Editorial Roundup: Excerpts from newspapers in US and abroad

Excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers in the United States and abroad:

April 17

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, on the federal shield law:

Sen. John McCain showed last week why conservatives and liberals alike are supporting a federal shield law giving reporters a qualified right to protect their confidential sources. ...

A Senate bill to establish such a shield has broad bipartisan support, including from McCain's opponents in the presidential race, Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. The House passed a similar measure by a vote of 398-21 in October, and another conservative, Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., a sponsor of that bill, has been an outspoken advocate. ...

Unfortunately, the Bush administration has fought the bill, claiming it is "unwise and unnecessary" and would limit the government's ability to protect national security.

Most senators believe, as we do, that the administration is overreacting. Journalists are not asking for and don't deserve an absolute privilege. The bill would compel reporters to reveal sources in certain cases, such as the imminent threat of a terrorist attack or some other grave national emergency. ...

Protection is vital at a time when journalists are being badgered by prosecutors trolling for information. ...

Without the shelter this bill would provide, stories such as the ones exposing the scandal at Abu Ghraib — which McCain cited — or the appalling conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center may not be told in the future.

The Senate should pass a federal shield law with enough votes to overcome the likely presidential veto.

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On the Net:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id740750

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April 18

Chicago Sun-Times, on Clinton and Obama's last debate:

This week's televised debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama likely was their last.

And what a disappointment it was.

We've heard of a spin-free zone. How about a substance-free zone?

It sure felt that way, especially for the first half of the debate led by ABC's Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.

It was a night marked by gotcha questions, of been-there-heard-that retreads that offered little new. ...

By now, everybody has picked apart those overblown "character issues" and made up their mind.

What should matter more are the serious issues of our times — war and recession and taxes — where Clinton and Obama only look like the Double Mint Twins.

When two candidates hold such similar views, the devil is in the details.

Wednesday's debate could have helped voters understand the small but sometimes crucial differences in policy between Obama and Clinton.

But all we got was noise.

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On the Net:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/902139,CST-EDT-edit18a.a tic le

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April 20

The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J., on the global food crisis:

The global food crisis has been called a "perfect storm" by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and a "silent tsunami" by the executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, Josette Sheeran.

Are they overstating the problem? Haitians whose protests last weekend forced their prime minister to resign would not think so. In the Philippines, where soldiers armed with M-16 rifles are guarding sales of subsidized rice, people would see hunger as a priority. The 24 people killed in food riots in Cameroon can only contribute their numbers as a silent warning.

When every disaster — global warming, terrorism, Darfur — competes for the front page and funding, it's hard to prioritize among them. But alarm does seem justified in the face of the most widespread hunger since the 1970s. ...

Most Americans can tolerate those higher prices, just as they will pay for biofuel-powered SUVs, but for much of the world they're a disaster. This is not a crisis that can be solved through rock concerts or sending money. It requires fundamental changes, and the time to start making them is now.

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On the Net:

http://tinyurl.com/52djy8

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April 20

The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal, on lethal injection:

The U.S. Supreme Court's approval of lethal injection for administering the death penalty last week will trigger an increase in executions in 36 states that allow it. ...

The high court decision covers only the narrow issue of lethal injection, however, and does not settle larger questions that states must grapple with as they consider capital punishment.

Support for the death penalty itself is slipping, according to the Harris Poll — from a high-water mark of 75 percent in 1997 to 63 percent earlier this year.

It's not clear how widespread support for the death penalty is in Tennessee, where there are 96 inmates on death row. But the state has been among the most cautious of the pro-death penalty states, only gradually edging toward more frequent executions following a 40-year hiatus between 1960 and 2000. ...

It's a form of punishment that costs half again as much to obtain as a prison sentence. It's an irreversible decision that allows for no mistakes. And it delivers questionable benefits in terms of crime prevention.

Supporters are correct to point out, however, that an executed prisoner is no longer a threat to society, and it's the kind of issue on which state legislators are likely to follow the wishes of their constituents.

In today's Tennessee, with the fear of crime informing many public policy decisions, for many citizens restarting the machinery of capital punishment couldn't happen soon enough.

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On the Net:

http://tinyurl.com/3mj7xt

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April 21

Durango (Colo.) Herald, on U.S. troops' mental health:

As technology has advanced across all fronts, soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced a decreased likelihood of being killed in combat than their predecessors in earlier wars. That is an unmitigated positive development, but it does not tell the entire story. Those same soldiers who are escaping their tours of duty with their lives are not leaving the theaters unscathed. Often, though, their injuries are not of the blood and bone variety; instead, they involve head wounds known as traumatic brain injuries. The prevalence and long-term consequences of these injuries are issues the Department of Defense must address. ...

