Columns

"What we are left with are the memories of pain and loss of that fateful day, and the knowledge that in the 10 years that have passed we have compounded that horror with two misguided and unfinished wars - that have taken the lives of so many more, and behaviors, at home and abroad, that have tarnished our image and eroded our values....Given all this, it might have been too much to hope that the end of bin Laden would have brought at least a degree of finality, closing at least one chapter of this still unfolding tragic tale. Sadly, it might have, had the story not been handled so clumsily, raising more questions than it answered."

"...Palestinians shouldn't be asked to choose "reconciliation or peace" especially when the party doing the asking is denying them the chance to have both. Palestinians need both reconciliation and peace. They are working on the former. Now is the time for the US and Israel to make a real contribution to advancing the later....In the short term, should the U.S. Congress suspend needed aid, it would be important for the Arab states and others to step up and sustain the P.A., allowing the reconciliation plan time to work through elections and an expected U.N. vote in the fall. None of this, of course, will, by itself, result in a state. But a democratic and unified Palestinian Authority will make a stronger moral and legal case for recognition than Palestinians can make today living as they do divided and governed by entities of questionable legitimacy. Can this be why Israel is so hostile to the agreement?"

"Our tax dollars should not be used to subsidize the nuclear power industry. Instead, we should be investing far more in solar, wind and other renewable sources, along with serious energy conservation....The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is a nuclear-friendly fox guarding the radioactive chicken coop. The federal government has no business promoting this dangerous industry while safe and sustainable energy resources are readily available."

"...the President could decide to get out of the way and let the U.N. have its say by letting the General Assembly vote and declare Palestine a state, and then allowing the measure to pass in the Security Council. At that point Israel can be found to be in violation of international law since it is occupying, annexing and illegally settling on the territory of a member state. And the Palestinians will be free to take their case to other, more impartial, international bodies....If the U.S. can't do more than it has done to date, then doing nothing, and letting Israel face the music in the fall might be the smartest thing it can do."

"The story is far from over. Egypt and Tunisia remain unfinished, while the movements for change in Yemen, Bahrain and Syria have been frustrated by obstinacy and miscalculation. And Libya, for its part, has taken a detour - with the role of NATO now fundamentally altering the course of this revolt, turning it into something quite different than "the Arab Spring". But even in this unsettled and uncertain state, there is a new spirit in evidence across the region. Even in governments where there is no demand for change, or where majorities are satisfied with their current circumstances, the dynamic of this region-wide revolt can be felt. Arabs have been inspired and imbued with a new sense of pride, governments will listen more carefully to citizen needs, and change will occur."

"If Harper ever had a chance to lead his party to a majority it was in 2006 when the Liberals were at their most vulnerable; however, most Canadians, especially in Ontario, don’t trust Harper, and as a result. the electorate wanted to vote the Liberals out without voting the Harperites in....Like the 2006 Liberals, Harper has nowhere to go but down. That’s all the good news voters need to know."

"...while elections and expanding political participation are important, it is also imperative that governments respect basic human rights and freedoms. They should: provide citizens with the right, individually and collectively, to redress grievances; protect them from abuse at the hands of the state; and create an independent judiciary that guarantees due process, rule of law and protects the rights individuals in their homes and persons. If new democracies do this, they will be starting ahead of where we started our enterprise. The rest will take time and hard work - though, one can only hope, not the centuries it took us."

"Whether coming from anti-mosque mobs in Murfreesboro, proposed anti-Sharia legislation, or hurtful comments by candidates for higher office, this growing tide of intolerance is dangerous. Republicans, who, without adult supervision, are busy courting extremism, are stirring up a potentially lethal brew. Senator Durbin was right to ring the alarm bell. But what is at stake here is much more than a test of our nation's commitment to our Bill of Rights. How all this is resolved could end up defining the very soul and future of America. It will also shape how we will relate not only to our Muslim citizenry but to a significant part of the world."