Foreign Affairs – Paul Collier offers strong recommendations for helping “the bottom billion” — those living in poor countries caught in growth traps. But he cannot overcome a basic problem: how to create growth where no functioning economy exists.more…

New Yorker – Garry Kasparov takes aim at the power of Vladimir Putin.more…

Foreign Affairs – China’s environmental woes are mounting, and the country is fast becoming one of the leading polluters in the world. The situation continues to deteriorate because even when Beijing sets ambitious targets to protect the environment, local officials generally ignore them, preferring to concentrate on further advancing economic growth. Really improving the environment [...]

Foreign Affairs – Deep divisions at home about the nature of the United States’ engagement with the world threaten to produce failed leadership abroad — and possibly isolationism. To steady U.S. global leadership and restore consensus to U.S. foreign policy, U.S. commitments overseas must be scaled back to a more politically sustainable level.more…