The Week in Ideas: Jamal Khashoggi's story is far from finished

Opinions you may have missed.

Our feelings at The Post right now are best captured by this drawing by Tom Toles. This, as I’m sure you know, is a reference to our Global Opinions columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and has not been heard from since. Jamal was a skilled, courageous journalist who left his homeland because he could no longer speak freely there. If, as is being reported, the Saudi government set out to silence him, it is a monstrous crime, and we will not rest as we press for the facts of the case to be revealed and for those responsible to be brought to account. In response to Jamal’s disappearance, we published a moving piece by Jamal’s fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. Elliott Abrams, a Mideast expert and self-described defender of Saudi Arabia’s young crown prince, explained why this act would be both “a great crime and a great mistake” for the regime. Joel Simon, head of the Committee to Protect Journalists, wrote that, at a time of great danger for journalists in many parts of the world, this “would be in a category of depravity all its own.” Historian Robert Kagan, in his column “Welcome to the jungle,” argues that this single event may become “a symbol of a global, historical trend.” As always, though, we range over many subjects. As the midterm elections approach, Adam Bonica and Michael McFaul, who teach political science at Stanford University, propose a smart and simple way to increase voter turnout. Columnist Kathleen Parker, who has known her fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley for a long time, writes about why Haley decided to resign as U.N. ambassador, and what she might do next. And Anne Applebaum reports that the West may finally be figuring out the smart way to respond to Russian hacking and dirty tricks. Thank you as always for reading. Fred Hiatt Editorial Page Editor Please, President Trump, shed light on my fiance’s disappearance Jamal Khashoggi is a valuable person, an exemplary thinker and a courageous man. I don’t know how I can keep living if he was abducted or killed in Turkey. Hatice Cengiz  •   Read more » Why Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance will haunt the Saudi government The regime’s defenders are already finding it harder to argue their case. Elliott Abrams  •   Read more » What makes Jamal Khashoggi’s alleged murder so depraved Speaking directly and forcefully about Khashoggi’s disappearance would send a message that certain principles are inviolable. Joel Simon  •   Read more » Welcome to the jungle The U.S. once upheld the liberal world order. We’re now watching it break down. Robert Kagan  •   Read more » Want Americans to vote? Give them the day off. All Americans should have an equal opportunity to vote on Election Day. Adam Bonica and Michael McFaul  •   Read more » Nikki Haley’s comet has a long tail In decades of writing about politics, I’ve run across few with Haley’s innate talents. So what’s next for her? Kathleen Parker  •   Read more » Russian hackers were caught in the act — and the results are devastating The Dutch have decided to blow the spies’ operation wide open. Anne Applebaum  •   Read more »