic number of deaths that will prompt the international community to act? We've already passed 9,000.
Opinion
The coming rise of Chinese brands

US take heed: China has its sights set on something beyond manufacturing – building Chinese-owned global brands – where the true economic power lies. And though Chinese brands don't currently have a stellar international reputation, history shows they could soon.
The Monitor's View
Syria? Iran? Kony? Let's face down atrocities before they occur.

Obama sets a model for the world with an alert system to prevent potential mass atrocities. But will it also prevent foreign military intervention in trouble spots?