Political Risk Must-Reads

Eurasia Group’s weekly selection of essential reading for the political-risk junkie — presented in no particular order. As always, feel free to give us your feedback or selections by tweeting at us via @EurasiaGroup or @ianbremmer. Must-Reads "Why Bo Stole the Show" Minxin Pei, Project Syndicate Day 1 of the Bo Xilai trial was jarringly transparent; it’s hard ...

Eurasia Group's weekly selection of essential reading for the political-risk junkie -- presented in no particular order. As always, feel free to give us your feedback or selections by tweeting at us via @EurasiaGroup or @ianbremmer.

Eurasia Group’s weekly selection of essential reading for the political-risk junkie — presented in no particular order. As always, feel free to give us your feedback or selections by tweeting at us via @EurasiaGroup or @ianbremmer.

Must-Reads

"Why Bo Stole the Show"
Minxin Pei, Project Syndicate
Day 1 of the Bo Xilai trial was jarringly transparent; it’s hard to believe it was China’s attempt at upholding rule of law and judicial integrity. After all, Beijing clamped down from the second day onward. So how did Bo get a chance to speak his mind so openly and dramatically? What impact might it have?

"Mutually Insured Destruction"
Maggie Koerth-Baker, New York Times
Can predictive algorithms used by reinsurance companies successfully measure the economic impact of climate change?

"Best and Worst Countries for Babies on Their First Day of Life"
Cat Wise, PBS
One million babies die every year on their day of birth. A baby born in Somalia is 43 times more likely to die on his or her first day than one born in Luxembourg (which tops the list); the United States comes in 68th out of 186 ranked countries.

"Russia-Belarus potash dispute ignites diplomatic row"
Douglas Busvine and Andrei Makhovsky, Reuters
How has a trade dispute between Russia and Belarus escalated into a handcuffed CEO and a shaken $20 billion global potash market?

Weekly Bonus

"Twitter and Facebook’s global impact as told through which governments want their data"
Zachary M. Seward, Quartz
For the first time, Facebook has released the user-data requests it receives from each country. So which foreign countries demand the most information on Twitter and Facebook users?

"Liberia students all fail university admission exam"
BBC News
Umm … is it possible that every single one of the nearly 25,000 students who applied to the University of Liberia got rejected?

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.