Editorial Roundup: Excerpts From Recent Editorials

The Associated Press Published:



March 13

The Kingston (N.Y.) Daily Freeman on Afghanistan:

What a mess.

That's how centuries of warriors and politicians have described what's currently known as Afghanistan.

We're going back to Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the former Soviet Union and today a U.S.-led NATO initiative trying, seemingly with little success, to stabilize this troubled part of the world.

It's a mess made worse by the massacre of 16 civilians, allegedly by a lone American soldier (although accounts vary as to whether or not there were more).

The Taliban is using the "inhumane attack" as their latest excuse to rationalize more violence. After U.S. troops burned Muslim holy books in February, the Taliban led attacks that resulted in six American deaths.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, rather than calling for calm in the wake of what seems to be a rogue attack, instead ratcheted up the rhetoric: "This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians and cannot be forgiven."

All of which again begs the question, what is our military still doing in Afghanistan and how fast can we get out? ...

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is calling for patience, warning a quick U.S. (withdrawal) could enable al-Qaida to use Afghanistan as a base for attacks.

It's up to President Barack Obama to quickly and in great detail inform the American people why this continued mission in Afghanistan is in our country's best interest. It will be a tough sell.




March 10

The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio, on Russian elections:

The natural reaction to Vladimir Putin's recent election as president of Russia would be, "He's back" -- but for the fact that he never actually gave up the presidency, even though he deeded the position four years ago to Dmitry Medvedev.

Putin, who had served as president for two four-year terms and then was appointed prime minister in 2008 by Medvedev, has always held the reins of power. Indeed, he hand-picked his successor and made sure that the policies he had put in place were maintained. While Medvedev won the post in an election, Putin retained ultimate power.

Thus, his return March 4 through an election that independent observers, including western monitors, have said was fraught with irregularities puts an end to the farce. Indeed, Putin could be president for the next 12 years.

The citizens of the Russian Federation, along with the United States and other nations committed to the spread of democracy, have reason to be concerned.

... The United States and other Western countries should urge the United Nations to investigate the complaints of voting irregularities and of physical force and intimidation against Putin's critics.




March 13

The Washington Times on a sex strike:

Feminists are declaring a sex strike for Obamacare-subsidized birth control. The group Liberal Ladies Who Lunch is organizing "Access Denied," a week-long exercise in self-denial starting April 28. The strike is supposed to motivate men to stand up for government-funded birth control "because when we lose our reproductive choices, so do they." This is akin to protesting welfare cuts by getting a job.

Highlighting opposition to Obamacare-subsidized birth control by abstaining from sex is a bit off-message for the feminists ... In this case, activists are abandoning the activity that causes their supposed need for the birth-control handout. The only people affected are their unfortunate husbands and boyfriends who may begin to question their devotion to being sensitive New Age guys.

Conservatives should applaud the strike. Abstention is well-regarded on the right, and not simply because it is 100 percent effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies ... Nursing chastity for a week puts necessary perspective on the type of subsidized sexuality that's at the center of the debate.

Liberals think the issue is a winner. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., claimed the "latest polls show we're up by 15 percent" among women voters, but Schumer should check his facts. A month ago, President Barack Obama's support was 51 percent among women in the Gallup weekly survey. In the latest poll, it's still 51 percent. ...




March 13

The Grand Island (Neb.) Independent on young graduates struggle to pay student loans:

A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York states that student loan delinquency rates are much higher than previous estimates. Although conventional measurements indicate around 15 percent of student loan accounts are past due, the new report suggests that as many as one in four student loan borrowers might be delinquent in repayments. In addition, total student loan balances are now at $870 billion -- higher than the nation's credit card debt and higher than total car loan debt.

The value of higher education has been drilled into every graduating high school senior, so one can sympathize with students who view debt as an acceptable method to obtain a diploma. Still, the choices made by students will ultimately determine how much debt they accumulate. and a lot of bad choices are being made. ...

Many students begin their educations without a clear idea of what they want to do, how much money they will earn, and how much it will cost them to live as a responsible adult. They just know that they need a degree. ...

Educators in both four-year institutions and community colleges are smart, talented people who want to deliver a quality product. We encourage them to aggressively pursue new ideas to address the affordability of higher education. The issue is vital to the nation's future.




March 8

Longmont (Colo.) Times Call on why New York Police Department's surveillance of Muslims should be investigated:

The New York Police Department has redefined racial profiling and police powers in its beyond-the-pale tracking of Muslims.

The Associated Press reporting in recent months uncovered an unfathomable program in which the city police department monitored and built databases on where Muslims live, buy groceries, worship and recreate. It infiltrated dozens of mosques and student groups at universities from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Connecticut. It crafted profiles of Moroccans, Egyptians, Albanians and other ethnic groups. It took actions that within the FBI would require the highest approvals.

