The Economist August 23rd 2014 5
Contents 7 The world this week Leaders 9 China What China wants 10 Jihadists in Iraq and Syria Stop them in both places 10 Race relations in America The lessons of Ferguson 12 Monetary policy Be bold, Mario 14 Tropical forests Seeing the wood On the cover After a bad couple of centuries, China is itching to regain its place in the world. How should America respond? Leader, page 9. History helps to explain what China wants: essay, pages 43-48. The mass immigration of Chinese people into Africa is almost entirely driven by money rather than ideology, page 76. Our obituary of Pierre Ryckmans, truth-teller on China, page 86 The Economist online Daily analysis and opinion from our 19 blogs, plus audio and video content, debates and a daily chart Economist.com/blogs
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Volume 412 Number 8901 Published since September 1843 to take part in "a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress." Editorial offices in London and also: Atlanta, Beijing, Berlin, Brussels, Cairo, Chicago, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lima, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Moscow, New Delhi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, São Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo, Washington DC
Letters 16 On Ronald Reagan, trade, history, freedom, New Hampshire, expats, meetings United States 21 The Ferguson riots Overkill 22 American schools The new white minority 22 The indictment of Rick Perry Criminalising politics 23 Alaska’s Senate primary Republicans at the Last Frontier 24 Housing in Los Angeles How NIMBYists hurt the poor 24 The politics of beer Much to growl about 26 Lexington The trouble with electing judges The Americas 27 Fighting crime in Mexico The Feds ride out 28 Oil in Canada Crude errors 28 Brazil’s presidential campaign The third way 30 Shale gas in Argentina Dead-cow bounce
Asia 31 Indian politics Early days 32 Protests in Pakistan Nighttime happenings 32 Singapore’s politics Cracks in the façade 33 Politics in the Philippines My bosses, my muse 33 Kazakhstan Steaks from the steppe China 34 Rural schools Dropping out 35 Politics in Hong Kong Tensions rise 35 Literacy Character amnesia 36 Banyan The pontiff and the party Middle East and Africa 37 Iraq, Syria and the Islamic State A war that crosses borders 38 Iraq’s next prime minister The hottest seat 38 The Yazidis Finding new friends 39 Chaos in Libya A mystery air raid 39 South Africa’s judiciary Court battles 40 Africa’s population... A speedy-growth conundrum 42 ...and its child brides Girls fight back
Iraq If the Islamic State is to be stopped in Iraq, it must be stopped in Syria too: leader, page 10. Iraq and America have pushed back the jihadists, but it will take much more to quash them, page 37. The British response, page 54. Can Iraq’s next prime minister shape up? Page 38. Iraq’s Yazidis ask Turkey for salvation, page 38
Ferguson’s riots There is no excuse for the mayhem in Missouri. But smarter policing would make such outbreaks less likely: leader, page 10. How not to quell a riot, page 21
Essay 43 China and the world What China wants Europe 49 Ukraine and Russia Battering on 50 The Eurasian Union The other EU 51 Serbia’s foreign policy Divided loyalties 51 French education Bac blues 52 Ireland and abortion Voters rule, OK? 52 Spain and the Catalans Scandal in Catalonia
Narendra Modi Three months after storming into office with the promise of good times ahead, India’s prime minister has shown a curious mix of both resolve and caution, page 31. To improve his grasp of Anglo-Indian relations, David Cameron should watch more cricket: Bagehot, page 55 1 Contents continues overleaf