Digitized textbooks key to educational future

Change does not always come easy. It often comes with the sacrifice of people whose livelihoods depend on the old way of things and against the influence of the powerful who are heavily invested in keeping the status-quo. However, sometimes change is not an option but rather a challenge a nation sho

Oct. 7, 2011

Find common ground with Okinawa on Futenma

The issue of relocating the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture cannot be delayed any further.How can we avoid a situation in which the air station will remain where it is? The central government must talk with the Okinawa prefectural government earnestly and search for comm

Oct. 7, 2011

[Trudy Rubin] As world turned, we became our own worst enemies

These days, any assessment of American foreign policy seems to circle back to whether we can get our act together at home.This country cannot command respect overseas when its domestic politicians act like irresponsible children. The world looks agog at our paralyzed Congress. A sagging superpower u

Oct. 6, 2011

Tiny Qatar’s big plans may change U.S. policy

Qatar, a country of fewer than 2 million people set on a peninsula smaller than Connecticut, seems an unlikely candidate to become a regional power. Yet with little fanfare and less warning, tiny Qatar has emerged as one of the Middle East’s most influential states. As the U.S. struggles to understa

Oct. 6, 2011

Yemen drone strike shows careful balance of U.S. policy

The killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born radical Muslim cleric, by a drone strike in Yemen was a minor U.S. victory that raises major questions about the evolving fight against global terrorism. These include: How important was al-Awlaki? Is the U.S. justified in targeting its own citizens

Oct. 5, 2011

A win-win strategy for the Palestinians

Everyone knows that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ bid for statehood through the U.N. Security Council will fail. Even if the Palestinians get the nine votes needed, the United States will veto it. And yet the strategy is brilliant. Why? Because the Palestinians win even if they lose

Oct. 5, 2011

[William D. Cohan] Getting rich from others was never easier

 

Oct. 5, 2011

U.S. Supreme Court tests strength of rights

In the term that began Monday, the Supreme Court will address issues as diverse as the limits of copyright law, the appeals process for owners of wetlands regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and whether the government of California can order reductions in Medi-Cal reimbursements. It is

Oct. 4, 2011

A cure for round-the-clock ‘communication’

“Only connect,” E.M. Forster advised.He had no idea.I once worked for a company so wired that the boss told me, “The real test of a relationship is how quickly you can get out of bed after making love to check your email.”That was a decade ago. Now almost everyone I know is armed with an iPhone or a

Oct. 4, 2011

[Jonathan Turley] Obama: A disaster for civil liberties

With the 2012 presidential election before us, the country is again caught up in debating national security issues, our continuing wars and the threat of terrorism. There is one related subject, however, that is rarely mentioned: civil liberties.Protecting individual rights and liberties ― apart fro

Oct. 4, 2011

Tech battles call for simplicity, thrift, customer focus

High technology, once again, is packed with battles for market supremacy. Amazon.com Inc. is introducing a tablet computer that takes aim at market leader Apple Inc. Another prominent showdown involves Netflix Inc.’s efforts to capture the lead in online movie streaming. Eye-catching as each joust m

Oct. 3, 2011