Even as national politicians, New Jersey leaders, American Civil Liberties chapters and many other faith-based and student-led organizations have called for investigation, any real action has been slow to come. Recently, under pressure from some in Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder finally suggested a review was beginning. Some thought such action had taken place last year, and thus should be further along.

Prompt review certainly was warranted.

This case goes beyond one of racial profiling, which generally means the practice in which law enforcement officials target individuals for suspicion of crime based on their race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. ...

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials have defended the program, reminding the nation of the city's vow -- our vow -- to never forget. The phrase, of course, refers to the national tragedy of 9/11.

But the effort to not forget the death of thousands in a terrorist act should not lead to thousands having their civil rights violated.




March 13

The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun on off-shore oil drilling:

It's been less than two years since BP's Deepwater Horizon rig exploded 40 miles southeast of the Louisiana coast, triggering the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Despite the loss of 11 human lives and devastating injuries to workers, billions of dollars of economic losses in states on the Gulf Coast -- including Florida -- and harsh environmental damage that is still being measured, energy companies are aggressively drilling and exploring deep waters off American shores.

Recently, The New York Times reported that all exploration and production will soon surpass the levels sustained before the April 2010 explosion and subsequent oil spill.

The United States imposed a moratorium on Gulf production after the BP well exploded, a special commission investigated and the Obama administration took significant steps to improve regulations. But the effectiveness of those rules has yet to be tested by harsh reality, and history provides few reasons to be confident about the safety of drilling in extremely deep waters.

Despite the uncertainty that remains and the warnings of additional spills, politicians -- including President Barack Obama -- are fighting a public relations battle to show how aggressively they support expansion of deep water drilling.

All the while, there is little movement in the U.S. or Florida toward fuel-saving conservation policies and development of alternative energy sources. ...




March 8

The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky., on oil price politics:

As if national Republicans didn't already have enough to worry about, the economy -- the issue to which they've clung like a drowning man to a raft -- is showing signs of life.

It's not great, of course. But unemployment is trending downward, the stock market has been gaining more often than it loses, Europe is shaky but not crumbling, and the Obama administration has taken steps to bolster the sagging housing market. And then there is the little problem for the GOP that it's far healthier than the imploding economy that George W. Bush handed over to Barack Obama in January 2009.

So, now what? The Republicans can't really think they'll win by threatening women's affordable access to contraceptives, even if they try to disguise it as some sort of religious freedom issue. Maybe the voters will think that Mitt Romney, a fellow who seems clueless about how most Americans live and who says he doesn't care about the poor, will have their backs on economic issues. But that might be a longshot. What to do?

Oh, wait. How about blaming Obama for the recent rise in oil prices, especially the cost of gasoline? The old canard about car-hating, drilling-averse Democrats can always be trotted out again.

Well, the Republicans are doing just that. ...

All of this flies in the face of reality. Oil prices tend to go up with an improving economy (more demand) -- or with a potential crisis in the Middle East or other oil-producing regions -- and both of these are happening now. Presidents and Congress have little ability to influence oil prices... And the insistence of Republican candidates and leaders that the U.S. wage or threaten war with Iran would drive oil prices up more than any other factor.




March 8

Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald on the National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative:

You pump carbon dioxide into a played-out oil field, the CO2 will stay underground while a lot more oil will flow to the surface. This technology has been boosting oil production for decades -- long before anyone was concerned with global warming.

But these days, it faces a problem: Not enough CO2.

That's right. There is a process that can pump up oil production, permanently store vast quantities of carbon dioxide and make lots and lots of money, all at the same time.

But in a terrific irony of the industrial age, it faces a shortage of affordable CO2, the very compound whose increasing abundance has Earthlings fretting about rising sea levels and changing weather patterns.

That's a gap the U.S. should fill. So, a bipartisan coalition that counts oil producers, coal burners and environmentalists as supporters has a proposal to do just that.

It's called the National Enhanced Oil Recovery Initiative, and it deserves Congress' support. ...

Some on the right don't like the idea because it's prompted in part by concerns about global warming. Some on the left don't like the idea because it boosts rather than throttles production of fossil fuels.

But across the spectrum, plenty of others recognize that this is flat-out a formula for Williston-like prosperity that carries a side benefit of sequestering CO2. Both Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and John Hoeven, R-N.D., are supporters, as is a bipartisan lineup of others in Congress. ...

Said Conrad in a statement, "Our country has tens of billions of barrels of oil that, until now, has been out of reach."

Enhanced oil recovery can increase domestic production of oil, decrease reliance on imported oil and cut CO2 emissions in a fiscally responsible way, Conrad said. Congress and the American people should agree.




March 9

London Evening Standard on Republicans trying to change the conversation:

On Super Tuesday evening, as the primary results came in and Ann Romney took to the microphone with her accustomed professionalism to warm up the crowd for her husband Mitt, there was a fresh emphasis to her message.

"I have something to say about some of the women I'm hearing from," she began. "We've been all across this country. Do you know what women care about? Women care about jobs. Women care about the economy. They care about their children, and they care about the debt."

