In recent weeks, world events have pushed the presidential campaigns out of the immediate public spotlight. Violence has resurfaced in the Middle East, and democratic reform seems promising in Yugoslavia. Environmental and health concerns have prompted the call for a multi-national response. Fueled by technologies that know no political borders, the economies of nations have become ever more intertwined.

Taken as a whole, such global events underscore the increasingly important presence of the United States within the global community. But, as Nov. 7 draws near, they also highlight a host of challenges that will confront our next president. Without Congress as a buffer, the president must handle global issues at the most intimate of levels. Such interaction requires a brand of leadership that can both bridge nation-states and acquiesce heads-of-state.

It is the presence of this leadership quality that most distinguishes the Democratic candidate from his Republican rival. And for this reason, we urge our peers to cast their vote for Al Gore ’69.

—Oct. 30, 2000

An Education Online

In a move that highlights the potential of the Internet to change the way the world thinks about education, MIT announced last week that it was putting materials for its nearly 2,000 courses on the Web. The 10-year project, called MIT OpenCourseWare, would allow anyone, anywhere in the world, to read lecture notes, try problem sets and browse syllabi for any of MIT’s courses. We hope that MIT’s courageous decision will be copied by other universities—especially Harvard—for the sake of those who will be able to learn from the far corners of the globe, as well as the universities’ students, who will benefit significantly from the project. Such a move would stimulate discussion and learning among scholars both on campus and abroad.