Christian Science Monitor | Commentary

Why China's ethnic riots help the Communist Party

09 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

Official media depicted the country's dominant Han as victims, a useful unifier in a down economy.

Ghana's hype over Obama, beyond race

09 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

Ghanaians take a special pride in the fact that neither they nor Obama are descended from slaves, but they know that his visit has more practical reasons, too.

Africa awaits Obama's turn on leadership

08 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

The president's trip to Ghana challenges him to build on the work of his predecessors.

Why the left misjudges GOP sex scandals

08 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

As in Sanford's case, what matters to the Christian right is not so much the behavior of their leaders as the repentance they show after their fall from grace.

Sotomayor would have to make value judgments

08 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

'Follow the law!' does not answer questions on gay marriage, abortion, and life imprisonment for juveniles.

What price for a nuclear-free world?

07 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

Obama's concessions to Moscow for a new arms treaty may go too far.

Obama spoke to the Russian people? Nyet.

07 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

Like China with Bill Clinton, Moscow limited the television audience for the president's big speech.

How to end 'Don't ask, don't tell'

07 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

The policy that keeps gays from serving openly undermines military readiness and does not make sense practically, financially, or morally. So what is holding the administration back?

Why China might turn on North Korea

07 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

As Beijing strives to become a responsible great power, the costs of staying allied with North Korea may come to surpass the costs of abandoning it.

When the elected, like Palin, exit badly

06 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

Public office is a contract with voters. The exit bar should be high.

Nigerian car thief turns into goat!

06 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

In West Africa, widespread belief in witchcraft, black magic, and superstition undermine the fundamentals of journalism.

A Nobel Peace Prize for Twitter?

06 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

The free social-messaging utility uniquely documented and personalized the story of hope, heroism, and horror in Iran.

A great road trip calls for a great roadcast

03 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

Thoughtful, random, and fascinating, roadcasts – like yesteryear's mix tapes – are pitch perfect for all your joyful, pointless wanderings this summer.

Why art is vital to freedom

03 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

On July 4, remember Solzenhitsyn's words: 'Art serves to battle lies and preserve the moral history of a society without the transitory and debasing rhetoric of bureaucrats.'

Will Obama violate the spirit of the Fourth?

02 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

He has bought into the Bush-era detention of terror suspects with no trial. That won't keep America safe.

Obama soars abroad, but America's PR doesn't

02 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

The president's stirring Cairo speech demands follow-up, amplification, and explanation.

A 'coup' in Honduras? Nonsense.

02 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

Don't believe the myth. The arrest of President Zelaya represents the triumph of the rule of law.

Georgia on Obama's mind?

01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

It should be. The conflict that severely strained US-Russia ties still simmers – showing how hard it will be to repair relations.

What's the tipping point for revolution?

01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

The similarities – and differences – between East Germany in 1989 and Iran in 2009 are striking.

A 'Cairo moment' for Obama in Moscow?

01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 EST

When he visits there next week, he should counter Kremlin propaganda by speaking directly to Russians about America's real desires.

The Ricci ruling's real message

30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST

The heated, even political debate among the justices calls for a national race debate.

Billy Mays: quintessentially American

30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST

He offered not just a product but an entire life of do-it-yourself, business-casual, suburban ease.

The Ricci riddle and the law's limits

30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST

What you thought about the New Haven firefighters case was probably shaped less by logic or law than by your attitudes about the world.

Iraq's next milestone: the Kurdish question

29 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST

The survival of the country depends on bridging the Kurd-Arab divide.

Iran today: 1979 revolution redux?

29 Jun 2009 01:00:00 EST

Reformers hope to fulfill the work they began 30 years ago.