Technological advances in how wars are fought have profoundly improved and lengthened soldiers' lives, and there is much to celebrate in that evolution. But those advances do not exist in a vacuum, and with them has arrived a set of consequences that have real and long-term impacts on those who suffer them. With a grasp of just how widespread soldiers' mental-health issues are, the Department of Defense can now take appropriate action to curb continued growth of the problem and treat those already suffering. The troops who have spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve at least that much.

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On the Net:

http://tinyurl.com/4fpkb5

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April 21

Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, on John McCain and tax reductions:

John McCain is supposed to be running a presidential campaign, not a candy store.

The Arizona senator and presumptive Republican presidential nominee has gotten carried away with calling for a wide array of tax reductions that would send federal budget deficits ballooning even higher.

In recent pronouncements, McCain has called for suspending federal fuel taxes from Memorial Day to Labor Day, doubling the tax exemption for a dependent child from $3,500 to $7,000, slashing corporate taxes and other tax-shrinking measures.

Those sweet tax-cut goodies probably look awful tasty to taxpayers, until they stop to think about their destructive impact: The tax cuts would sharply reduce federal revenues and increase annual budget deficits. That would increase the cumulative national debt, which has soared to about $9.4 trillion — almost $30,000 for every man, woman and child in America.

Commendably, McCain appears genuinely determined to clamp down on federal spending, which needs to be reined in. But the amount of revenue lost from his tax-trimming proposals probably would far outstrip any spending cuts that Congress might adopt. ...

McCain's campaign prides itself on "straight talk." But he's not shooting straight with American voters if he contends that his panoply of proposed tax breaks wouldn't swell already excessive budget deficits.

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On the Net:

http://www.star-telegram.com/225/story/592246.html

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April 21

Newsday, Melville, N.Y., on the Olympics:

With four months to go before the Beijing Olympics, it's too soon for President George W. Bush to tip his hand on whether he will attend the opening ceremony. Reserving his decision is the best way to pressure China — desperate to make a good showing on the world stage — to become a better actor on human rights.

Bush and the heads of other Western nations are under pressure to stay away from what is sure to be a grand spectacle broadcast around the globe. Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have all said they will not attend. But declining so early could diminish their ability to nudge China toward greater religious freedom in Tibet and less censorship and repression at home.

Bush said he will attend the games and continue to press China on human rights through the usual diplomatic channels. He has also said that the Olympic Games are about sport, not politics. But that ship has already sailed. The United States led a boycott of the 1980 games in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union returned the favor in 1984, boycotting the games in Los Angeles. What Bush hasn't said is whether his plans include the opening ceremony. This is one time when a non-answer is the right answer.

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On the Net:

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpbei215658359apr21,0,496 729 .story

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April 22

Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune, on President Bush and global warming:

Just in time for Earth Day, the federal government announced two welcome — though modest — advancements in the struggle against climate change.

First, the Environmental Protection Agency said greenhouse gases — the global-warming emissions caused by burning coal, oil and gas — were 1.1 percent lower in 2006 than in 2005. ...

Last week's other positive development was President Bush's willingness, for the first time, to set a target date for beginning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The bad news is that the date is 2025. ...

Bush made clear his opposition to bipartisan Senate Bill 2191, which would impose mandatory limits on greenhouses gases in five years, followed by annual reductions. ...

The EPA's announcement of greenhouse gas reductions in 2006 show that, given the proper conditions, positive change is possible. The federal government can't control the weather, but it can — by mandatory restrictions on emissions and, even better, a carbon tax — help reduce the nation's over-reliance on fossil fuels and promote alternative sources of energy.

Bush has finally accepted what he called "the important climate change goals we share." It's too late in his presidency to lead the way toward achieving those goals, but we hope he won't stand in the way of the progress that Senate Bill 2191 promises.

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On the Net:

http://www.heraldtribune.com

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April 17

This Day Lagos, Nigeria, on Pakistan:

In what could be described as a big set back for President Pervez Musharraf and his United States backer, but good news to the people of Pakistan, two Pakistani opposition parties have agreed to a coalition government after they won most seats in the country's parliamentary election.

Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) led by Asif Zardari, the husband of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and Pakistani Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) led by Nawaz Sharif, another former prime minister, had announced a new alliance, which gives them not only control of the country's main legislature but also opportunity to form the new government. This development, which most Pakistanis welcomed, would certainly put pressure on President Pervez Musharraf, a former military dictator who had plunged the country into serious crisis following his iron-fist rule. ... The Coalition must also be wary of Musharraf's antics, as he would want to divide them for his own selfish ambition and that of his American backers. They must work together in the interest of the country and its people. The greater challenge therefore is how to contain the former general and how to steer the country away from the path of violence that has consumed the nation's former leaders and many ordinary Pakistanis. Peace and democracy in Pakistan can only be achieved if the opposition remains together and not get consumed by private partisan interests.

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On the Net:

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id108935

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April 17

Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo, on the Italian general election:

Japan and Italy are said to be politically much alike.

Among the similarities are that the two countries' respective prime ministers tend to come and go in rapid succession, and that corruption is rife in the parties in power. The fact that the reins of government have remained in the hands of a conservative party — the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan and the former Christian Democracy in Italy — for the majority of the postwar period is the most striking similarity.

This week's snap general election in Italy resulted in the first change of government in two years. The center-right alliance won, and Silvio Berlusconi, 71, will again take office as prime minister — for his third term, following two years in opposition. ...

Here, people tend to believe that five changes of government in less than 20 years would spark great political confusion. Italian voters, however, don't seem to be seriously bothered by that idea.

Obviously, the Italian people must realize that voting in a new administration won't immediately fix their economic woes. Still, when Italian politics becomes bogged down, people get to vote in general elections to make their views known. This makes for a healthy "political metabolism," and there is no question this system is firmly in place in Italy. ...

For years, critics have been saying the LDP's "serviceable life" has expired. Yet, there has been little political change in this country, if any. We feel a bit envious of Italy, where voters can immediately oust the party in power whenever they need to get out of a rut.

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On the Net:

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200804170072.html

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April 23

The London Times on former President Carter:

It was hardly surprising that Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State, scolded former President Carter yesterday for meeting leaders of Hamas. Insofar as the U.S. has a Middle East peace strategy, it hinges on isolating Hamas rather than engaging it, and with good reason: Hamas has still not explicitly accepted Israel's right to exist. Far from renouncing violence, it seized control of Gaza last year and continues to terrorize Israelis with rockets and attempted suicide bombings. And it is so fractured that no single leader can reliably speak for all its members. Yet Mr. Carter's seven hours of meetings in Damascus were significant. Afterwards, in a statement agreed by all concerned, he said that under certain conditions Hamas "would accept the right of Israel to live as a neighbour next door in peace." In public, Dr. Rice had no option but to dismiss this as empty rhetoric. In private, she should take note. ...

Mr. Carter may seem naive for an 83-year-old, but he is right that the peace process is "not working." New approaches are needed urgently. ... Initiatives like Mr. Carter's are, likewise, important. They commit the U.S. to nothing. Still less do they legitimize acts of terror by Hamas. But they give valuable insights into Hamas thinking, which for good or ill will determine the fate of the formal peace process. For its own part, Hamas should seize this moment to call a unilateral ceasefire and release its three Israeli prisoners. That might earn it a hearing from more powerful figures than the peanut farmer from Plains, Ga.

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On the Net:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article 799 173.ece

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April 23

The New Straits Times, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia, on Earth Day:

April 22, 1970, was the first "World Earth Day," an educational gimmick thought up by a United States senator as a "teach-in," in the quaint terminology of the hippie era then ending, to spread environmental awareness. When 20 million people involved themselves in that event, it was clear Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin had struck a chord among the turned-on, tuned-in youth of the world at that time.

Ever since, Earth Day has been observed on that date every year; its global agenda changing to suit changing exigencies, from the denuclearisation priorities of the 1970s through the ozone hole panic of the 1980s and species-depletion concerns of the 1990s, to the present alarm over global warming, climate change, food crisis and rising sea levels.

Indeed, it would seem the 38 Earth Days since the first have marked the steady deterioration of the planetary environment in defiance of the exponentially rising environmental awareness of the world's peoples and nations. ...

If this were but a single day's remembrance, such detractors would be right. Seen as part of the whole, however, Earth Day has certainly helped raise awareness and educate common people on how to live their lives in accordance with sound environmental practices.

The saving of power and water, the restoration of forests and preservation of watersheds, the reduction of waste and its thoughtful disposal, are all standard citizens' procedure today in a way they were not a generation ago.

If not for such commemorations as World Earth Day adding to the constant global outreach and education on caring for the Earth and all upon it, the planet's situation could be much more dire, and environmental decline more devastating.

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On the Net:

http://tinyurl.com/52kl7p