- Things I did not know: the British Government has no equivalent to our Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet.
- Sweden joining NATO?
- The Economist has a helpful guide to Syria's various rebel groups. Related: is Assad winning?
- Chinese humour explained.
- Beautiful photos of surely the world's most remote memorial, to the dead aboard an airline flight brought down by Libyan terrorists in the Sahara in 1989. (H/t Blattman.)
- China and India: two paths to globalisation.
- Four books on what went wrong in Afghanistan.
- Philosopher Daniel Dennett's rules for thinking and arguing.
How to compose a successful critical commentary:
- Attempt to re-express your target's position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: "Thanks, I wish I'd thought of putting it that way."
- List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
- Mention anything you have learned from your target.
- Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.