These election-night effusions are not improvised. There was a script here and behind the script a political team. Someone was saying: let's move the argument away from where we're getting stuck -- on issues such as abortion and women's access to contraception. Republicans are beginning to look obsessive, not to say intrusive and coercive, talking (in Virginia) about demanding that women are subjected to transvaginal probes before undergoing an abortion. The language alone is repulsive. Let's make our central issues into women's issues.

Republicans can only benefit by giving someone such as Ann Romney somewhat more sensible lines to pursue, central points to make ... She is not an entirely gaffe-free zone. She seemed to hand her enemies a gift the other day, when she was quoted as saying: "I don't even consider myself wealthy." ...

But the point she was making in context was not stupid. She was talking about suffering from multiple sclerosis and having been through breast cancer. ...

What she was perhaps trying to say -- but couldn't quite express -- was that gloating over your wealth doesn't help when you are seriously sick. You have other priorities.

... But someone might just point out to her that her husband's fiscal plans are due to benefit the rich and penalize the poor. Sickness has made her more compassionate, no doubt. Could she please share a little of that compassion with her highly tax-efficient husband?




March 12

Ottawa Sun on Afghanistan:

After the repatriation in caskets of 157 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, and the investment of taxpayer millions, it would be nice to know for sure whose side Afghan President Hamid Karzai is on.

But that has never been certain.

International forces in Afghanistan, including Canadian troops who remain as trainers, might have expected Karzai to temper his rhetoric following ... (the) killing (of) 16 innocent civilians, including children, in southern Afghanistan ....

"This is an assassination," he said. "This is an intentional killing of innocent civilians, and cannot be forgiven."

It was much the same a month ago when, despite apologies from U.S. President Barack Obama that the burning of the Quran was unintentional, Karzai fanned the flames of outraged Afghans by refusing to accept that explanation and asking for calm among his people.

As a result, the burning of those copies of the Quran sparked weeks of riots and spontaneous violence that left approximately 30 Afghans dead, and six U.S. servicemen killed by their fellow Afghan soldiers. ...

It is another black eye for Uncle Sam. But it also helps to know who your friends are, especially in perpetually war-torn places like Afghanistan. ...




March 9

The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo, on Russia's Vladimir Putin:

Having won his third term as president after four years out of that office, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in tears, shouted: "Glory to Russia."

The ruling United Russia party has been severely criticized for cheating in the State Duma (lower house) elections held in December. Putin has also been exposed to political headwinds, underscored by a series of anti-government rallies. ...

However, a mountain of difficult problems awaits Putin before he takes office in May. ...

First, his foothold is not stable. His share of the vote dropped about 7 percentage points from over 71 percent in the 2004 presidential election.

What is noteworthy is that his share fell below 50 percent in Moscow and many other large cities.

Major urban areas are home to many middle-income earners who emerged with the economic growth led by Putin. But the middle class is becoming increasingly unhappy with the situation marked by rampant election fraud, bribery and corruption. ...

Putin should view such critical public opinion as warnings against him.

During the election campaign, he advocated democratization of politics, the introduction of stronger measures against bribery and corruption and modernization of the economy, which relies heavily on oil and natural gas. But these are difficult problems that he has been practically unable to resolve during his 12 years in office, including the time he served as prime minister. ...

During the election, as if to stir patriotism, Putin repeatedly made hardline anti-Europe and anti-U.S. comments concerning missile defense and the Syrian situation where bloody suppression continues. However, deterioration of relations with Europe and the United States will have a negative impact on Russia as a whole, including the economy. Russia should re-examine its foreign policy to contribute to the settlement of pending global issues. ...




March 8

Arab News, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Iran:

It is now over a week since the first round of the Iranian parliamentary elections took place and it remains unclear when the second round of voting will occur for the runoff election in the 65 constituencies where there were no clear winners.

The vagueness of the electoral process is, however, nothing to do with any incompetence by the authorities. It is instead part of a deliberate fog that has been blown over the whole exercise, to disguise both a rising conflict within the country's leadership and the continuing suppression of any genuine opposition voices.

The whole Iranian political establishment was seriously shaken by the massive popular demonstrations of the Green Movement, triggered by the blatantly fixed 2009 presidential election. This threat to their 30 years of power was crushed ruthlessly and leading reformists imprisoned or silenced.

As a result of this shock, it might have been thought that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and second-term President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would have worked together to address the long record of economic failure that has caused so much anger and despair among ordinary Iranians. Instead, a widening rift between the two men has paralyzed what little economic reform effort there has been. ...

Both men, for instance, remained welded to Iran's nuclear program, each vying with the other to lead on the issue. ...

If the possible consequences were not so serious for Iranians, as well as for the whole region, this nuclear charade, which is probably the only thing the country's rival leaders can agree on, would be laughable.

Unfortunately this is no joke. Iran's leadership is embarked upon a highly dangerous course. Tragically, because of the phony electoral system, there is absolutely nothing that its voters can do about it.