Opinion - The Christian Science Monitor

How should the US deal with Afghanistan?Regarding the Feb. 17 Opinion piece, "A reality check for Obama on Afghanistan": False historical analogies make bad policy, but they make excellent headlines. There simply is no comparison between the Russian military occupation of Afghanistan and the American intervention. The former sought to dominate and impose a foreign culture, the latter to reconstruct and stabilize a devastated nation.

Washington - Mired in conflict, afflicted by joblessness, frustrated by unresponsive and oppressive governments, and flooded with images of woe, the world's 22 Arab nations have much to lament.

Cambridge, Mass. - Does the United States need a truth commission to uncover wrongdoing committed by the Bush administration in the war on terror? Yes, says Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) of Vermont. Earlier this month, he proposed a process to do just that. "Many Americans feel we need to get to the bottom of what went wrong," he said. "We need to be able to read the page before we turn the page."

Provo, Utah - A few months ago, at a small private luncheon I attended, former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, one of the wisest men in the foreign affairs community, was asked about the Iran problem. "Iran can't be solved," he replied, "without Russia."

Washington - When Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton touches down in Beijing this week she will face an authoritarian Chinese government wringing their hands over a remarkably brazen online petition for human rights and an end to autocratic rule that is circulating among its citizens.

California isn't the only state with budget woes. Kansas is delaying income-tax refunds. Proposed cuts have prompted protests in Washington State. But locking lawmakers in the capitol until they close a whopping $42 billion deficit? That's high drama, and a sign that America's most populous state needs to rewrite its script.

Los Angeles - Anyone who's even dabbled in social networking in the past few weeks is surely familiar with the Web's latest phenomenon. It's a chain letter for the Facebook set called "25 Random Things About Me," in which participants assemble a list containing exactly that, and post it online, often with a request that 25 other friends return the favor.

Washington - Few Americans have any idea how bad the financial problems are that President Obama inherited from the Bush administration. Never mind the housing bubble, the bank meltdown, or the bailout scandals – I am talking about the failure of federal government to honestly account either for its own actions or for America's most important programs: Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid.

When he taught constitutional law, Barack Obama was known to listen to students as much as lecture them. Now, like all new presidents, he must soon fill vacancies on the courts. His picks will shape interpretations of the Constitution for decades. How much will he listen to others in making these critical selections?

OaKton, Va. - History may not repeat itself, but all too often it recycles mistakes. In 1961, before the Vietnam War became full-fledged, former Gen. Douglas MacArthur warned President Kennedy not to fight a land war in Asia. Over the next 14 years, more than 58,000 Americans died as Washington ignored his advice and ramped up operations.

A government's selection of a woman to oversee female education would hardly make headlines in many countries. But this is a first in Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most restrictive places for women. As experience in the region shows, even such a minor step can shift the political sands toward more equal opportunity for the sexes.

Washington - Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) of California announced this month she intends to move ahead with legislation designed to lower the emission of greenhouse gases that are linked by many scientists to climate change. But the approach she's taking is flawed, and the current financial crisis can help us understand why.

State College, Pa. - Today's couples are quick to squelch the urge to argue with each other. But just because you seldom argue doesn't mean your marriage is strong. The real silent killer of marriage is distancing yourself from your partner.

Hillary Clinton chose Asia, particularly China, for her maiden voyage next week as secretary of State. While the most urgent issue is Beijing's help to end a global recession, Mrs. Clinton's more planet-saving goal is to enlist China to set curbs on its carbon emissions. Without that, President Obama may not be able to win enough Senate votes for a cap on US greenhouse gases.

Baton Rouge, LA. - John James Audubon had great promise as a bird artist, but he was driven to reach his full potential because of an economic crisis much like our own.

Gettysburg, Pa. - Can democracy be ugly?

Faced with a choice between spending upwards of $4 trillion to save wobbly banks or doing something else, President Obama has decided to do something else. His bank plan, rolled out Tuesday, almost seems designed to simply buy time in hopes the economy bottoms out soon. Maybe then, hard decisions about who sacrifices – taxpayers or financiers – won't be needed.

Claremont, Calif. - Despite all his efforts to transcend partisanship, President Barack Obama is demonstrably a liberal. But what kind of liberal is he? And what does his brand of liberalism augur for America?

The record toll in lives and destruction from Australia's wildfires is forcing a fresh look at dealing with such threats. How to deter arson? How to prepare homeowners? Scientists can't link this specific event to global warming, but they forecast a need to adapt to erratic weather. This has implications for fire preparedness the world over.

Leon R. Kass gave a lecture last month on the 10 Commandments at the American Enterprise Institute. This is an excerpt, printed in AEI's newsletter, from that talk.

San Francisco - I was driving home with my sons one day when we began talking about what place on earth each of us most wanted to visit.

To jolt the economy and end a recession born out of too much homeowner debt, Congress and the US Treasury this week plan to take on at least $1.1 trillion in new national debt. This "good" debt will be thrown at "bad" debt, in Keynesian logic. It's not really a Ponzi scheme. But that's true only if it works.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Copenhagen, Denmark - African countries are still a long way from achieving the full benefits of globalization, despite solid economic growth.

Oakland, Calif. - As we wait to see how the politicians in Washington will alter the stimulus package the Obama administration is pushing, many questions are being raised about the measure's contents and efficacy.

A sliver of light is shining in Zimbabwe, once a star nation in Africa that's been brutally mismanaged by dictator Robert Mugabe. This week, Mr. Mugabe's rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, is expected to become prime minister in a new power-sharing government. Few give the deal much hope, yet it must be given the opportunity to succeed.

Santa Cruz, Calif. - While no death should be fitting, the passing of acclaimed writer John Updike last week seemed sadly scripted. The man who chronicled suburban America's constant dilemma between duty and desire left us just as we're coming to grips with the consequences of running from responsibility. 

Washington - Picture the scene: a dignified Ted Kennedy stands beside President Barack Obama on a brisk, late winter day in the Rose Garden.

Barack Obama was not raised in a religious household, but his work as a Chicago community organizer – funded by a Christian group – stirred up a faith that begets good works. His plan to keep a White House office for federal aid to faith-based charities carries forward a vital service, but one that could conflict with religious liberty.