Opinion - The Christian Science Monitor

Separatist tensions resolved through openness, respectRegarding the Aug. 28 article, "Russia's case on Georgia territories: Like Kosovo or not?" At present, there are both Georgian and Russian friends and family in my home. So I found this article very enlightening in discussing Russia's turnaround in supporting demands of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after its opposition to the independence of Kosovo.

Bluemont, Va. - The five children. The newborn diagnosed with Down syndrome. The pregnant daughter. Sarah Palin's life – chock full of challenge – confronts her opposition with some formidable challenges of its own. After decades of pushing equal rights and treatment for women, the Left is backtracking.

Brooklyn, N.Y. - Amid the current housing crisis, one foreclosure is welcome. "Rent" will take its final bow at the Nederlander Theatre in New York on Sept. 7, after 12 years on Broadway. Many will mourn the loss of the rock musical, no doubt, but not me.

Washington - Malaise has made a comeback.

Provo, Utah - The nominating conventions, each dramatic in different ways, are nearly done and Americans are on the last lap toward the new presidency.

This week, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev outlined five principles guiding Moscow's foreign policy. Here are two: Protect Russians "wherever they are" and attend to "privileged interests" in Moscow's areas of influence. Is this Cold War II? It's more like a throwback to the 19th century, when great powers carved up the world like a pot roast.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - A few days after the Kremlin recognized the independence of contested territories South Ossetia and Abkhazia last week, an upscale Moscow daily newspaper called Kommersant added a biting video clip to its site. Vladimir Soloviev, whose reporting from Georgia was among the best in any country's media, offered a crisp analysis of the war and its aftermath.

Los Angeles - Fall classes are barely under way and already guidance counselors across the country are conferring with students about the courses they need for their high school diplomas. In the process, more than 90 percent will be steered toward a college-prep curriculum, according to the Alfred P. Sloan Study of Youth and Social Development. This, however, is not as laudable as it seems.

This fall, public schools across America are experimenting with teacher pay incentives to improve student achievement. The extra dollars, though, mostly amount to lunch money compared to a radical proposal in Washington, D.C. – upwards of $100,000 in salary and bonuses.

Minneapolis, Minn. - John McCain likes bold, daring strokes. The question that hangs over his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is whether it was a bold move or a desperate one.

Images of Georgian infantry moving under fire and Russian tanks on the attack show that the days of like armies fighting one another on battlefields are far from over.

America's mood this election year is for "change." But from what? The Bush years? The once near-certainty of another Clinton in the White House? A "safe" choice for GOP vice president? Perhaps from a Congress whose popularity is so low that it could crawl under a snake with a top hat on?

Chapel Hill, N.C.; and Bowling Green, Ohio - When Russian troops attacked Georgia this month, rolling tanks into Tskhinvali and bombing Gori, it was not just a tragedy for the Caucasus. It also marked the demise of more than four years of no war between nations, the longest period in modern history.

Guilderland, N.Y. - Whether we're sending a kid back to school or just responding to our own internal clock, fall shopping is now.

Of Russia's many excuses for invading Georgia, its claim of preventing genocide has set back a new idea in human history. In 2005, the UN said the international community must intervene in countries suffering mass atrocities – putting mercy before sovereignty. Russia abused this idea in Georgia. The world now needs to save this humanitarian impulse to prevent real genocides.

Washington - In a famous 1979 television interview, Democratic presidential contender Ted Kennedy flubbed a softball question: "Why do you want to be president?" Mr.

After 30 years, one of America's most intractable social problems is finally turning around: Overall homelessness has fallen 12 percent since 2005. Thanks goes to a eureka insight, followed by a coordinated nationwide push. The progress proves that Americans at all levels can tackle difficult challenges if they commit to them.

Cambridge, Mass. - In her compelling speech at the Democratic Convention Monday night, Michelle Obama took an important step toward reassuring voters that the Obamas are, at their core, just another American family. With grace, warmth, and a light touch, she confronted her husband's greatest electoral vulnerability as the campaign for the White House enters its final ten-week sprint.

Eugene, Ore. - "Cap and trade" is the rage today as a primary solution to global warming. But the European Union's struggle with this approach indicates it has an uncertain future. This is because global warming, at its core, is not a technology or policy problem. It is the greatest failure of thought in human history.

With the economy the top concern for American voters, it's not surprising that Barack Obama emphasized Joe Biden's working-class roots when he introduced him as his running mate last week. But Mr. Biden's expertise is his substantial foreign-policy experience, and that is the main strength he brings to the ticket.

State college, Pa. - American parents shoot ourselves in the foot by making our children the center of our universe. And we certainly don't help our kids, either.

Washington - How would you feel about your personal health information flowing freely over the Internet between public health officials, healthcare providers, insurance and data clearinghouse companies, and others – without your permission?

Oh, to be a fly on the wall next month at the annual "summit" of Russia's richest capitalists and Vladimir Putin. Will the oligarchs tell the modern-day czar, "Bravo on invading Georgia!" Or might they whisper, "Watch out what you do to our economy." The latter would be smarter.

Dallas - Dear Recession,

Denver - By choosing Joe Biden, Barack Obama has – according to the conventional wisdom – added vital experience and foreign-policy wisdom to his campaign. What he's really done is add an exclamation point to the triumph of cynical, win-at-all-cost politics.

Voters aren't likely to hear much before the election about plans to end government support for two giants in home finance, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Yet like house prices, the federally backed entities are on the skids – as is the whole idea of Washington continuing to aid investment in a market often treated like a big bet.

Pitman, N.J. - Even though Congress adopted new ethics rules that banned the acceptance of gifts, trips, and meals, among other freebees, Democrats and Republicans will still attend many lobbyist-sponsored events surrounding their conventions. Why? Exceptions, of course.

Washington - The tectonic plates of world politics have been shifting for several years now, and on Aug. 8 the extent of this shift became plain. In Beijing, China held a stunning coming-out party as a world power. Meanwhile, 4,000 miles away, Russia invaded neighboring Georgia, signaling loud and clear that it would no longer be taken for granted.